Learn Buddhism: Reincarnation In Buddhism?

A common misconception is that Buddhism believes in “reincarnation” where a permanent and unchanging “self” or “soul” transmigrates to a new body or existence. The Buddha firmly rejected this. In Buddhism, the focus on “karma,” and generating wholesome karma, is related to rebirth. The reason Buddhists want to achieve enlightenment and realize Nirvāṇa is to stop creating the types of karma that keep them trapped so they can end the cycle of birth and death known as Saṃsāra.

Transcript

Welcome to another edition of learn Buddhism.

I'm Alan pedo reincarnation you've likely heard that Buddhism and Buddhists believe in reincarnation that they will be reincarnated into a new existence after they die The word reincarnation as we believe it means in the West Usually goes something like this.

We believe that there is something permanent unchanging and independent in ourself that transmigrates Into a new body or existence.

So this might be called a self or a soul But there's something you believe in yourself that is permanent and unchanging that continues on and this all Goes into how we see ourselves right now.

So you and me we are absolutely Individuals right now we have a self but we don't have a permanent unchanging Independent self the Buddha says that doesn't exist.

He rejected that notion.

So the idea that we reincarnate into a new existence Doesn't exist in Buddhism,

Which is why you usually hear the word rebirth used in Buddhism not reincarnation Technically,

They could be said to be the same thing but to avoid confusion Rebirth is used because there are religions where Reincarnation means just that you will reincarnate into a new existence But again,

The Buddha says that doesn't exist in Buddhism so When we're looking at rebirth in Buddhism,

We are really focused on something called karma So karma are those intentional volitional actions that we create typically unwholesome that is related to Rebirth it is really like this instigator this spark or in a lot of ways described as shackles that are Binding you trapping you in something called the cycle of rebirth,

Which we call Samsara in Buddhism.

So you as You see yourself right now as this permanent unchanging independent self is the illusion and because of that illusion We are attached to this love of self and these mental afflictions we have result in us having ignorance anger and Craving and clinging and so this is really what we call the three fires or three poisons in Buddhism and They are really this instigator for us creating these karmic actions and these karmic actions Bind us shackle us to this cycle of rebirth constant birth death Rebirth on and on and on but what is being?

Reborn this rebirth is Karma,

There is what we call this mind stream or stream of consciousness in Buddhism where?

The trace impressions of past karmic actions and the future potentials of ones have not come to fruition are going into a new existence and When we think about this it really shocks us especially living in the West where usually We're very much into the idea of self and we're very much into the idea Especially a lot of religions where you will live in an afterlife for example So there is really the shock you're like wait me as I see myself right now Doesn't continue on it feels like a little bit of a letdown Because you want to continue on why are you in practicing right?

Why are you even concerned if this is it for you?

What's the big deal?

The big deal is What we have control over and what the Buddha taught is that?

We are Really creating these karmic actions,

And they are typically unwholesome and unskillful Which is creating Dukkha in our lives as to suffering to some satisfactory It's something not quite right and that is due to impermanence so the cycle of rebirth everything we're talking about today is Impermanent existences,

I'm gonna give you a visual example before we go further you've likely have seen Buddhist mala beads these are those Buddhist prayer beads and so you have a string there and there's beads on there You can kind of think about this in a visual terms this way that string is Karma karmic actions karmic seeds the beads are Independent existences so each existence is casually connected to the other ones through this Karmic the string if you will but each of those existences is separate.

What is making them connected together is that string?

So Right now even listening to this podcast even being interested in Buddhism.

There's something that karmically we would say in Buddhism is Drawn you to Buddhism the Buddhist path even if it's that's of interest there's something there So you are benefiting or maybe not benefiting right now due to past karmic conditions And so when you are born into the existence it is shaped by Karma and we're going to talk more about something called the realms of rebirth here in a second But the realm of rebirth we're in right now is this human realm so you and me are humans We are benefiting believe it or not right now from karma to be born into this realm of existence Because in this realm we are able to control Decide how our karma actually works because the karma I've been talking about is what we call Karma with outflows it binds us and there's a term we also use in Buddhism called fetters Which is basically changing you you're chained you're trapped,

And so I like to use the visual example or analogy Just imagine you're in prison.

This is Samsara.

You're in prison.

