Do we have a " Use by Date" in terms of Awakening?

[rockyysdt]

I class genetics as one way for karma vipakha to have its effect...and as we know some incurable diseases by usual means are sometimes cured by vipassana when one shares merits and are forgiven.

Hi Fred.

If Kilesa's (mental attitudes) such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression, and others are contributing towards your premature aging then Vipassana would have a very positive affect of overcoming this.

If the aging is due to genetics (physical make up of a person), are you saying that practice can alter this?

Wasn't the Buddha still plagued with Vipaka, as he aged, even though he was Awakened?

[fabianfred]

Most vipassana teachers will tell you that almost all problems are karmic in origin. By practice and dedication of merits to the being we created karma with we can often use up that karma and get forgiveness then the vipakha we are suffering disappears.

Even genetic problems are karmic in origin.

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[rockyysdt]

Most vipassana teachers will tell you that almost all problems are karmic in origin. By practice and dedication of merits to the being we created karma with we can often use up that karma and get forgiveness then the vipakha we are suffering disappears.

Even genetic problems are karmic in origin.

Sent from my GT-N8000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What practice do you have to engage in to (forgiveness?) in order for Vipaka to be extinguished>

My understanding is that practice can assist by:

• Eliminating the addition of further negative kharma.
• Liberating one from re birth.

Unspent Kharma/Vipaka can not be stopped.

Isn't that the case?

[fabianfred]

As we know karma cannot be wiped out....no amount of merit making will wash away bad karma.

It cannot be wiped away, but it can be used up.

For example one of many stories told by LP Jaran. A woman came to him complaining of bad dreams where she said a baby was trying to kill her. He can see peoples past karma so he knew the reason but decided not to tell her but let her find out for herself. he said she must come and practice vipassana at his temple diligently for 15 days. She started to get pains in her stomach as she practiced, but was determined not to give up. LP told her to end every session by dedicating merits gained to the being which was tormenting her. She continued to do so, suffering more and more pain, until on the last day she felt like she would die.

LP said that if such a climax was reached she should do as the Buddha did and make the decision not to give up even if it killed her. She reached the point where the pain was unbearable and made a mental note that she would die rather than stop. Immediately like an explosion the pain went away and she felt refreshed and at peace, then she saw her past karma which caused the problem. In her past she had had an abortion and the being was angry and wanted revenge. She went and told LP and he said that the being had forgiven her but if she hadn't done this she would have been driven mad and still had to pay for the karma perhaps in hell.

So she used up the karma, not got off scot free.

[fabianfred]

continuing from my last post. We know arahants and even buddhas still suffer the vipakha of past karma right up until they attain parinibbana...after which all past karma is lost because there is no more rebirth for it to be able to have an effect.

I have suffered fro back problems most of my life, as have my brothers and sisters. Both my sisters have the same as our mother had, a spine which starts to twist. My mother had four operations which never cured her, and one sister has had a couple. I assume we created karma together as a family, or group of people, in a previous existence. Doctors would say it is genetic, but then they wouldn't know about the real reason....karma.

If one day my practice and dedication of merits cause the 'enemy/enemies' to forgive then I will be cured. I do not wait for that to happen, just carry on, paying for my previous misdeeds, and accept the situation.

[sabaijai]

It is claimed by several teachers that the regular practice of vipassana meditation will keep the practitioner mentally sharp right up to the end and prevent the oncome of senile dementia....

This would be a fairly easy hypothesis to investigate through mental health surveys among practising monks.