第一章：佛教的业与宇宙观.pptVIP

The wheel of life is often depicted in Tibetan thangkas or wall hangings墙帷. The wheel is a symbolic representation of the process of cyclic rebirth or sa?sāra and is sometimes depicted as showing the six realms of rebirth in the grasp of the demon Yama The very center of the wheel often shows three animals: a cock, a pig and a snake, which represent the ‘three poisons’ of greed, hatred and delusion, It is these forces that create bad karma and fuel推动 the endless cycle of rebirth。Placing these mental forces at the center of the diagram reveals显示 the important place that Buddhism accords to psychology心理学 and the profound influence it has on our experience of the world by causing us to be reborn in one realm or another。 Most schools of Buddhism believe that the transition from one realm to another at death is instantaneous (one authority compares it to someone swinging across a river on a rope tied to the branch of a tree) Some Buddhist schools, however, notably those in Tibet, believe there is an intermediate state known as the bardo, which acts as a buffer between lives and in which the spirit of the deceased已故的 person remains for up to forty-nine days before being reborn, During this time the spirit glimpses all six realms of rebirth before being attracted - as if by magnetism - to the one most in keeping with 一致its karmic state. Discussion questions 1. How does Buddhism understand the nature of the cosmos with reference to a) time and b) space? 2. What are the ‘Six Realms of Rebirth’ and how are they described in Buddhist teachings?  * * 每一世界最下层系一层气，称为风轮； 风轮之上为一层水，称为水轮； 水轮之上为一层金，或谓硬石，称为金轮； 金轮之上即为山、海洋、大洲等所构成之大地；而须弥山即位于此世界之中央。 1 Karma and cosmology 业力与宇宙论 惟 善 * Main topics covered主要议题包括 The cosmos in Indian thought 印度宇宙的思想 The inhabitants of the cosmos 宇宙居民 The Six Realms of Rebirth 六道轮回 Karma 业 The concept of merit 功德概念 Merit transference 功德回向 Western perspectives西方观点 Key words Karma业 cosmology宇宙论 The Six Realms 六