how to know if your in your last lifetime.

[lex198]

I have recently read the disappearance of the universe and have been practicing forgiveness ever since and I think im doing quite well.

My question is is there anyway of knowing wether your in your last lifetime or not?

any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

[ilrein]

That depends on how you view time.

There is no last/first life, because all time is simultaneous. Although your soul will evolve enough at one point that it will no longer find the need to incarnate fragment personalities unto Earth.

[juice43]

Time goes on forever does it not? I think that one isn't ready to know, if we will be incarnated or not. It's sort of like knowing when you are enlightened, it kind of just happens and speculation or worry about it, cannot do much to that effect.

Knowing that it isn't your last incarnation, if you did, can't lead you to strive to make it your last, because you can't force your Self to develop. Just as if you find it out, that it really was your last, this shouldn't be set in stone. So really there is no way in knowing, just have fun in this incarnation.

[Parthon]

It's on of those ineffable things. If you know, you know, but most people won't ever know, you know?

If it's close to your last life, then you will find that much of your life will be spent teaching and sharing, especially the later years. Your life may be untroubled, or quite smooth, but you will have a lot to give, wisdom and knowledge wise. You intuition will be quite high and you will find less interest in the material world. You may even be years older than your fellow man in maturity.

There's no way of knowing if it is definately your final one, because you won't make that choice until you head back to the ether, but you may find that there's less and less for you to learn here, less new things to experience, as you get older. As that happens, you get closer to your last incarnation on this plane. There are always other planes though.

[JHL]

Originally Posted by lex198

I have recently read the disappearance of the universe and have been practicing forgiveness ever since and I think im doing quite well.

My question is is there anyway of knowing wether your in your last lifetime or not?

any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

I dont know about reincarnation or the disappearing universe, but in my opinion if practising forgiveness is bringing you peace and growth, then you're doing a wonderful thing for yourself whether its your last life or not.

[Benjy]

is related to this subject so hope it's ok to add here....

one thing I've been wondering about recently is .. how would reincarnation fit in with oneness? isn't seperation an illusion based in mind (that will dissolve with death)? wouldnt reincarnation rely on a "me" that would be the same "me" again? .. otherwise we'd be all consiousness at all times anyway if that's what we are?

I've a load of unfinished thoughts on this, so would be interested in what you all thought

on-topic.. how would you find proof for how "last lives" work when we don't have confirmation on reincarnation? .. doesnt seem the kind of thing that will ever be grasped by mind

[Johnny5]

Originally Posted by lex198

I have recently read the disappearance of the universe and have been practicing forgiveness ever since and I think im doing quite well.

My question is is there anyway of knowing wether your in your last lifetime or not?

any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

If you can get rid all of the unwholesome roots (greed, hatred, delusion) from your mind, that when will be your last lifetime. When your mind become pure the celestial worlds will shake three times, and celestial beings come down to worship you. They will say that you are the "being worthy of worship".

Keep on developing your mind until you get rid of all impurity....keep up the good work.

Best Regards,

Johnny

[Benjy]

Originally Posted by Johnny5

If you can get rid all of the unwholesome roots (greed, hatred, delusion) from your mind, that when will be your last lifetime. When your mind become pure the celestial worlds will shake three times, and celestial beings come down to worship you. They will say that you are the "being worthy of worship".

how do you know that? I'm sure there are stories like that and ones different.. but what makes that the one you believe?

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by Benjy

is related to this subject so hope it's ok to add here....

one thing I've been wondering about recently is .. how would reincarnation fit in with oneness? isn't seperation an illusion based in mind (that will dissolve with death)? wouldnt reincarnation rely on a "me" that would be the same "me" again? .. otherwise we'd be all consiousness at all times anyway if that's what we are?

I've a load of unfinished thoughts on this, so would be interested in what you all thought

Oneness is a circle. And a circle is a cycle. Oneness is the base of all existence, and because of that, no matter how hard you try to leave oneness behind (which is what we have done), you will always return to the one. Like I said, its a circle. Sort of like how if you walked in one direction for a really long time you would eventually end up at the same spot because the Earth is a sphere. Same concept, but in higher dimensions. And the oneness is holographic, meaning every piece contains the whole within it.