You're almost like a career criminal You're cranny's saying karmic actions that are landing you back in jail And you can't escape this jail because you keep creating the conditions that make you land back inside it and so Samsara is Not our true natural state your true natural state isn't to be in this jail of Samsara to be trapped here but because of actions intentional volitional actions karma We are trapped and due to our ignorance of this truth Because we don't fully understand the Buddhist teachings And it's maybe even the first time you're even hearing in your life about the Buddhist teachings We don't fully understand it and we create these unwholesome karmic actions and so the Buddhist path is about transforming that karma from unwholesome and unskillful to wholesome and skillful and that type of karma is One that is aligned with the Buddhist path towards enlightenment Towards freeing yourself from those shackles So yes,

It is still keeping you bound to this cycle of rebirth But the difference is it's like slowly loosening those chains Is creating the opposite effect of the karma you've been creating right now.

So it's trying to open that door To the from the prison to the outside.

It's trying to unshackle yourself as you're creating these wholesome karmic conditions Ultimately,

We want to do something called karma without outflows This is where we see enlightened beings like the Buddha arhats bodhisattvas They no longer create the karma that traps them that shackles them in This cycle of rebirth because it's almost again It's for my analogy like the career criminal who now sees the errors of their ways They're seeing what their actions are doing and you're going I'm not gonna do that anymore I now see clearly and they are no longer in jail.

They're no longer going back to jail That's a key part.

So that's what we're trying to do here.

We're trying to get out of this jail this endless cycle of Rebirth Samsara,

But we have to do that by focusing on Transforming our karma and through that we do that with the Buddhist path That's everything from wisdom our morality conduct their meditative concentration The threefold training in Buddhism part of the eightfold past and the six perfections is there to help us with transforming our karma by helping us Release ourselves unshackle ourselves from this cycle of rebirth so Again,

This is all due to our belief in a self.

That's permanent unchanging and independent and Again,

Because of that belief that attachment to self.

It's illusionary It works really really well because right now Even you listening to this or when you go out into the world or you're watching TV or do it talking to somebody All these processes what we call nama rupa in Buddhism this you are temporary grouping of five things the five aggregates or five scan hose and Nama rupa is what makes us all work seamlessly together those five aggregates their temporary existence They are impermanent and they are ever-changing as well too,

But we believe they are unchanging We believe all we know I have these thoughts have these beliefs have these feelings we believe There's something there that's permanent.

Maybe it's your values or something like that.

We all believe this makes us us and so this belief in her we want to protect it and From that protection that we want to do for this illusionary self So again you and me exist right now.

We have a self that exists,

But it is this temporary conditioned experience right now and actually our We are ever-changing from our body to our minds and our thoughts everything But we don't see it that way in a very fundamental level.

So again,

We are Grasping on to something we're clinging and craving is something of permanence of That's not changing as independent and that's what we're clinging to and that results in those three fire three poisons of greed anger and Ignorance and thus we just kind of live in this delusional world and so you might hear that in Buddhism,

Too It's a projected world or holographic world or a world that we make from our minds We're not saying that's not physical and everything right now But how we see the world how we interact with the world is based upon This belief in self and nama Rupa everything just working together It's illusionary and so enlightened beings they are able to break down almost like Break that dirty window or you're able to open a curtains and they see clearly and they understand how things work And so a key thing inside Buddhism is called dependent origination When we think about the Buddha and when he became enlightened under the tree of enlightenment a Bodhi tree What he became enlightened to?

Was dependent origination and we sometimes just generally call this causes conditions For example for you and me to arise right now the right causes the conditions had to exist For us to arise and for us to continue existing in this form the right causes and conditions have to exist as well So we we are born or rise in these new and temporary existences such as us being a human being due to Causes conditions dependent origination and these dependent origination is linked in part to the casual connection of karma between one life to the next but it is all Impermanent the existence is impermanent That is not you.

We are not permanent in our existence right now We're gonna live for a number of decades a typical human lifespan But after that what happens next?

So a big thing inside Buddhism is marriage generation cultivation generation of merit in fact is what pretty much all the layperson Buddhists do around the world including monastics because what they're trying to do is ensure they have the right conditions for rebirth and Usually us coming from the West going inside Buddhism the first thing we're thinking about is I'm gonna be enlightened in this lifetime all this other stuff.

I'm stripping away I see what the Buddha said I can do this.

I can become enlightened.

I got it.

That's my focus That's my goal.

We're very much career success goal oriented,

Especially in the West.

So when we look at Half billion Buddhists around the world.

