..續本文上一頁nd craving for sensual pleasures or attachment exist in the mind. Those strong mental forces prevail in each and every living being in this universe. Those who hope and pray that they be not born again must understand that their wishes will not materialize until they make earnest efforts to eradicate their craving and attachment. Having seen and experienced the uncertainty and unsatisfactoriness of life under worldly conditions, wise people try to rid themselves of these repeated births and deaths by following the correct path. Those who cannot reduce their craving and attachment must be prepared to face all unsatisfactory and uncertain situations associated with rebirth and becoming again and again.
輪回是一種循環性的自然規律，它不屬于任何宗教的創造，因此，無論你信或不信有輪回的存在，都同樣避免不了輪回的發生。只要心中渴望于生存，渴望于感官的欲樂或任何對心靈的執著，輪回就會發生，這種強烈的意志力，存在于宇宙間所有的生靈。如果冀求擺脫輪回，就必須做到不攀緣、不執著。在世俗的條件下，曾經看過或經曆過不確定或不滿意的生存經驗後，聰明的人決定以正確的方法來排除輪回，而那些不能減少自己的欲念或執著的人，就必須面對永無休止的生死輪回。
Is Rebirth Simultaneous
輪回是否與生死並存？
Another difficult thing to understand about rebirth is whether the occurrence of rebirth is simultaneous or not. This is a controversial issue even amongst prominent Buddhist Scholars. According to Abhidhamma, rebirth (conception) takes place immediately after the death of a being without any intermediate state. At the same time, some others believe that a person, after his death, would evolve into a spirit form for a certain number of days before rebirth takes place. Another interpretation regarding the same belief is that it is not the spirit, but the deceased person”s consciousness or mental energy remaining in space, supported by his own mental energies of craving and attachment. However, sooner or later rebirth must take place. The spirits (petas), who are beings born in spirit forms, are unfortunate living beings and their lives in the spirit form is not permanent. It is also a form of rebirth which is temporary.
Another concept that many people cannot understand is that in the process of rebirth a man can be reborn as an animal and an animal can be reborn as a man. The animal nature of the man”s mind and the animal way of life adopted by him can condition him to be born as an animal. The condition and behavior of the mind is responsible for the next existence. On the other hand, a person who is born in animal form, owing to certain mental abuses during a previous birth, could be reborn as a human being, if that animal has not committed any serious evil acts. It is a well-known fact that some animals are very intelligent and understanding. This is a clear evidence to prove that they are tending towards the human life. A person who is born as an animal can again be born as a human being when the bad kamma which conditioned his birth as an animal is expended and the good kamma which was stored becomes dominant.
另一個難以理解的事，就是輪回是否與生死並存？這是一個爭論性的問題，有些學者認爲人死後，輪回現象即刻發生，不需要任何中斷。而有些學者卻認爲人死後，在重生前，以一種類似靈魂的形態存在一段時間。而另一種說法是，否認了靈魂的存在，認爲人死後意識力或精神力繼續存在于自己的貪欲或執著的支持下。無論如何，輪回是遲早要發生的事。轉世爲鬼類(Petas)是最不幸的，它們的精神生命不能持久，在短暫的生命結束後，繼續輪回。
另外一個很多人都不能理解的觀念是：一個人或許轉世爲畜生，而畜生也可以轉世爲人類，人固然不可能在其生理形態變成畜生，但是，人類心理形態擁有畜生的本質，也有些人采取了畜生的生活方式，就這樣，促使他轉世爲畜生。「心」和「行」的因緣，必須爲來世負責，有些人，可能由于前世對某種「心識」的濫用，而導致今世輪回爲畜生。而有些畜生因不造惡業而轉世爲人。我們都知道，有些畜生非常聰明和善解人意，這點清楚的顯示它們傾向于人道的生命。
Dying Moment
臨死前的片刻：
In the dying man”s consciousness, there are three types of consciousness (Vinnana) functioning at the moment of death :rebirth-linking consciousness (patisandhi-citta), the current of passive consciousness or the current of life-continuum (bhavanga) and consciousness disconnecting the present life (cuti-citta). At the last moment of a man”s present life the (patisandhi-citta) or rebirth-linking consciousness arises, having the three signs as its objects. The patisandhi-citta remains in the course of cognition for five faint thought-moments Javana and then sinks down into bhavanga. At the end of bhavanga the cuti-citta arises, disconnecting the present life and sinks down into bhavanga. At this very moment comes the end of the present life. At the end of that bhavanga another patisandhi-citta rises up in the next life and from this very moment the new life begins. This is the process of death and rebirth according to Buddhism, and only in Buddhism is the process of these natural phenomena found explained in minute detail.
A Buddhist faces death not as a crisis in life but as a normal event, for he knows that whoever is born must suffer, ”decay”, and ultimately die. Or, as someone so aptly puts it, ”Everyone is born with the certificate of death at his birth.” If we could all look at death such an intelligent and rational way, we would not cling to life so tenaciously.
”Ayamantima jatinatthidani punabbhavo"
This is my final birth and there is no more rebirth for me.(Dhamma Cakka Sutta).
在臨死前的片刻，有叁種潛在的意識(Vi¤¤àõa)在作用──聯系于重生的意識、被動的意識和生命延續的意識。當意識與生命分離時，聯系于重生的意識開始生起，産生叁種不同的信息。
一、聯系重生的意識逗留在「識」的過程中，産生五種細微的意念，然後沈沒于生命中，也就是這一世生命結束的時候。
二、生命分離的意識生起，它中斷了生命與意識，也就是在這一剎那間，結束了目前的生命。
叁、在一個生命結束之際，另一個聯系于重生的意識生起于另一個生命之中，就在這一剎那，新的生命開始了。
這是佛陀所闡述的生死輪回的過程，也只有在佛教裏，才會對這種自然現象，做出如此詳細的诠釋。
佛教徒面對死亡時，不認爲是生命的危機，反而當作是一件正常的事，因爲，他們知到有「生」必有「苦」、衰老乃至最後的死亡。有些人形容的很恰當：「每個人一出世，就擁有死亡證明。」倘若，我們對死亡的看法如此理性及明智，我們就不會攀緣和執著于生命了。
佛陀說：「這是我的最後一生，我不再輪回了。」《轉*輪經》
《輪回 Rebirth》全文閱讀結束。