So when we left the one, it was like death in a way, with the limitations and such. Life to death. And with reality being holographic, that story could only ever be reenacted over and over a gain, down to the tiniest subatomic particles in this "virtual world" we exist in. Its the play of separation. And by the way, separation doesn't end with death.

We are playing out a cosmic thought form you see. Life, death, life, death, life, death. See the duality?

In the relative world, there is space between the experiencer and experience. In the absolute world, there is no separation. Awareness is aware of awareness. Total union of subject and object. But in our attempt to separate our self from our self, we create duality, and karma, and death, and of course, reincarnation.

Its the nature of the universe. Feel free to question me further if you so desire.

Originally Posted by Benjy

on-topic.. how would you find proof for how "last lives" work when we don't have confirmation on reincarnation? .. doesnt seem the kind of thing that will ever be grasped by mind

Read hypnotic regression work on past life regression. It will illuminate you greatly on the subject. There is a ridiculous amount of information on it nowadays.

[Johnny5]

Originally Posted by Benjy

how do you know that? I'm sure there are stories like that and ones different.. but what makes that the one you believe?

The information and story, I found in the teaching of the Buddha.

Believing in the information or the story is a very tough choice. In order to believe, it takes faith, confidence, comprehension in the practice of the Buddha's teachings.

At first, it just an information or story. Next, if you learn and practice the Buddha's teaching for a while, let say 10 to 15 years.

Especially, You practice the Four Noble Truths according to his recommendation. Do it every day, after a while you may believe that the information that the Buddha taught seem to be the truth.

Well, the choice is your...

Warning:
Practice the Buddha's teachings according to his recommendation may lead to the destruction of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion from your mind.

....be aware of it, I warned you.

Best Regards,

Johnny

[Benjy]

Originally Posted by Anagogy

Oneness is a circle. And a circle is a cycle. Oneness is the base of all existence, and because of that, no matter how hard you try to leave oneness behind (which is what we have done), you will always return to the one. Like I said, its a circle. Sort of like how if you walked in one direction for a really long time you would eventually end up at the same spot because the Earth is a sphere. Same concept, but in higher dimensions. And the oneness is holographic, meaning every piece contains the whole within it.

So when we left the one, it was like death in a way, with the limitations and such. Life to death. And with reality being holographic, that story could only ever be reenacted over and over a gain, down to the tiniest subatomic particles in this "virtual world" we exist in. Its the play of separation. And by the way, separation doesn't end with death.

We are playing out a cosmic thought form you see. Life, death, life, death, life, death. See the duality?

In the relative world, there is space between the experiencer and experience. In the absolute world, there is no separation. Awareness is aware of awareness. Total union of subject and object. But in our attempt to separate our self from our self, we create duality, and karma, and death, and of course, reincarnation.

Its the nature of the universe. Feel free to question me further if you so desire.



Read hypnotic regression work on past life regression. It will illuminate you greatly on the subject. There is a ridiculous amount of information on it nowadays.

thank you.. that's a great post.. very well constructed

So far, I've had various realisations and grasping of concepts.. but never had the "ahhhh" realisation of oneness that the teachers talk about and which seems to be integral to the rest. After reading (and rereading your post all morning) with how you've laid it out I feel a step closer.. or a resonance.. more than I've had before.

...

I still don't understand how indiviual reincarnation would work though..


if we merge back into the oneness after death.. and then are reborn into new brains and lives... how would my past lives not be your past lives..and vice versa? ..if we were the same oneness?

I can understand the oneness being reincarnated..merging and seperating in a cycle.. but how it's talked about seems to be the individual being reincarnated.

If we are like grains of sand being picked up (relative world seperation), and then thrown back to the beach (oneness) .. I can see how it can be the same grain each time it's removed from the beach. It dosnt feel though that the beach is a true oneness.. just a collection of seperate parts.

Unfortunately I cant find an analagy for the alternative in worldly objects... the closest would be raindrops becoming the ocean and then raindrops again (if the ocean was a oneness and not particles) .. maybe in maths, if 4 1/4s are added to a 1 then the 1 is divided into 1/4s again.. it wouldnt be supposed that one particular 1/4 was one particular 1/4 from before

...

