How To Reincarnate
Posted: Friday, April 30, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
Human beings go through an interesting process when reincarnating, a process that unless explained would probably go unnoticed. This article will explain the steps.
All major religions recognize reincarnation. This is especially true with Eastern religions. However Christianity, Islam, and Judaism incorporate Reincarnation into their belief systems as well.
The Kabbalah followers of Judaism support reincarnation, although most Jews for the last 500 years or so do not openly discuss it, probably for similar reasons as above.
In Islam, the concept of Dawriyyah (cycles) has many points in common with reincarnation, claiming that the concept is mentioned in the Quran and Sufism which is the deeper aspect of Islam which points to Sufi mystics:
"I died as mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was man.
Why should I fear?
When was I less by dying?"
(Rumi )
But what puts reincarnation into motion?
The first step to reincarnation is a strong attachment to life, particularly "our" life. We believe that we (our personality) will live eternally, in one form or another, in one realm or another. This is an illusion based on a fabricated ego that is constructed by mind. It is this "illusion," which is called confusion regarding the truth of matters, that begins the process of reincarnation.
While we are still alive and confused in this manner regarding the truth of what we really are - believing in a sense of ego or the "I" thought - we base our actions upon this misconception, and these actions form certain confused habit patterns as well. This is called karma, or our actions and volition.
When we die, the spiritual power of this confused action or volition - karma - this strong belief in a self or ego, seeks another form in which to again play out this illusion. A "rebirth consciousness" is therefore conditioned and immediately follows the death consciousness.
This rebirth consciousness seeks refuge in a womb (if it's a human reincarnation) or others - there are many different types in many different realms. So the rebirth consciousness conditions a new mind and body, which can be physical, fine material, or non-material.
When mind and body come into existence, this necessarily leads to the six senses, which require stimulation. And this leads to contact with the world.
When the senses contact the world, a feeling comes up regarding what we contact. Either we like what we see, hear, taste, smell, feel, or think - and attach to it.. Or we dislike it and try to get rid of it. Or maybe we are neutral to it. One of three feelings will develop. This feeling then leads to grasping or desire to either love the object and grasp at it, or hate it and reject it.
This grasping and rejecting then leads to the architect of reincarnation - the "I" thought or omnipotent watcher, which is constructed by a combination of your body, feelings, memory, thoughts and consciousness. This illusionary "I" thought then seems to be the one who is doing the grasping, thinking about how to own or disown the object of contact creating the attachments or the aversions to what is sensed and contacted.
This illusory ego then conditions the idea of "becoming;" or seeing oneself moving in time as a person and becoming this or that, projecting one's "I" thought into the future based on the "I" thought‘s past.
This skewed perception of reality with a fictitious "I" thought then conditions volition or action - karma - which again conditions reincarnation as birth. Birth then inevitably leads to old age and death, and the cycle continues forever until broken.
The cycle can be broken at any step, but great wisdom and insight must be involved because the past karma of so many lifetimes in the past is very strong. And also, the perception that reincarnation is a good thing lacks the wisdom of seeing life as it is, fraught with uncertainties and physical and mental pain, especially the pain of old age and separation from life again and again.
The Buddhist concept of reincarnation is called "rebirth," primarily because Buddhists, in their meditation, see no unchanging entity moving through time - no soul, self or spirit. Only cause and effect that conditions the next rebirth, based on the volition or actions of mind in past existences. Buddhists also see rebirth happening not only in the human realm, but in many other worlds where their karma or actions of beings take on various forms consisting of material, fine material, and non-material existences. The ending of being reborn is called Nirvana in Buddhism, freedom from existence.
The first step to rebirth is death! We have to die to change clothes, so to speak. Therefore death is not to be feared, just a new body, identity, and mind. And underlying that new mind is all of our accumulated tendencies from countless lifetimes before. This is called our karma.
The transference of this karma, in part our unsatisfied desires, involves rebirth in a vehicle that can satisfy our desires. Lets say for example we love to fornicate, that's the extent of our understanding, then we might be reborn as an animal where there would be no restrictions!
Or, let's say that you have reached deep stages of concentration and absorption in meditation, then your destiny would be in line with the experiences of that unbelievable peace, and probably in a non-material body.
Or perhaps you are a very gentle, loving person; unselfish and concerned with others welfare, then you will very likely end up in a sensory heaven realm. But none of the realms or existences are permanent, just as this lifetime is not permanent. And you can look forward to many more lifetimes in many different kinds of realms, depending upon your level of achievement in understanding the way things are in whatever realm you find yourself in.
So make the most of this lifetime. Rather than be complacent and relax into some weak finality of comfortable beliefs, dig deeper. Ask questions. The deeper you go, the more interesting will be the next lifetime. And although the next lifetime will not be lived by "you," it will sure seem familiar!
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I do believe there is something to this reincarnation, but I believe when I die my spirit will live on in heaven. I don't believe I will be reincarnated in some other flesh being.I believe that you will go to heaven as well my friend! Thanks Dave.Metta.....e
Never thought much about reincarnation but your article was interesting to read. Now, I have a perspective on a subject which was just about completely foreign to me. It was hard for me to understand some of the points you mention, not because of your writing, but because it was so different to me, however, it was interesting. Thanks.SteveThanks for reading and commenting. And Thanks Steve for having an open, inquiring mind!Best .....e
I don't know if there is such thing as life after death I wish I can come back as a different human being. I might not come back as another person maybe as a turtle or plant it is hard to tell if life after death is real or not. I am not in a hurry to go up to Heaven only time will tell if I will die old.
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