Ask A Monk: Importance of Past Lives

"It's said, 'we are what we were & we will be what we are.' Would it not be helpful to know our past life to know who we are now to enable us to be who we will be?

Please submit questions to my YouTube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/yuttadhammo

or Google Moderator:

http://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=1e4f6&v=24

subscribe for updates here:

http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=yuttadhammo

and don't forget to click the "like" button to help promote these videos! Thanks everyone for your questions, comments and support for what I do.

May all beings be happy.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Noah-Yuttadhammo/101401863258025

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/yuttadhammo

Buzz:

http://www.google.com/profiles/yuttadhammo

Weblog:

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/

Schedule:

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/schedule

Audio Talks:

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/audio

Book on How To Meditate:

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/articles/how-to-meditate/

Sirimangalo International (Our non-profit organization):

http://www.sirimangalo.org/

Supporting This Work:

http://www.sirimangalo.org/support

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Remember
• Past
• Lives
• Reincarnation
• Ajaan
• Ajahn
• Ajarn
• Awaken
• Awakening
• Balance
• Buddha
• Buddhism
• Buddhist
• Consciousness
• Development
• Dhamma
• Dharma
• Ego
• Enlightenment
• Freedom
• Growth
• Happiness
• Harmony
• Healing
• Heart
• Insight
• Love
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Monk
• Nirvana
• Noah
• Path
• Peace
• Phra
• Practice
• Realization
• Reality
• Religion
• Samadhi
• Spiritual
• Spirituality
• Teaching
• Truth
• Vipassana
• Wellness
• Wisdom
• Yuttadhammo

[DumbVideosCo]

Will I remember my past lives when/if I become enlightened? Please reply.

[PanteraFistPrint]

@MrGunwitch Jeya I do sweet the streets, with my feet......All I ever wanted to do was dance!!! Going out with a big heart!!! LOVE BRO

[blancogurrl]

@blancogurrl plus, I know what I was, a soldier (engineer)in the vietnam war who died in a tunnel collapse. Maybe knowing that has coloured my choices to a degree,( not partnering a soldier in this life, seeing war are futile and dehumanising ) but to put too much energy in 'remembering' only robs from my here and now!

Focus on this life to perfect the experience so it does not have to be repeated.

[blancogurrl]

forget about a past life..what purpose does it serve.. isn't it just diversion from the now! I do not care if I have ever been here before, I just want to make sure I never come back here again!

[MrGunwitch]

@PanteraFistPrint

'Bundle of sticks'?! Wow what a stunning retort...I'm quaking in my boots :)

Stop wasting both our time and go sweep a street or whatever it is you do

[PanteraFistPrint]

@MrGunwitch IF you knew proper English you WOULD know it can be said in different ways, gosh stop being such a bundle of sticks.

[MrGunwitch]

@PanteraFistPrint

Its written "full of negativity"...troll...

[PanteraFistPrint]

@MrGunwitch You sir are a troll.......full of negative.

[irock9114]

@loly1969 not something one can achieve easily... one has to fulfill the 10 pāramitā...over a verry long time (long time as in not something one can hope to achieve in one lifetime)... each one must be fulfilled in 3 ways (for samma sam buddha that is) can't remember the 3 ways though :( ... search for pāramitā and see... :)

[loly1969]

how does one become buddha ?

[jestrada137]

@Jackthemeat dont let it go, be the anger!!

[Jackthemeat]

@MrGunwitch

LoL

let go of the anger. Peace be with you.

[MrGunwitch]

@Jackthemeat

We are dealing with facts here not opinions. If you wish to espouse inaccuracies, I suggest you find a blog somewhere.

[Jackthemeat]

@MrGunwitch

My opinion is my opinion, your opinion is yours. I have no wish to argue with you. I have no urge to be right and to prove you wrong. Go pick a fight somewhere else.

[MrGunwitch]

@Jackthemeat

You are clearly deluded and not a meditator. Rebirth is intrinisic to Buddhism, there is no embellishment.

Your opinion is incorrect. Rather than arguing with me, start a meditation practice and see for yourself.

[MrGunwitch]

@reenamathur

Foolish comment

[Ithuryark]

@reenamathur He is a real monk, I don't know what makes you think he is not.

[reenamathur]

his not a real monk,

[TheSwross]

watching your videos is very pleasant yuttadhammo. Thank you for you efforts to help others understand the dharma. You seem to be a wise, thoughtful, and balanced thinker..

[tanned06]

With a strong concentrated mind as basis and cultivated clarity in distinguishing elements of mind and matter by insight knowledge, the existence of past lives can directly be experienced in fact. This experiential knowledge offers an assurance to cut off doubts for the cycle of rebirth and is a prerequisite for understanding the working of dependent origination that crosses life times.

[drovoseg]

Thank you.

But there are useful 'worries': accesstoinsight. org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.057.­than.html

"There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained."

[StuartGilliganGriff]

'The Amazing Atheist- Reincarnation Fail' Youtube response.

[SmallWorldFilms]

I'm pleased that you said that cause and effect refers to now, rather than past lives. So many of the Buddhists I speak with do think in these terms and I think it tends to cloud the clarity of their thoughts and understanding of the present circumstances.

[Jackthemeat]

In My Opinion ,The teachings on Past lives are really just an Embellishment . Like you said, a real part of the Buddhas teaching is "not living in terms of Past, Present or Future. Living Simply in terms of the here and Now" I agree , Looking into past lives is NOT worth the effort but mostly because its just crap. It makes Buddhism seem mystical and full of ancient BS as opposed to a Logical and Rational path to the release from suffering.

[vek0zzzz]

I have one question ?

The explanation of the word 'meditation' by HH Dalai Lama is : "Just focus on your breath and absolutely nothing else " ,which is a little diffenrent of your explanation in which is involve "rising , falling / thinking , pain , angry ,happy and so on " . ?

So which method is better for a begginer ? Thank you.