I am a new follower of The Buddha's Teachings. I have a question, only for sincere, genuine Buddhists Please

Question

Hope I am able to word myself with excellence.
Will do my best.

Am beginning to understand enlightenment, and Nirvana.

I understand that after Siddhartha Gautama
reached enlightenment, thus sharing with people the 4 Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path, as well as MUCH other Wise teachings, altriusm, etc. etc.), The Buddha, did not die
physically until at least another 40+ years (Providing Mankind with his 45 years of teachings from his [I suppose I'll call it]
Ministry.

Question: "When Siddhartha Gautama{the First
Buddha / The Buddha) experienced Pari-Nirvana
at the time of his physical death, ending the cycle of rebirths { "that is 'IF' he was ever reborn - if he needed such, as we all do]
'what happened at the point of his death, upon his Pari-Nirvana ?' Did he evolve into an even higher level of consciousness, & into another higher being which has reached Absolute PEACE, and Perfection, etc. ? Or did he die Peacefully, as dust, ceasing to Exist ?

Also, as a follower of the Buddha's teachings, would like to know, if we
may reach Pari-Nirvana, ending the cycles of rebirths and will evolve into a perfect, peaceful higher life form, with much higher consciousness OR if we will, in complete Peace, will turn into dust, and our mind(mindstreams) finally cease to exist, our bodies decay, trun to dust ?

No matter what the answers are, I still with patience, diligence, right effort, humbly learning the teachings of The Buddha AND through putting them into practice, every one of them, will continue in this path.

It is the path I have chosen, and will not be moved by other religious beliefs contrary to Buddhism.

I do however, accept patiently, practicing much tolerance non-judgmentally toward other religions, there beliefs, and chosen way of life for themselves.

If it helps a person become a better person, helping mankind in a wholesome productive way through patience, humility, without hypocricy, then do it.

IMPT. REQUEST:

Please IF you possibly can, only

list Sources from excellent websites,

or Wise Words from the 14th Dalai

Lama, Ling Rinpoche (the 14th Dalai

Lama's senior teacher),

Trijang Rinpoche, Serkong Rinpoche,

Geshe Sopa, Song Rinpoche, OR

any other very Knowledgable Buddhist

from any kind of Buddhism.

Buddhists practice Patience, Tolerance,

AND Forgiveness, toward all people

and toward all religions. Even those,

whether they are religious or not,

whether they are atheist without a

system of morals and good ethics or not,

we also practice Patience, Tolerance,

and Forgiveness toward. This is

the Buddhist way of life.

With Metta, {Loving-kindness AND
genuine Friendliness] !!

From: W. W. B. D. ? = What Would

Brian (is my name) Do

Thank You RH Baritone. Your answer
is Quite insightful, and your right, even by me - out of mere curiosity asking those questions, I was distracted from the present moment of being, I should be more focused on the here and now, in cultivating/transforming my mind, for the betterment/help for mankind. Yes,
as you already can see, I have chosen
Mahayana Buddhims. One choses a specific way of life that best suites him or her, and will meet their needs, and help them become a better person.

I bookmarked your websites, and will soon check them out. Being very open minded, and non critical, as well as humbly teachable IS Very Important
to me. Thank You.

There will be many other excellent answers coming in as well.

Thank You everyone.

Answer 1

The writings indicate that the Buddha died from food poisoning. However, the Buddha would have encouraged you not to dwell on such matters. They are a distraction from your daily practice.

Many people do not focus on past or future lives, if they exist. They are not your current concern, but rather working on the matters that occur in your own circumstance. Buddhism teaches that the only thing that matters is the current experience. As you go along, you will integrate your self-understanding into your experiences as a unified whole, and the past and future will become less and less poignant for you.

EDIT: If you are looking for readings, I recommend "Buddhism without Belief" by Stephen Batchelor. Also Alan Watts has excellent podcasts on Buddhism that are available through iTunes. You can play them on your computer or on an MP3 player.

Namaste.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 2

"If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him" was the title of a book. The dramatic title was to make a point. Buddhists do not worship the Buddha the way christians worship Jesus. On the the differences is that christians look at God as a father figure who protects or punishes them, depending how He feels, so christianity is based on a paternal model. On the other hand, the Buddha is a teacher, and followers of Buddhsim understand karma and the fact they are totally responsible for their own lives. If they act correctly and think correctly, they create good karma and life is good.

