The Amnesia Between Lives and Progress in Spiritual Practice

Question: Since the obscuration between rebirths can cause someone who was already enlightened in a past life to need to re-attain enlightenment in this life, does this mean there is some regression in practice? Especially when, under the influence of ignorance, they create much new karma.

Answer: Without attaining the supernatural power of knowing past lives, even if one attains enlightenment in this life, it remains unknown in the next life. In the next life, one may not initially believe in Buddhism or understand the Dharma. However, through the roots of goodness and power of merit cultivated in this life, when conditions ripen in a future life, one can re-enter the Buddhist path. Moreover, practice in the next life will progress faster than in this one. After practicing for some time, one can still realize the mind and attain enlightenment, thus connecting with the practice of this life. Such a person may not even need guidance from others in learning and practicing Buddhism; they can spontaneously re-attain enlightenment by following the same approach as in this life. Even without guidance from virtuous teachers, they will not stray onto wrong paths. Not only can their level of practice reconnect with that of the previous life, but it can also surpass the realization attained in that life.

When we see some people progressing very rapidly in their practice in this life, with sharp spiritual faculties, there is no need to doubt that their profound and solid foundation from past cultivation enables them to achieve deep, penetrating wisdom in this life. Those who progress very slowly in this life must have failed to establish a proper foundation in Buddhist practice in their past lives, lacking sufficient immersion in the Dharma, resulting in prolonged practice without results—or even straying onto erroneous paths, unknowingly cultivating wrong views. Some, having practiced incorrectly in past lives and taken wrong paths, continue to follow the same mistaken methods in this life due to habitual tendencies, without repentance. Therefore, as long as one practices the correct Dharma and attains genuine realization, there is no need to fear the obscuration between rebirths. By cultivating various roots of goodness and accumulating more merit in this life, one's spiritual path in future lives will advance swiftly.