Reincarnation? (mystic, virgin, Buddhism, beliefs, soul)

[Sunstone]

Is there anything to reincarnation? How does it match up with your religious beliefs? Would reincarnation make any difference to your beliefs if it were true?

Is there any evidence for it?

http://www.childpastlives.org/reincarnationforum.htm

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Is there anything to reincarnation? How does it match up with your religious beliefs? Is there any evidence for it?

Many people think that Buddhism teaches reincarnation, but this isn't quite correct. Buddhism teaches rebirth, which is somewhat different. Rebirth means that "something" continues, but not a soul or one's identity/ego.

The Buddha taught it this way: He lined up five candles in a row, with the first one lit. The candles represent bodies; the flame, lives. He lit the second candle from the first, extinguishing the first one. Then he lit the third from the second, extinguishing that one, and so on. When the fifth candle was lit, and all the others out, he asked his followers, "Is this flame the same flame from the first candle?" This is how Buddhists view rebirth.

[robtex]

Gonna come back to this debate in a bit but I wanted to juicy it up by adding a few links.

Ian Stevenson is considered by many to be the top researcher in the area of reincarnation. His site is here:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu...nalitystudies/

Here is the largest site I have seen discussing this:
http://www.near-death.com/

Arguements for the skeptism of such :

http://www.skepticreport.com/mystics...arnation29.htm

http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2...s_to_doub.html

[Draka]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Is there anything to reincarnation? How does it match up with your religious beliefs? Would reincarnation make any difference to your beliefs if it were true?

Is there any evidence for it?

Reincarnation is an intregal part of my religious beliefs. It is a necessity in my beliefs.

As for evidence...this is always hard. For evidence of a past life comes from personal revelations. While a person may know exact details of a past life that may even be looked up and verified...there is always some skeptic that can say that the person looked up the information themselves or something like that. Or that it is just fantasy that was lucky.

Also, while most people would love to think that they were someone famous, the truth is that they were most likely part of the 99% of the population that were just regular people. It can be hard to look up information on a slave in Egypt during the time of the pharoahs and whatnot. See what I mean?

[Draka]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

To get you totally cross-eyed, I suspect that all ones incarnations are simultaneous, each resonating within their own personal present, in their own probable reality. It certainly adds new dimension to the word, "you". More importantly... which you?

That is certainly quite a different way to look at things. So, do you believe all time is folded or something? That everything happens simultaneously? Or are you talking multiple dimensions in which your spirit inhabits all at once? I'm not completely cross-eyed yet...but I suppose that you could achieve that task if you really try.

[Draka]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

Folded time? Naw. There is no time. There is only now. Now is the intersection of the ways, as it were. The axis, or the hub. Now is almost like a conduit of a sorts, existing in a primordial spacious present that encompasses all that is (god).

I therefore believe that indeed everything is happening simultaneously, as it is the only explanation that makes sense to this old bozo. And, yes, sort of mutiple dimensions, but more accurately... multidimensional realities inhabited by mutlidimensional beings. (um.. that would be us.) As I keep bleeting, my idea of human personality is just a teeny bit larger than the norm.

Why can we not see in all directions of the spokes then? History is quite laid out. Time is measurable. How did you come to your view? What would be the purpose of living all incarnations simultaneously? And if that is so...if the present is the constant now...then we are constantly incarnated are we not? For how can all lifetimes live the exact amount of years/hours/minutes? When we die in this present...what happens to the other incarnations existing simultaneously? Do they all die at once? Does time ( I know you say it doesn't exist but humor me) pass differently for each incarnation? I mean...if one incarnation were to live 47 years, another 82 and yet another 9, then how does that work? Is another incarnation in a particular present started in order to run equal in all?

My mind is quite flexible to different thoughts if you couldn't tell. Constantly questioning for information. Am I making any sense?

[standing_on_one_foot]

Question for those who believe in reincarnation/rebirth: is it limited to Earth? If, theoretically, there's life on other planets, could you end up there?

Um. I dunno about the afterlife. That's rather the point, I've always felt, having no clue what's really going to happen next. So it's possible. That would affect things if I could know it for sure, but that ain't happening. Reincarnation wouldn't be a problem so much as certainty would.

[Draka]

Originally Posted by standing_on_one_foot

Question for those who believe in reincarnation/rebirth: is it limited to Earth? If, theoretically, there's life on other planets, could you end up there?

I suppose theoretically yes. I don't believe, if that is so though, that you would skip around between planets. In my belief you are reincarnated to learn certain lessons and gain certain wisdom. By staying in a certain form during this journey it would help to keep the information learned more consistent. I suppose if the Divine feels that your spirit has learned all it can from Earth it may start you on another planet. But as I believe that we all eventually recombine with the Divine and our experiences and wisdom accumulate within it, then it has other spirits on other planets gathering information and wisdom about those lives. I don't know if this makes any sense to you...or anyone else for that matter. I could explain my beliefs further...but it may only confuse further

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by standing_on_one_foot

Question for those who believe in reincarnation/rebirth: is it limited to Earth? If, theoretically, there's life on other planets, could you end up there?

Um. I dunno about the afterlife. That's rather the point, I've always felt, having no clue what's really going to happen next. So it's possible. That would affect things if I could know it for sure, but that ain't happening. Reincarnation wouldn't be a problem so much as certainty would.

No, it's not limited to Earth. "I" couldn't end up anywhere else, though, because "I" isn't something which is reborn. The Tibetan Buddhists have a different take on this, but that is how I and my tradition/school view these teachings.