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by (510 points)
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I have several questions regarding rebirth:

- Is it possible to influence or know what you will be born as? The Tibetan Book of the Dead seems to imply yes, but does not provide instructions. I was curious as to what the Theravada tradition has to say about this.

- Are people generally reborn together? I have heard some monks say this. I do not intend any sort of criticism of anyone or their beliefs, I am just curious as to if there is truth to this & if so why.

- Were "people" or Cittas or the awareness reborn as dinosaurs or even other unknown life forms?

- Is it possible to know if one is a stream enterer? (& therefore has limited rebirths (hooray!) ahead of them)

2 Answers

+1 vote
by (18.8k points)
edited by

Yes, it is very much possible. When you do good Karma, you increase your chances of being born in a happy destination. When you do bad Karma, you increase your chances of being born in a place of misery.

The likelihood of people being born together or meeting in future lives increases if you do good deeds together. Also, they should be in tune with each other:

"If both husband & wife want to see one another not only in the present life but also in the life to come, they should be in tune [with each other] in conviction, in tune in virtue, in tune in generosity, and in tune in discernment. Then they will see one another not only in the present life but also in the life to come." - Samajivina Sutta

Yes, it is possible for a stream enterer to know that he no longer has certain fetters. 

by (510 points)
Thank you Sankha! Sadhu
by (18.8k points)
You're welcome!
0 votes
by (2.1k points)
"Is it possible to know if one is a stream enterer? (& therefore has limited rebirths (hooray!) ahead of them"

Only YOU can know this. You would have had an experience of nibbana, the 3 lower fetters will have been released. This experience is remarkable, not something you would have had and not recognized.

I embedded this link at a specific time

https://youtu.be/8eUYjlEL9iM?t=1954
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