Many Lives, Many Masters, a book about rebirth is written by Dr Brian Weiss. Dr. Brian L. Weiss is an American Jewish psychiatrist, hypnotherapist, and best selling author that focus on past life regression. This book is about how Dr Brian Weiss discovered past lives and the Masters Spirits through the process of treating his young patient, Catherine with hypnosis. Catherine recalled her many past lives from Egyptian slave to a German pilot in world war 2. She was born of different genders, races and religions in her different rebirths. Catherine was told that she had lived eighty-six times in the physical state. She was also told that no matter what the circumstances, people are not to kill.
In this book, the Master Spirit told Dr Weiss that debts in previous lives must be repaid. That's why some souls will be reborn together so that the other can pay back the debt.
Through hypnosis Catherine discovered that Stuart whom she was having an affair with was someone who had killed her in her previous life.
After reading this book, my faith in Buddha's teaching is further strengthened. More than 2500 years ago, Buddha already taught us about rebirths and karma. How your action will affect the future rebirths.
I will share some of the quotes in this book that I find meaningful and remind me of Buddha's teaching.
" But if people knew that life is endless; so we never die; we were never really born" then this fear of death would dissolve. This quote reminds me of the Heart Sutra. 不生不灭 not born, not annihilated
"We have debts that must be paid. If we have not paid out these debts, then we must take them into another life... in order that they may be worked through.
One of the most important of life´s lessons is to learn independance, to understand freedom. This means independence from attachments, from results, from opinions, and from expectations. Breaking attachments leads to freedom, but breaking attachments does not mean abandoning a loving and meaningful relationship, a relationship that nourishes your soul. It means ending dependency on any person or thing. Love is never a dependency.
Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else.
"Every individual soul chooses the significant people in that life. Destiny will place you in the particular circumstance; it will dictate that you will encounter a particular person, at a certain time, place." ~ Brian Weiss
In this book, the Master Spirit told Dr Weiss that debts in previous lives must be repaid. That's why some souls will be reborn together so that the other can pay back the debt.
Through hypnosis Catherine discovered that Stuart whom she was having an affair with was someone who had killed her in her previous life.
After reading this book, my faith in Buddha's teaching is further strengthened. More than 2500 years ago, Buddha already taught us about rebirths and karma. How your action will affect the future rebirths.
I will share some of the quotes in this book that I find meaningful and remind me of Buddha's teaching.
" But if people knew that life is endless; so we never die; we were never really born" then this fear of death would dissolve. This quote reminds me of the Heart Sutra. 不生不灭 not born, not annihilated
"We have debts that must be paid. If we have not paid out these debts, then we must take them into another life... in order that they may be worked through.
One of the most important of life´s lessons is to learn independance, to understand freedom. This means independence from attachments, from results, from opinions, and from expectations. Breaking attachments leads to freedom, but breaking attachments does not mean abandoning a loving and meaningful relationship, a relationship that nourishes your soul. It means ending dependency on any person or thing. Love is never a dependency.
Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else.
"Every individual soul chooses the significant people in that life. Destiny will place you in the particular circumstance; it will dictate that you will encounter a particular person, at a certain time, place." ~ Brian Weiss
The above book reminded me of a Chinese karma story of a young monk with divine eye as shown below. He laughed when he saw the lady carrying her baby out to urine. He laughed as the baby was the lady late grandfather who was now reborn to be her baby.