They're not putting that amount of pressure on themselves In fact,

They're looking at this as a path that spans Existences spans lifetimes it can go on for an extremely long period of time and that's where marriage generation comes in because even With the Buddha he went through countless lifetimes until he was ready for that final existence You also see where you have our hearts many of the Buddhist followers Not all of them achieved parinirvana in that existence.

They will have to come back again So there are periods where you're just not going to get enlightened in this lifetime So what Buddhists do which includes monastics they are doing marriage generation and that is through Buddhist practice So when you're doing meditation marriage generation when you are doing offerings bowing prostrations marriage generation when you are studying wisdom marriage generation You're doing the right wholesome conditions mind body speech All of that is the right marriage generation because what we're trying to do is again create the right conditions for rebirth and This is where I'm going to go into the realms of rebirth because this is where this is all playing in the Buddha said That the best place to try to achieve enlightenment is right here in the human realm So you are actually very fortunate and I realize we all have different circumstances and Issues going on in our lives and everything else like that.

So could be different Benefits you have or not or suffering or not suffering.

We all have different things as human beings But what he's trying to say is this realm is almost like this perfect mixture It's it's like it's not too hot or not too cold.

So it's not too much suffering or not too little suffering It's the right mixture where we can Control our karma we can tame Our mind so we can create the right wholesome karmic conditions.

We can achieve enlightenment And so when we're doing this we are able to make these Skillful choices we don't do it as regular human beings We are very unskillful in what we do and that's what Buddhist practice is about And so we are able to do that here better than any of the other realms Because when we're here,

We have free will we and that free will allows us to go You know what?

This is the path.

I want to be on this is where I want to go and Where are we trying to go?

I mentioned a light a couple of times but enlightenment is now like well,

That's it.

Fantastic I'm now aware of things,

You know,

I'm very mindful of things.

We're trying to get to something called Nirvana Nirvana is the goal of Buddhist and why is it a goal?

It's not like a heaven or something like that It's actually a state of existence So for example your current mental state very unskillful Very unwholesome karmic actions are resulting from it,

But with Nirvana,

It's the blowing out It's the extinction of the three fires three poisons of greed anger and ignorance when you don't have greed anger and ignorance You're living as you should be and that's due to Awakening enlightenment to the true natures of things just like the Buddha did by understanding dependent origination at a fundamental Not intellectual but a fundamental level where he was awakened and light into that Everything just fell into place almost like all the puzzle pieces fell into place He was able to see that and based upon that he was no longer Fueling the three fires of greed anger and ignorance.

Thus the delusional world falls away.

He's not creating karmic actions He's residing in Nirvana his enlightened followers in Nirvana other Buddhas residing in Nirvana Bodhisattvas in Nirvana,

They are creating karma,

Which does not trap them in the cycle of rebirth They are aware dear skillful Mindful in ways that we are not right now and that's not something to go.

Well,

I feel really bad.

I'm not as mindful or skillful as the Buddha None of us are that's why we are practicing in Buddhism because we want to get to Nirvana but it is a process.

So again these Buddhists around the world are doing this marriage generation to ensure that they stay in this human realm of rebirth Now there's six realms of rebirth in general Higher level one.

This is gods or Or heavenly realm it's not like ones where we go.

Oh,

It's like gods where they are controlling and creating the universe And our world and us know it's just another realm of rebirth They can live a very long time here.

But the issue was that realm is it's a very Joyful realm and so it's not the right mixture of nutrients if you will for Enlightenment that's why the human realm is really good for that,

But it's a better realm than the lower realms so you see Buddhists they like to be either in the human realm or in the heavenly realm because even The Buddha Shakyamuni Buddha Gautama Buddha.

He was in the heavenly realm as a bodhisattva before that bodhisattva that exists as decided to have rebirth in this realm as We know him as Siddhartha Gautama who became the Buddha so he that bodhisattva Wanted his rebirth in the human realm not the heavenly God realm So it's not a bad place to be but it's not ultimately the place for one who wants to become a Buddha to be So I mentioned a human realm already now one that could be right above the human realm But I like to place it below the human realm is going to be this Demi gods realm and so they are costly battling with D or they were costly battling with the heavenly realm They're causing mischief and havoc with us here in the human realm So I don't always think that they should be in one of the higher level realms I believe they are kind of in the lower realms for that reason But that's also a realm you wouldn't want to be in it's not really conducive Conducive to the past towards enlightenment now the lower realms of rebirth the Visualization of it is enough for us to not want to go there for example There's the animal realm and so just like it sounds animals and they react and they respond and they live in animalistic Urges and beliefs and thoughts and actions and that is not conducive towards enlightenment You also have what's called a hungry ghost realm and just like it sounds these are Beings that we can't see but what they are doing they're trying to constantly satisfy this insatiable thirst hunger craving for things,

But they can't get it So is it a very miserable realm?

