..续本文上一页ts here, you may regard past and future life a superstition. But the truth says otherwise. Your doubt comes from your upbringing and educational background. It is hard to accept the new notion at once, even if it could be true. ”

　　But I don”t mean to push you to believe what I have just told you. I just want to encourage you to think over the research done by these serious oversea investigators. Failing to do so, I am afraid you are acting irresponsibly. Irresponsible to whom

　　 To yourself! Because at the time of death when facing future life—if there indeed is one—there is no time for remedies. It”ll be way too late to regret that you have not done any preparations in this life, such as accumulating merits and practicing virtues; worse, you may have committed many evil actions.

　　Xian City has seen the glorious times of Buddhism over the course of its history. During the Tang Dynasty especially, Buddhism was revered and practiced by almost all of its reigning emperors. The country as a whole, from government dignitaries to common folks, never regarded Buddhism as a superstition. As far as I know, Xian was the first city in the world to have a population over millions. When Master Xuanzang entered paranirvana in 664 A.D., 1,300 years ago, more than one million people joined his funeral procession, enough to show how well Buddhism was flourishing at that time.

　　However, today with 1,300 years behind, very few people in exactly the same city are Buddhists, and even those who proclaim to be one don”t even acknowledge the existence of past and future life. It is quite sad indeed.

　　Actually, why not think this way: Suppose there is really past and future life, yet numerous beings are unaware of it. Isn”t it kind of disheartening

　　 Now that we have obtained this human existence out of sheer luck, if we keep ourselves constantly busy for inconsequential goals and never make any preparation whatsoever for the long journey ahead, what a great pity it is!

　　3. Historical Account of a Reincarnation Experiment

　　Some inpiduals will say, “What you have said seems to make sense that I cannot refute right away. Yet I still maintain there is no such a thing as past and future life!” Indeed, in both ancient and modern times, there are plenty of people holding such an opinion. A story told in Taranatha”s History of Buddhism in India is about one of them: In ancient India, there was a renowned Buddhist scholar Candragomin who held many enlightening debates with Madhyamaka Master Candrakīrti over a span of seven years, which to this day people still take delight in talking about.

　　It is said that Candragomin was a learned pandita in his former life who once entered a debate with a non-Buddhist Lokayata follower. Each of Candragomin”s arguments was impeccable and he thoroughly defeated his opponent. But the Lokayata would not accede, saying, “You are just good at debating, and can make things sound reasonable even if they are not. It”s just that I fall behind your rhetoric skill. You may well claim yourself a winner, but that does not prove the existence of past and future life, unless you can put forward some sound and real evidence.”

　　The Buddhist master though it over for a moment, nodded and said: “Fine, I will now embrace death and shall take a rebirth in a deliberate way in order to prove cyclic existence. Let us call the king to be our witness. You shall see the evidence you requested.”

　　The master requested the king to seal his corpse in a bronze casket. He dabbed his forehead with red ink as a mark and put a pearl in his mouth. Lying down, the master died right away.

　　The master, having thoroughly realized the illusory nature of life and death successfully took rebirth of his own accord and turned up as a newborn baby of a local pandita. The baby …

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