I'm not hoping to disprove reincarnation or oneness .. just it's something I feel I dont grasp so showing where my understanding reaches so far..

I had past-life regression myself as a teenager, but it felt like a lucid dream, and I watched it unfold but also felt I was writing it as I went along. I won't reject the process on that experience though, and I'm now tempted to try it again.. and read into it as you suggested

[Benjy]

Originally Posted by Johnny5

The information and story, I found in the teaching of the Buddha.

Believing in the information or the story is a very tough choice. In order to believe, it takes faith, confidence, comprehension in the practice of the Buddha's teachings.

At first, it just an information or story. Next, if you learn and practice the Buddha's teaching for a while, let say 10 to 15 years.

Especially, You practice the Four Noble Truths according to his recommendation. Do it every day, after a while you may believe that the information that the Buddha taught seem to be the truth.

Well, the choice is your...

Warning:
Practice the Buddha's teachings according to his recommendation may lead to the destruction of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion from your mind.

....be aware of it, I warned you.

Best Regards,

Johnny

thanks for the reply

I find a lot of benefit from Buddhism.. including experiential practice I can feel and realise.. but I reach a barrier when it comes to faith.

I stayed in a thai temple once and the first teaching was on faith.. something along the lines of "we dont know if the buddha was male or female, someone in india or wherever.. we have history but only in as far as we can be sure with passing on of information from that time til now.. but we know we have the teachings now for us to see as pointers, for us to reinvent buddhism ourselves through investigation and experience of its application" .. (theravardic buddhism). That made sense to me.. the mystic experiential investigation.. rather than believing because a load of humans told me. Like the faith the world is flat.

I find the stories useful and see them as metaphors into truth.. but I can't find the faith to believe them all beyond that.. and I don't see the value of faith in believng the contexts literally.. (please imagine this paragraph explained better )

I'm not dismissing the value of faith (if my post suggests that I have articulated it badly), and am very interested in how it works and the why of it for people, just that it's not something that makes sense to me as far as my understanding so far ..

I may end up believing something Adyashanti, Tolle, Buddha, Jesus, you, or my daughter etc.., said.. but it will be because I "rediscover" it for myself after ... it feels limiting (with my limited intelligence, insight, time, and my unenlightened state) but I don't have a mechanism to do it any other way atm :/

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by Benjy

thank you.. that's a great post.. very well constructed

So far, I've had various realisations and grasping of concepts.. but never had the "ahhhh" realisation of oneness that the teachers talk about and which seems to be integral to the rest. After reading (and rereading your post all morning) with how you've laid it out I feel a step closer.. or a resonance.. more than I've had before.

...

I still don't understand how indiviual reincarnation would work though..


if we merge back into the oneness after death.. and then are reborn into new brains and lives... how would my past lives not be your past lives..and vice versa? ..if we were the same oneness?

I can understand the oneness being reincarnated..merging and seperating in a cycle.. but how it's talked about seems to be the individual being reincarnated.

If we are like grains of sand being picked up (relative world seperation), and then thrown back to the beach (oneness) .. I can see how it can be the same grain each time it's removed from the beach. It dosnt feel though that the beach is a true oneness.. just a collection of seperate parts.

And you are absolutely right in that respect. You don't merge with the one at death. You just enter another world of illusion -- the spirit world. The spirit world exists within the one, just as the physical world exists within the one, but they are still states of separation. The spirit world could be considered closer to the one, as there is more communication between the parts than there is in the physical world.

Originally Posted by Benjy

Unfortunately I cant find an analagy for the alternative in worldly objects... the closest would be raindrops becoming the ocean and then raindrops again (if the ocean was a oneness and not particles) .. maybe in maths, if 4 1/4s are added to a 1 then the 1 is divided into 1/4s again.. it wouldnt be supposed that one particular 1/4 was one particular 1/4 from before

I rather like to think of it as being similar to water seeking its level. As the water makes its journey back to the pool, it inevitably accumulates more water on its journey back, and then eventually reaches its destination. Perhaps we could even consider the cycle of evaporation and rain the cycle of reincarnation, but in truth, there may not be a good worldly reflection of the process heretofore described.

