Samsara and Reincarnation Explained: The Suffering of Birth and Buddhist Solutions (Ep. 9)

Regarding the suffering of birth, aging, and illness discussed in the last episode, what can we do about it? Is there an ultimate solution to eliminate these pains? Stay tuned for effective methods used by countless people in their daily lives, over thousands of years, and critical mistakes to avoid. How can a pregnant woman act to bring benefit to herself, her child, and even the whole family? First of all, people do not come into the world out of nothingness. Instead, they arrive carrying the immense karma accumulated over countless lifetimes. They are drawn by the karmic forces of past lives, whether good or bad, to be born into their present parents. There are both positive and negative karmic connections between parents and children. When the connection is positive, it may bring about favorable changes, such as a couple who frequently fight might change their behavior due to the arrival of the child, becoming more considerate of each other, transforming their emotions, and educating their child in kindness, purity, and an optimistic mindset. If one has a negative karmic connection with their parents, it can cause a previously gentle and calm woman to become easily angered during pregnancy, altering her original personality. Similarly, after a child enters the mother's womb, the mother's emotions are also absorbed by the child, and even the mother's personality can be inherited by the child. This is known as prenatal education, or fetal education, practice that has benefited many people for thousands of years. According to Master Chin Kung, founder of the Buddha Educational Foundation During the 10 months of pregnancy, women are advised to cultivate proper thoughts and behaviors in accordance with moral principles. Why? In fact, the mother's thoughts, words, and actions are fully sensed by the fetus inside her. She can influence the fetus, which is why this is called prenatal education. If a mother's intentions are virtuous, the child will develop a pure mind. For the mother imparts this if she upholds good morals, and behaves in an upright and graceful manner. The child will be born well-formed, healthy, and easy to teach and discipline. For information on how to educate after the child's birth, please subscribe and watch the coming series. Moreover, reciting the Sitigarbha Sutra brings various advantages, such as safeguarding the mother during childbirth. If, within 7 days after birth, the sutra continues to be recited, or if the name of Sitigarbha Bodhisattva is chanted 10,000 times or more, the newborn will experience happiness, good health, and easy upbringing, the clearing of karmic hindrances, and an increase in blessings and longevity. As stated in the sutras, regardless of whether one usually follows a vegetarian diet, at this time, one must absolutely refrain from killing for nutrition or celebration, especially consuming tiny creatures that harm many lives, such as fish roe or shrimp eggs, as this would greatly diminish the blessings of both mother and child. If the child's original karmic blessings are not great, after birth they will encounter many troubles and sufferings, turning the joy of childbirth into a source of suffering for both mother and child. Additionally, viewers who watch the previous episode can also recite the Sitigarbha Sutra and bring many benefits to their parents, as it is also known as the Sutra of Filial Piety. Master Yin Guang, the 13th Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism, also known as the Manifestation of Mahastamaprabdha Bodhisattva, said, if a pregnant woman is able to eat a vegetarian diet and recite Amitabha Buddha's name, doing good deeds and avoiding evil, not allowing her eyes to see evil sights, her ears to hear evil sounds, her body to engage in bad actions, or her mouth to speak evil words, the child in the womb will receive pure energy, resulting in a pure nature, and after birth, with further education, the child will certainly become a virtuous person. If daily vegetarianism is not possible, you can choose to be vegetarian on the ten days of abstention, the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th and 30th of the lunar calendar, or at the very least, as some suggest, on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month. A conversion website is also listed in the description. Alternatively, many people recite the Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva's Universal Gate Chapter from the Lotus Sutra or the sacred name of Namo Avalokiteshvara, praying for blessings for the infant, or they recite the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha, or also known as Paisaja Guru, to pray for blessings during and after childbirth. Some may prefer the mantra of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Om Mani Padme Hum, no matter which option is chosen. After finishing, remember to dedicate the merit of this recitation to the fetus, and include blessings for the fetus in your prayer. In addition to cultivating virtuous thoughts and deeds in daily life, we must also understand, as stated in the Siddhigarbha Sutra, This underscores the importance of inward cultivation, rather than seeking external blessings with a superficial religious mindset. Without this approach, the resulting benefits and wisdom will be far from profound. In fact, reciting any Mahayana Sutra or Bodhisattva's name is highly auspicious. The key lies in doing so with utmost sincerity, respect, and to the best of one's ability. It is also essential to chant or recite in a clean environment, avoiding restrooms, and ensuring both a clean body and mouth. Some people prefer to chant in the morning, believing it helps avoid disturbances from non-human beings, who are drawn to listen to the scriptures. Although many people have never felt their presence, after finishing, they dedicate the merit of their recitation to all sentient beings. In their prayers, they not only offer blessings for the unborn, but also kindly request the non-human beings to depart, ensuring no issues arise. In addition to these common approaches, we should really comprehend this. Since time immemorial, we have been constantly planting countless, deeply entrenched seeds of evil in our alaya consciousness, such as those from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication. These seeds, reinforced by repeatedly cultivating harmful habits, like greed, anger, and ignorance throughout samsara, become the seeds of evil for our next life. Therefore, in addition to taking advantage of this pregnancy to eliminate karmic obstacles for both mother and child, and planting wholesome seeds, and nurturing positive conditions before birth, it is best to eradicate the poisonous roots of greed, anger, and ignorance at their core, to truly resolve all problems. It is often difficult for us to break or change long-standing bad habits, let alone influence the deeper levels of consciousness beyond our reach. However, by chanting or reciting with utmost sincerity, one can gradually experience a transformation in their negative tendencies and incorrect views. Over time, this leads to the emergence of wisdom previously absent. This process relies solely on you. There's only one way to find out, that this is far from mere religious superstition pursued externally. In his Amitabha Sutra commentary, Great Master Lin Chi, the 8th Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism, said, As Shakyamuni Buddha told his father, King Suddhodana, you should focus on chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Through persistent effort and diligence, you will attain Buddhahood. According to Master Chin Kung, Shakyamuni Buddha's mother passed away shortly after his birth, leaving his father as the one who showed him the deepest kindness in the world. He advised his father to continually chant the name of Amitabha Buddha and practice persistent diligence in daily life. In other words, even when various delusional thoughts arise during ordinary times, one should subdue them by reciting the Buddha's name. Then, one will attain Buddhahood. Upon being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Buddha, one will realize supreme enlightenment and achieve complete Buddhahood in one lifetime. Therefore, continuously chanting Amitabha Buddha is always the best choice, as this name encompasses all Buddha names. Its immense power covers every function, and it can even directly liberate sentient beings horizontally from samsara in one lifetime. If it can fundamentally and completely solve the problem of samsara's suffering so quickly and easily, how much easier it is to bring blessings to a pregnant mother and her child. When we fall ill, aside from physiological causes, there are other sources of illness that medicine cannot resolve. What are they and how can they be addressed? Subscribe and watch the next episode. Best wishes to you and your loved ones. See you soon. Subscribe to Chillife. If you believe in yourself, all will be fine.