Buddhism and Reincarnation
Buddhism focuses on one central issue, the act of having non-self. The teachings elaborate that in the course of one’s life (experience) there is no individual entity or soul to be found. Everything surrounding the soul is wrapped up and intertwined within and of itself. This leaves the soul to be warped and molded to its outside environs and courses of its life. This includes past lives as well, which is one of the branches from which reincarnation stems from. A soul will pass through many lifetimes, carrying with it the baggage of the past (karma) whether it be good or bad. This allows a soul to pass through the trials and tribulations of its eight-fold path toward enlightenment, peace, nirvana.
Reincarnation is the embodiment of this act of constant circle of lives. In the course of a soul’s lives or reincarnations, the soul is reborn into many physical bodies. It is believed that in each incarnation a new personality is given to the soul with bits and pieces collected from past lives. These bits and pieces are what give the soul its needed manual so to speak with which it can traverse the realm of life experience. Again, this keys in with karma, which is a term, used to describe the negative and positive gifts accrued by a soul during its life. The point is to pass the lessons given, to ascend past the worldly experience to that of the spiritual one.
Reincarnation is becoming a more wildly accepted possibility, even to the world of Science, which remains close-minded and stiff in regards to most religions. What they cannot see, what does not have any basis in the physical, scientists write off as being nothing more than theatrics. Yet with reincarnation comes the belief that there is a soul and that this soul, in order to pass from one life to the next is made up of something solid, at least to a point. The scientific hypothesis is that the soul is made up of energy. This allows it to pass from the body when the body decays and dies. With this theory, scientists can take a good look at the belief in reincarnation. It gives them something substantive to experiment with.
To a Buddhist, reincarnation is simply a road map to Nirvana. It is taken seriously to the point that the goal is to make this life count. Life is to be lived through, right thought, right word, right action, etc. Everything said and done is essential to the growth of the spirit, the soul, to prepare for that ‘heaven’ (nirvana).
To accomplish this, the soul uses periods of meditation in which they may transcend their physical body to co-exist with that of the spirit. While a physical body, the physical mind is not capable of wrapping itself around that of spirit. This is why meditation is needed. It allows the soul a respite from the experience. It is a cleansing, balancing, insightful, exercise. It is also believe that through meditation the soul can tap into past lives, thus gaining insight into the present life.
Not much has been proven in regards to reincarnation. Save for a documented scientist who spent most of his career documenting cases of children who spontaneously remembered ‘memories’ of past lives; then researched actual deceased people fitting these descriptions in ways that left no room for argument, nothing has been discovered that allows us to say beyond a shadow of a doubt that reincarnation is a viable source of belief.
Still, interest in Buddhism has grown. This belief system appeals to those seeking a more simple life, to those seeking ways to find a peaceful life. It is about connecting, reconnecting from whence we came and leaving behind all of this earthly baggage. So whether or not it can in fact be proved, one of the main keys in belief is faith in that which we cannot see, that which is beyond us. This gives us something to reach for.