Originally Posted by Benjy

I had past-life regression myself as a teenager, but it felt like a lucid dream, and I watched it unfold but also felt I was writing it as I went along. I won't reject the process on that experience though, and I'm now tempted to try it again.. and read into it as you suggested

Its possible all you experienced was a lucid dream. A real past life memory will feel "real". You'll feel that the memories are like the ones from this lifetime. A regressionist who isn't adept at the process is certainly capable of leading you into a fantasy state.

Best regards.

[Brown Eyed Mystic]

You mean the last lifetime on the Physical plane? There are said to be 7 planes of existence in all. You may want to research a bit into the concept of "Old souls", the characteristics that define such are quite intense and eccentric.
It is said that and old soul is one which has seen many lifetimes on the physical, and is progressing on one of its last lifetimes. If that resonates with you, you might as well be almost there

You can read more here: Old Soul

[Tom Church]

Hey I love this thread because it poses so many questions: Scientific, philosophical, life changing and religious.

The first issue as many of you have risen here is the question of whether time actually exists. We can't go back into the past and neither into the present. We tend to believe in the moment, and that we can't live the same moment twice. Hence the philosophical statement: You can't step in the same river twice.

But what you're really asking is how can we tell whether we're in our last lifetime? By this I'm assuming that you're referring to a reincarnation concept - that seems to be what many of the replies incur - or that you're wondering are you going to die soon?

I have no answer for this, yet I do wonder what difference does it make? If you believe in that only the moment exists, then you should make the most of it. Whether you're close to your death, or in your last lifetime it doesn't matter for as long as you make the right decisions and follow your heart then you have done everything correctly.

It's like the philosophical question as to whether the Matrix exists. Even if it did, would it make a difference in our lives?

[MichaelP]

Originally Posted by Brown Eyed Mystic

You mean the last lifetime on the Physical plane? There are said to be 7 planes of existence in all. You may want to research a bit into the concept of "Old souls", the characteristics that define such are quite intense and eccentric.
It is said that and old soul is one which has seen many lifetimes on the physical, and is progressing on one of its last lifetimes. If that resonates with you, you might as well be almost there

You can read more here: Old Soul

If I might interject here as a relative newbie (at least under this persona), in my framework an old soul is not necessarily an advanced soul. It's like, there are people who are 90 years old who are no wiser than they were at 16. I don't think you get points for continuing to reincarnate...quite the opposite. A soul advances spiritually by putting in the effort, not by how long it's been around.

Of course, the longer you're around the better chance you've learned something...but it's not automatic, I don't think.

[MagicalRealist]

Originally Posted by lex198

My question is is there anyway of knowing wether your in your last lifetime or not?

You know the old saying, "If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it?" I imagine there is a similar answer at work here--"If you wonder whether you're in your last lifetime or not, you aren't there."

[MichaelP]

Originally Posted by MagicalRealist

You know the old saying, "If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it?" I imagine there is a similar answer at work here--"If you wonder whether you're in your last lifetime or not, you aren't there."

I tend to agree. One who is about to go *poof* and ascend likely is well aware of it.

[joelr]

Originally Posted by Benjy

thank you.. that's a great post.. very well constructed

So far, I've had various realisations and grasping of concepts.. but never had the "ahhhh" realisation of oneness that the teachers talk about and which seems to be integral to the rest. After reading (and rereading your post all morning) with how you've laid it out I feel a step closer.. or a resonance.. more than I've had before.

...

I still don't understand how indiviual reincarnation would work though..


if we merge back into the oneness after death.. and then are reborn into new brains and lives... how would my past lives not be your past lives..and vice versa? ..if we were the same oneness?

I can understand the oneness being reincarnated..merging and seperating in a cycle.. but how it's talked about seems to be the individual being reincarnated.

If we are like grains of sand being picked up (relative world seperation), and then thrown back to the beach (oneness) .. I can see how it can be the same grain each time it's removed from the beach. It dosnt feel though that the beach is a true oneness.. just a collection of seperate parts.

Unfortunately I cant find an analagy for the alternative in worldly objects... the closest would be raindrops becoming the ocean and then raindrops again (if the ocean was a oneness and not particles) .. maybe in maths, if 4 1/4s are added to a 1 then the 1 is divided into 1/4s again.. it wouldnt be supposed that one particular 1/4 was one particular 1/4 from before

...

