Many people, after experiencing the genuine benefits of Buddhist teachings, such as inner peace, deeper spiritual enlightenment, and beyond, have asked: “Since Buddhism is phenomenally beneficial, why did Shakyamuni manifest as a Buddha in India to benefit Indian people instead of appearing in other areas like Europe, America, China, or Australia?”
You may ask, “Who was Shakyamuni Buddha?”
Shakyamuni is Sanskrit for “Sage of the Shakya.”
Siddhartha Gautama, a royal prince of the Shakya Clan, was born in the sixth century BC in India, near modern Nepal. He is now called Shakyamuni Buddha after becoming enlightened. He became a philosopher and spiritual leader whose teachings are now known as Buddhism. Buddhism, which is considered a spiritual education rather than a religion, focuses on ethical practices, mindfulness, and meditation. The Buddhist world view includes reincarnation — being reborn in subsequent lifetimes — as a path toward ultimate enlightenment.
Now, let's go back to the question; why did Shakyamuni Buddha incarnate in India instead of other regions? The contemporary mentor of the Pure Land School of Buddhism, Master Chin Kung, has unveiled the answer for us. In ancient India, there were ninety-six religions, and meditation was a prevailing practice among them. Many of the practitioners, through deep meditation, could see different worlds and different dimensions. From the highest dimension of the “heaven of neither perception nor non-perception” (In Sanskrit, devāsamjñā-nāsamjñâyatanôpagāh. ) to the lowest dimension of “avīci hell” (Skt., the hell of incessant suffering), they saw all of the six realms*. Many of them asked:
Why are there six realms of reincarnation?
Why is there so much suffering in them?
Are there any other worlds beyond these six realms?
Can we transcend the suffering of these six realms?
Well, when there is an entreaty, there will be a response. Shakyamuni therefore manifested as a Buddha in India to help them understand the truth of life and the universe. Since most of the practitioners had seen the six realms during their deep meditation, they easily accepted His teachings.
Let's think about it this way: Would people in Europe, America, or China who had not practiced meditation and had not seen the six realms believe His teachings? Of course not! That's why it makes perfect sense that Shakyamuni Buddha manifested in India.
It is extremely difficult to see all six realms through meditation, yet understanding reincarnation is the key for us to transcend the suffering sea of samsara. Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means “world.” It is also the concept of the cycle of death and rebirth, a fundamental belief of most Indian religions. Without understanding and believing in this fact, we will submerge ourselves in
The wheel of being deluded,
making karma, and then
receiving retribution (suffering).
Luckily, modern science has been studying reincarnation since the mid-twentieth century. We owe gratitude to Dr.Zhong Maosen, who spent almost a decade's worth of effort collecting many scientific studies in this area. Not only did he compile these scientific studies into an informative report — which saves a great deal of time for people who are interested in learning—but he even offered a method of transcending this suffering sea of endless birth and death. His contribution is phenomenal!
*Six realms (or six paths) are the realms between birth and death, including the realms of hell, hungry ghost, animal, human, asura, and heaven. They are decided by the state of one’s mind.
For more information on related subjects, please visit http://mahayanapureland.org
related post: About Dr. Zhong Maosen (Venerable Ding Hong)
Source Of Information:
《The Scientific Proof Of Causal Reincarnation》, by Dr. Zhong Maosen (Venerable Ding Hong), translated by Mahayana Pureland Team, published by Mahayana Pureland Organization, distributed by: Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha Malaysia, 90 & 92, Jalan Pahang, Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.
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