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**Jadykeery** · 07-20-2012, 05:50 PM

I have seen the following quote attributed to the Buddha - "Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a polluted mind, suffering will follow you, as the wheels of the oxcart follow the footsteps of the ox. Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a pure mind, happiness will follow you, as a shadow clings to a form."

It seems to me this is referring to karma and unless there is a mindstream or some kind of karmic storehouse, which survives death. how can this quote be true.

That quote says nothing about death, and is equally true in this life as it would be in any future life.

Without a life after death, or mindstream, if we did something negative or positive and then died we would escape the consequences of our actions.

If this were true people would be queueing up to get on death row.

Death is a consequence, I would have thought someone who lived happily ever after would be the one who had escaped consequences.

"In fact without a mindstream or something passing from life to life there would be no point to the eightfold noble path for the way to liberate oneself from samsara or the suffering of this life would simply be to take one's own life - end it all by committing suicide.

That's a bit like saying as I'm going to have to retire one day there is no point working to save for my retirement, I may as well retire now. It makes no sense and it's not how the world works.

I think you'd understand the Buddhas teaching more clearly if you let go of ideas of reward and punishment, Buddhism is not about reward and punishment it's about cause and affect.

07-20-2012, 05:50 PM	#7
Jadykeery Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 394 Senior Member	I have seen the following quote attributed to the Buddha - "Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a polluted mind, suffering will follow you, as the wheels of the oxcart follow the footsteps of the ox. Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a pure mind, happiness will follow you, as a shadow clings to a form." It seems to me this is referring to karma and unless there is a mindstream or some kind of karmic storehouse, which survives death. how can this quote be true. That quote says nothing about death, and is equally true in this life as it would be in any future life. Without a life after death, or mindstream, if we did something negative or positive and then died we would escape the consequences of our actions. If this were true people would be queueing up to get on death row. Death is a consequence, I would have thought someone who lived happily ever after would be the one who had escaped consequences. "In fact without a mindstream or something passing from life to life there would be no point to the eightfold noble path for the way to liberate oneself from samsara or the suffering of this life would simply be to take one's own life - end it all by committing suicide. That's a bit like saying as I'm going to have to retire one day there is no point working to save for my retirement, I may as well retire now. It makes no sense and it's not how the world works. I think you'd understand the Buddhas teaching more clearly if you let go of ideas of reward and punishment, Buddhism is not about reward and punishment it's about cause and affect.
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