从前一座小庙里，住着一位和尚师父和一位小沙弥，小沙弥只有9岁。小沙弥长得面容清秀，聪明伶俐，就是生性顽皮，常常看着一些事情无端发笑，说些稀奇古怪的话，让和尚师父也摸不着头脑。
这一天，师徒二人出行，来到田间小路上，看到一中年农夫赶着青牛耕地，小沙弥看了一会，不觉抿嘴笑出声来，弄得和尚师傅不知所笑何为，厉声说道：你这孽障，笑些什么？
小沙弥随口应道：老子耕地儿扶犁，你说稀奇不稀奇？
——明明是牛耕地，人扶犁，牛在前人在后，怎么是老子耕地儿扶犁，一派胡言，快走快走。
师徒二个接着前行，来到一个村口，这时一青年妇女抱着一个孩子出来，给孩子端尿，小沙弥看了，忍不住大笑起来，和尚师父连忙正色道：你这个轻狂的孽障，为何如此发笑？
小沙弥答道：媳妇端了公公的尿，你说可笑不可笑？
——明明是女施主给她的孩子端尿，怎么是给公公端尿，胡言乱语，快走快走。
正是太阳落山的时候，他们来到一座大庙前。这座庙是和尚师父年轻时出家的地方，接待他们的是年逾古稀的老方丈。晚饭时分，小沙弥看到庙前的大鼓，拿起鼓锤就要击鼓，和尚师父抢前一步，一把夺过。当值的和尚看到两师徒抢雷锤，觉得有趣，以为他们没有见识这么大的鼓，都想擂鼓，也到了击鼓时间，就说时间到了，快击鼓。
和尚师父听值班和尚要自己击鼓，也不好推辞，就用力击起鼓来，那沉沉的鼓声，在寺院回荡。这时小沙弥哈哈大笑，笑得众和尚你看着我，我看着你，莫名其妙。
此时小沙弥大声说道：自已擂了自己的皮，你说稀奇不奇？
此时和尚师父看自己的徒弟在无端耻笑自己，什么自己擂自己的皮，难道我身上披的是牛皮？连忙喝令小沙弥跪下受罚。
此时老方丈从里面走出，拉着和尚师父同桌进餐，并请小沙弥同桌。
老方丈打量了师徒二人，笑问：刚才师父为何动怒？和尚师父答道：我这徒弟太顽皮，不守清规，看到什么就无端发笑，现在都笑到我的头上了。
老方丈哦了一声，用和蔼的眼神看着小沙弥，问：你看到什么，因何发笑？如说得有理，老纳求你师父免你罚。
小沙弥说道：我看那中年男子挥着鞭子赶着牛耕地，其实那牛是男子的父亲。他父亲在世时，好吃懒做，不务正业，而他的儿子勤扒苦做，积积攒攒，而所积攒的家业，都被他父亲挥攉一空。故父亲死后到阎王那报到，阎王要他还债其子，就转了牛生。
和尚师父问：那青年女子抱子出来，你又为何傻笑？
小沙弥说道：那女人抱的孩子，原是那女人的公公转世，她公公在世时，十分勤劳节俭，故此攒下了一份厚实的家业，成为这个地方附近几个村的富户。那公公去逝后，阎王就安排他到媳妇跟前转世。我看到那媳妇给小孩端尿，故而发笑。
和尚师父又问：那我击鼓，你又为何发笑？
这个……小沙弥欲言又止，面有难色，老方丈挥挥手，叫小沙弥下去，老方丈说：这个还是我来说吧。
原来在这附近有一家员外，他家养了一头牛，后来这头牛就老死了。员外可怜牛一世劳苦，没有宰杀，就选个地方将牛掩埋了。后来牛要转世了，阎王安排它转世人生，可他身上牛皮未脱。老牛就给这大庙里的住持报梦。后来老住持就将梦里说的事告知了员外。员外立即派人将牛挖起。将牛挖起时，牛皮还完好无缺，员外让人把皮剥下，捐到大庙做了个鼓。这个鼓现在还在呢。
鼓还在？和尚师父有些惊奇。老方丈说：不仅鼓在，而且当年被托梦的老住持、那头转世的牛今天都在这里。
和尚师父问：他们在哪？老方丈答道：那鼓，就是师父你今天擂的鼓，那头牛后来转生后，为了报答庙里住持的恩德，也出家为僧，服侍住持——他就是师父你啊。
和尚师父一惊：是我？无怪我那顽徒说我是自己擂了自己的皮，那老住持是？和尚师父已若有所悟。
老住持笑笑，那老住持就是你的那位顽徒啊，他前辈子修得不错，但没有修成佛，所以这辈子接着修。由于他前世的修过，打下底子，所以他这世是开着天眼的。他说的那些稀奇古怪的话，就是他神目所见啊。
和尚师父哦了一声，对老方丈谢道：多谢师父指教。我是错怪他了。
方丈说道：你也不必过于自责，严师出高徒嘛。他虽说慧根不错，但好玉也要好人雕琢嘛。如果他这世能修成佛，那师父你也是功不可没的，师父可要严加管教。
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