From: "amarin olarn" <amarinolarn@hotmail.com>
To: Kesinee@dhammastudy.com
Subject:  Dhamma question
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2000 10:34:59 GMT

Please answer Khun Kalya's question, 'Why were we born?'
                                    Thank you,
                                    Olarn

 Why were we born?
 

Because it is such a short question, before answering we would like to establish some common grounds as to the aspects of the question you asked about.   What does the word 'why' infer?   Does it mean one or all of the following: to perform which functions, for what purpose, or is it a reproach, whyever were we born, maybe it would have been better that we had not.  This answer is intended for these three interpretations, so if we have misunderstood the question please send us another.

If you wanted to know what we are to do to be worth the while to have been born, you must have heard that to be born a human is very difficult.  When life leaves a world or a lifetime, the chances of being reborn in other worlds than the human one is extremely high.  The best thing about being born a human is the privilege to study the dhamma towards the realization and attainment of nibbana.  Planes of existence lower than the human one are too tormenting, while the higher ones are too pleasurable, or have too long a lifespan to easily see the dukkha of samsara-vatta.  Even the Buddhas were all enlightened in their human rebirths.  Since we were born humans, especially having had the chance to hear the Buddha's teachings of the dhamma, we should use this rare privilege to develop sati-patthana, increase panna and even if we do not become enlightened to attain nibbana in this lifetime, we would have accumulated conditions for enlightenment in future lives.

If you wondered for what purpose we were born, that it seems useless, perhaps even harmful, or that there should never have been any humans at all, then the distinct births of things is not dictated or controlled by anyone, but happen according to causes and conditions.  Kamma performed in the past, both kusala and akusala, would be paccaya for citta, cetasika and rupa to arise, and each time they fall away, there are  conditions for others to immediately arise in continuation.  As long as there are conditions to be born, there must be rebirth.  Through eternity we have traveled the innumerable rounds of samsara-vatta; according to worldly values we would have done incalculable deeds of goodness and maybe much harm also.  We must have already been born both in the highest heaven and the lowest hell.  The worlds or rebirths are not important in the least.  What matters is whether we realize that samsara-vatta is to be relinquished.  If we  really see the harm of being born and truly wish to abandon it, we would be able to do so by acheiving nibbana.  Those who have attained nibbana are the arahanta.  They have abandoned both the kusala and akusala, eradicated all paccaya for rebirths.  Nibbana is the reality that does not arise, therefore it does not fall away.

The reason that some wonder why we were ever born is because they feel that life is dukkha and wish to escape it.  The important thing is whether we understand what dukkha is.  How do you understand the tilakkhana or the three characteristics of sankhara-dhamma, namely aniccata, dukkhata and anattata?  Dukkha is not the reality that dislikes, is troubled or worried, or sad and depressed.  The Buddhist terms for these characteristics are dosa.  If the causes of these feelings were to disappear, would you still feel that life is unhappiness?  Dukkha, the characteristic of all sankhara-dhamma, is the characteristic of impermanence, being subject to changes, to arisings and falling aways.  In reality we have gone through these rounds of rebirth for such an eternity because of our attachments to life, or to being and existing.  This pleasure in being born is there at every birth, even in a person who is born in the lowest hell.  As soon as the patisandhi citta had arisen, the pleasure in being born would arise.  This contentment is extremely hard to abandon, it takes the inestimably supreme panna of the Samma-sambuddha to realize and to relinquish.  The Buddha taught us to abandon ties, withdraw from attachments to kama, to see the harm of kama, and showed us dukkha, the causes of dukkha, the eradication of dukkha, and the practice towards the eradication.  Only when we are able to achieve what he has shown us can we really transcend dukkha.

Amara-Varee
8 March 2000
 

Background Photo: Galaxies NGC2207 & IC2163 in collision by NASA