<p>As soon as you become an Arahant. In other words, when you attain the undying. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-05T10:51:23.330Z
2015-10-05T10:51:23.330Z
Sankha Kulathantille
<p>In the training that I've received (Soto Zen), both rebirth and being free from it are considered completely metaphorical. As such, it's something that changes about your experience of your current life, when you break yourself of the cyclical behavior of clinging to your thoughts as though they are real.</p>

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2015-10-06T22:22:30.473Z
2015-10-06T22:22:30.473Z
Joe Cannatti
<p>By following the Buddha's Path, liberation from birth is realized when your past lives are experienced, known, seen, looked into and the answer to the question "Why was I born?" is answered.</p>

<p>Only then, the cause of birth is known, its cessation is known and birth is: removed, removed.</p>

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2015-11-06T15:10:22.003Z
metta to all for their answers
user5256
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2015-10-05T22:09:33.490Z
2015-10-05T22:09:33.490Z
beginner
<p>As soon as you become an Arahant. </p>

<p>In other words, when you fully realize the</p>

<p>Three marks of existence.<br>
Emptiness(Sunya).<br>
No personal viewpoint.<br>
Nature of without cravings.<br>
Elimination of the 3 roots of carving.  </p>

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2015-10-05T12:05:56.323Z
2015-10-09T21:01:09.920Z
2015-10-09T21:01:09.920Z
Shrawaka
<p>From <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/milinda.pdf">Milindapanha</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The king said, “Is there anyone who is not reborn
  after death?”<br>
   “Yes there is. The one who has no defilements is not<br>
  reborn after death; the one who has defilements is reborn.”<br>
   “Will you be reborn?”<br>
   “<strong>If I die with attachment in my mind, yes; but if not,
  no.</strong>”  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>He who is reborn, Nàgasena, is he the
  same person or another?”<br>
  “Neither the same nor another.  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>...  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“Is the man who will not be reborn aware of the fact?”<br>
  “Yes, O king.”<br>
  “How does he know it?”<br>
  “<strong>By the cessation of all that is cause or condition of
  rebirth. As a farmer who does not plough or sow or reap
  would know that his granary is not getting filled up.</strong>”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What is it, Nàgasena, that is reborn?”<br>
  “Mind and matter (<em>namarupa</em>).”<br>
  “Is it this very mind and matter that is reborn?”<br>
  “No, it is not, but by this mind and matter deeds are
  done and because of those deeds another mind and matter
  is reborn; but that mind and matter is not thereby released
  from the results of its previous deeds.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“Does he who will not be reborn feel any painful
  feeling?”<br>
  “He may feel physical pain, O king, but not mental
  pain.”<br>
  “If he feels painful feelings then why doesn’t he just
  die and attain the extinction of grasping, and put an end to
  suffering?”<br>
  “The arahant has no fondness for or aversion to life...  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“Will you, Nàgasena, be reborn?”<br>
  “What is the use of asking that question again? Have
  I not already told you that if I die with attachment in my
  mind I shall be reborn, if not I shall not.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“Would he who is about to be reborn know it?”<br>
  “Yes he would, <strong>just as a farmer who puts seed into the
  ground, seeing it rain well, would know that a crop will be
  produced.</strong>”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, do you feel that you still have attachments, mental or emotional? That's how you know.</p>

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2015-10-09T22:04:42.843Z
great answer!  the moment of death is a crucial time.  practice well and lovingly.
sova
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-05T11:51:14.700Z
2015-10-05T13:31:45.133Z
2015-10-05T13:31:45.133Z
Andriy Volkov
<p>By following the Buddha's Path, when will I realize that I am free from rebirth and suffering? Is there any indication or sign ? Does one knows it at one's death bed?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-05T11:38:24.917Z
If this happens, nobody except you shall know it for sure...
Gottfried Helms
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-05T17:14:24.313Z
The Buddha's Path is a gradual training. Before attaining Arahantship and become free from rebirth, one must attain the first 3 fruits, the first of which is Stream-Entry. Check out Ven. Thanissaro's great article on the characteristic of Stream-Entry at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/into_the_stream.html
santa100
<the-buddha><rebirth>
When do I realize that I am free from rebirth?
# When do I realize that I am free from rebirth?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-05)

By following the Buddha's Path, when will I realize that I am free from rebirth and suffering? Is there any indication or sign ? Does one knows it at one's death bed?

**Tags:** the-buddha, rebirth

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If this happens, nobody except you shall know it for sure...  
> **username_2**: The Buddha's Path is a gradual training. Before attaining Arahantship and become free from rebirth, one must attain the first 3 fruits, the first of which is Stream-Entry. Check out Ven. Thanissaro's great article on the characteristic of Stream-Entry at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/into_the_stream.html  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-10-05. Score: 11

From [Milindapanha](http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/milinda.pdf):

> The king said, “Is there anyone who is not reborn
> after death?”  
> “Yes there is. The one who has no defilements is not  
> reborn after death; the one who has defilements is reborn.”  
> “Will you be reborn?”  
> “**If I die with attachment in my mind, yes; but if not,
> no.**”

...

> He who is reborn, Nàgasena, is he the
> same person or another?”  
> “Neither the same nor another.

...

> “Is the man who will not be reborn aware of the fact?”  
> “Yes, O king.”  
> “How does he know it?”  
> “**By the cessation of all that is cause or condition of
> rebirth. As a farmer who does not plough or sow or reap
> would know that his granary is not getting filled up.**”

...

> What is it, Nàgasena, that is reborn?”  
> “Mind and matter (*namarupa*).”  
> “Is it this very mind and matter that is reborn?”  
> “No, it is not, but by this mind and matter deeds are
> done and because of those deeds another mind and matter
> is reborn; but that mind and matter is not thereby released
> from the results of its previous deeds.

...

> “Does he who will not be reborn feel any painful
> feeling?”  
> “He may feel physical pain, O king, but not mental
> pain.”  
> “If he feels painful feelings then why doesn’t he just
> die and attain the extinction of grasping, and put an end to
> suffering?”  
> “The arahant has no fondness for or aversion to life...

...

> “Will you, Nàgasena, be reborn?”  
> “What is the use of asking that question again? Have
> I not already told you that if I die with attachment in my
> mind I shall be reborn, if not I shall not.”

...

> “Would he who is about to be reborn know it?”  
> “Yes he would, **just as a farmer who puts seed into the
> ground, seeing it rain well, would know that a crop will be
> produced.**”

So, do you feel that you still have attachments, mental or emotional? That's how you know.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: great answer!  the moment of death is a crucial time.  practice well and lovingly.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-10-05. Score: 2

As soon as you become an Arahant. In other words, when you attain the undying.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-10-06. Score: 2

In the training that I've received (Soto Zen), both rebirth and being free from it are considered completely metaphorical. As such, it's something that changes about your experience of your current life, when you break yourself of the cyclical behavior of clinging to your thoughts as though they are real.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-10-05. Score: 1

By following the Buddha's Path, liberation from birth is realized when your past lives are experienced, known, seen, looked into and the answer to the question "Why was I born?" is answered.

Only then, the cause of birth is known, its cessation is known and birth is: removed, removed.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: metta to all for their answers  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-10-05. Score: 1

As soon as you become an Arahant.

In other words, when you fully realize the

Three marks of existence.  
Emptiness(Sunya).  
No personal viewpoint.  
Nature of without cravings.  
Elimination of the 3 roots of carving.


---