Like anagogy said there are probably different levels, not just human spirt/God.
Some common mystic ideas are that your consciousness along with other manifestations of your consciousness who are right now living as "past" and "future" lives in physical reality are all part of your higher self. After death you have access to all of these consciousness along with your total higher self who can always be accessed in meditation. From there there may be higher selves of each higher self all the way up to the "One being"

Man I hate to say it but I'm seeing a parallel here with the age old idea of "It's turtles all the way down", that's kinda uncomfortable!

Anyway, your number example is somewhat similar. 4 is it's own abstract entity, it has "fourness" but it is also a composite of 2 primes (2) which are also made up of an infinite series and each fraction in that series can also be expressed by another infinite series (Real Analysis). Yet there are still an infinity of numbers that are not in any of those series. Each number retains it's own identity while existing in a vast infinity.

[Benjy]

thanks.. that makes sense to me, especially this part:

After death you have access to all of these consciousness along with your total higher self who can always be accessed in meditation. From there there may be higher selves of each higher self all the way up to the "One being"

fits in with what Anagogy said too

The spirit world exists within the one, just as the physical world exists within the one, but they are still states of separation.

.......

I guess oneness in that sense isnt something that is entered into fully after death, just a truth that may be realised to a degree in life/afterlife

I'd love to experience a realisation of oneness.. am guessing it's something that comes when the understanding of it can be linked to the experience of feeling it?

how to get a feeling of it though? ... I've imagined it, meditated on it, read/listened/watched talks about it by people like Adyashanti and Tolle but it still remains an alien concept to me :/ .. lots of things that make sense to me, but nothing which gives a 'yes.. I know this is it!'


am loving this forum btw

[Roseblue]

I would go along with Parthon regards what the last incarnation would feel like; problem free, obstacle free, and having the urgent need to pass on your discoveries. I would also add the realisation that you have become weary of this world and feel an urge to move on. We get what we believe we are going to get. It will be how you have always imagined it to be. Because it is all an illusion and we are living the illusion. I also agree with MagicalRealist. If you have to ask then you are not ready to move on. You'll know when it is your last incarnation. You will feel the peace.

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by Benjy

I guess oneness in that sense isnt something that is entered into fully after death, just a truth that may be realised to a degree in life/afterlife

I'd love to experience a realisation of oneness.. am guessing it's something that comes when the understanding of it can be linked to the experience of feeling it?

how to get a feeling of it though? ... I've imagined it, meditated on it, read/listened/watched talks about it by people like Adyashanti and Tolle but it still remains an alien concept to me :/ .. lots of things that make sense to me, but nothing which gives a 'yes.. I know this is it!'

In my humble opinion, it's really just a matter of owning up to your own power, and then owning up to your own distorted view of reality.

And we ALL have distortions in perception. We wouldn't be incarnate in ANY kind of duality if we didn't.

Distortions are not bad or evil, they are just that -- distortions. Illusions of perception.

They are the result of past programming. Past thoughts. Past beliefs. Past concepts. Past feelings. Distortions regarding how the world relates to us, and how we relate to the world, that we continue to hold onto.

We have to adopt a perspective of belief that is congruent with the truth that everything is already one. You don't have to achieve oneness, you just have to achieve awareness of the oneness that is *already there*. All separation is illusory. Your consciousness is interfaced with every level of reality in every dimension of infinity. Pretty wild thought huh?

There is no knowledge you do not have access to. Believing that truly, is the first step towards realizing this awareness you seek.

[Benjy]

thanks Anagogy you're a great poster! have carried that post with me throughout the day..

I've recently had a feeling like I'm on the verge of some kind of surrender or letting go of a level of thinking.. or like there's a big something that hasnt been made consious yet that is about to spill out.. nothing in words yet, but has been a feeling that's been growing recently.. so "In my humble opinion, it's really just a matter of owning up to your own power, and then owning up to your own distorted view of reality." feels surreally relevant (the 'owning up' being a letting go of illusions or protections or wtv) and a good approach for my investigation into oneness..maybe it will all feel more tangible for me after the next step of some kind of letting go/owning up... thankyou