Answer 3

There is no birth, no death, no path to Nirvana. What you are discussing was taught to keep people, at that time, from even worse notions about death, but should not be taken literally. If you wish to understand Buddhism, you need to leave all that behind you, like the boat you use to cross a stream. Concerning yourself with such old ideas about your present spiritual journey "is like a man who loses his sword over the side of a ship, and marks the spot where is fell in on the railing." The Buddha did not set out a path for you to follow, for that would only make you into a cheap imitation of someone else, and certainly not make you free. Leave all that behind you and move on as you learn to open your mind to the truth right in front of you. That is what the Buddha's teachings are all about.

Answer 4

That depends on the school of Buddhism you adhere to.

In Zen, there is nothing said about after death. Nirvana and enlightenment is in this lifetime.

In Theravada and Tibetan, multiple rebirths are expected to reach a point at which there is a cessation of rebirths, an end to Karma, and an attainment of self-realization.

Shin, Pureland, and others differ too.

In Buddhism, you really come to a realization of truth through your own actions (meditation), not taking anything taught you on faith. So no matter what your or other schools teach, it's not something to be accepted on faith, but a guide to enlightenment.

Answer 5

I always get Hinduism and Buddhism mixed up.

Let me look for a moment.

Well, from memory, I believe Nirvana is defined as Nothingness, Void, Not this Existence. . .Bliss.

I like to think of it as the Holodeck from Star Trek. You live this human false life (program) and when you're done, you go back to being just pure energy (Real life).

Anything and everything that made up this life (emotions, personality, anything human) is gone.

Well, it really depends on what branch you follow. Most likely Mahayana if you believe that anyone can achieve enlightenment.

Think of this existence as a test. You must pass in order to end suffering and revert back to energy.

It's not really meant to be easy to understand, or else everyone would be able to do it. It's basically the ultimate mind f*ck, and you have to figure it out (with the help of your Bodhisattva if you choose one) on your own.

Answer 6

What After the Buddha?
To the grieving monks assembled at his final gathering, anxious as to how they would bear their separation from him, the Buddha said:

"Whether my body remains or I pass away – it will be the same, because even then my Dharmakaya (the Dharma preached by me) will remain in this world. It does not then matter that my form remains or not." (BC 24.20)

"Salvation does not come from the mere sight of me without strenuous yogic practices. Whoever thoroughly understands my law, is released from the net of suffering even though he may never see me." (BC 25.77)

"Just as man cannot be cured of a disease by the mere sight of a physician without taking the prescribed medicine, similarly the one who hears my Dharma but does not put it into practice, he cannot be liberated by mere sight." (BC 25.78)

Then he said what can act as a comforting reassurance to those of us feeling lost in the vast ocean of the modern world:

"In this world, a self-controlled practitioner of Dharma, even though he may be far from me, is seeing me, while he who does not conform to the highest good may dwell at my side and yet be distant from me." (BC 25.79)

Conclusion: The Compassion of Buddha
After his supreme enlightenment, there remained only one thing binding the Buddha to this world – his body. However, out of compassion for his fellow beings, Buddha continued to survive physically even after Nirvana. It was only when he realized that his work was done, and a solid foundation laid for the Dharma did he finally decide to let his body fall, putting his feelings into the following verse:

I wandered forth when twenty-nine,
To seek well-being, the life divine,
Since then fifty have gone over this life of mine. (DN 16.5.27)

Ripened is my life,
Little remains to thrive,
All’s done I need not survive. (DN 16.3.51)

Answer 7

I will try. In true enlightenment there is no one to be enlightened. As Buddha said "this house is torn down, never to be rebuilt". In enlightenment you know what you really are & what everything is. Buddha. The ego is gone, you can experance this & should before the body dies.

Answer 8

He joined the world soul, like a drop of water in the ocean. This is a belief from Hinduism that was passed on to Buddhism.

Answer 9

Its your belief,you tell us.. Because i don't believe,or understand it.. What ?how?When?Where? is your Buddha,making his appearance...Apparently you don't know Either/that's some Peace for you.

Answer 10

Honestly every human being returns to his origin.. the dirt