[Buddha-l] The process of death

[Piya Tan]

Dear Curt,

Many modern Theravada teachers (not all though) today I think prefer the
"antarabhaava" perspective (or theory). I know Ajahn Brahmavamso, a pupil of
Ajahn Chah, has openly said so in this public talks.

Perhaps, the "immediate rebirth" notion is exclusively that of certain
Theravada groups.

Piya

curt wrote:

> In the chapter on "The Abhidharma" Rupert Gethin deals with this in his
> "Foundations of Buddhism" - specifically in the subsection on "The
> consciousness process, karma and rebirth". Here's what he says, in part
> (on p. 217):
>
> "The Tibetan belief in the bar-do or "in between state" (antaraa-bhava)
> is inhererited from the Sarvaastivadin Abhidharma and is associated with
> the elaborate practices of the Bar-do Thos-grol, the so-called Tibetan
> Book of the Dead. This notion of the "in between state" was a subject of
> dispute among ancient Indian schools of the Buddhism: the Theravadins
> denied that it was coherent from an Abhidhamra perspective, since an
> in-between existence must be another kind of existence."
>
> Gethin places the discussion of the "in-between state" in the context of
> two other issues: (1) the Bhavanga, or state of mind a being is born
> with, and (2) the importance of a being's state of mind at the time of
> death.
>
> I know that the idea of the "in-between state" is not limited to Tantric
> Buddhism - in Korean Buddhism it is traditional to perform a "49-day
> Ceremony" 49 days after a person dies, because that is believed to be
> the end of the "in-between state" and the beginning of their new
> lifetime. During the 49 day ceremony relatives and loved ones might pray
> to "Ji Jang Bosal" (the Korean version of Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva).
>
> - Curt
>
> Mike Austin wrote:
>
> > There are several texts in the Tibetan tradition(s) that describe the
> > process of death. Are there any other references - particularly
> > earlier ones?
> >
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