Absolutely,

And so you actually see in a lot of Buddhist cultures ceremonies related to that to try to help them as well Then you have at the very bottom This hell realm and the hell realm as it sounds is not a place you want to be because It's the hell realm it could be all sorts of suffering there But all of these lower realms are suffering in a very bad way Because they take you away From the Dharma the Buddhist teachings if you're in a hell realm or a hungry ghost realm animal realm You're likely not going to be hearing the Dharma let alone practicing it So when you are reborn in those realms due to your karma You're gonna be there until you burn off that unwholesome karma and this is a key Point about the cycle rebirth Samsara as well.

It is all in permanent realms So even let's say if I went to the hungry ghost realm I'm only there until that karma is burned off then I can be in another realm of rebirth so It doesn't mean oh wow,

That's just gonna be a short amount of time It could be a very long time in these realms of rebirth,

Which is another reason We don't want to find ourselves there,

But it allows you to know even something Like the hell realm it's not like the hell we might see in Christianity where you're there forever This is something that's impermanent as well again could be there for a long time,

But it is impermanent And so that gives us hope as well that even if we find ourselves in one of these lower realms We have the potential to go up into higher realms and eventually here to Dharma again and practice the Dharma But that is a key point the heavenly realm impermanent demigods realm impermanent human realm impermanent So our karma what we're doing right now makes a difference Again,

It's not going to be you who is going to be the one Being reborn in there because this belief in a permanent changing independent self is the illusion But our karma is what we have control over what that's what we can generate and what continues on Remember we are all connected by that that string of karma this mind stream this stream of consciousness You can think about it almost like,

You know plants in a garden.

There's seeds inside there,

Right?

What do you want there to grow weeds or something wholesome,

Right?

So that is what we're trying to do We're trying to control this karma to help us with the right realms of rebirth and for Buddhist again That is going to be the human realm or it's going to be the heavenly realm Because there is where we can hear the Dharma and practice the Dharma now all of this is Overwhelming if you think about it because we're talking about things that we can't scientifically or physically prove We don't have that we have the Buddha who explained this to us and he said Here's how the past lives work and rebirth works and all these different things,

But we're going on faith and so yes Buddhism does has faith and Trust and everything else in there with the Buddha as our teacher and also Buddhism Bodhisattvas as our teachers as well because they are showing us the path towards freedom liberation from this jail of Samsara and I think that's a key point for all Buddhists or aspiring Buddhists if that's what one of you right now This is something that you can control through the Buddhist path so even if Rebirth is a heavy topic for you and it is for a lot of Buddhists because we're trying to Intellectually understand rebirth and that's difficult.

We're trying to intellectually understand Samsara intellectually understand the penangrajna and karma All these different things and it's hard for us to do so we are going on faith and trust in these teachings But when we look at this with our heart in our minds as well We can see these are good things.

So even if you want to go for argument's sake rebirth doesn't exist Is there anything wrong with doing wholesome karmic actions generating good merit right thoughts deeds words?

Actions no,

Not at all.

So this is conducive and positive in many ways Even if for argument's sake rebirth doesn't exist but for Buddhists around the world these realms of rebirth and the rebirth is very much a part of the religion and is Very much a central focus of the religion.

So Again,

You don't have to go I believe in us from this one podcast episode But it is why we practice Buddhism because Buddhism and the Buddhist teachings is the liberating teachings from Samsara because Samsara and these realms inside there are Impermanent and the Buddha said all that is impermanent is Dukkha that suffering and satisfactoryness So the goal of Buddhist is to break the cycle to stop the cycle stop producing this unwholesome unskillful karma that's shackling them to the cycle of rebirth and That is what motivates And is in the minds when they practice these half billion beliefs around the world and I would implore you To give this a fresh.

Look you're not going to be maybe 100% convinced by this episode.

That's okay But you're able to get a taste of why Buddhists actually practice even for me in the beginning this was very hard to understand and Intellectually,

I still don't understand it and that's okay.

We are going on faith what the Buddha taught us and As I mentioned there's nothing bad about this because it's very wholesome actions that we're taking ultimately by following a Buddhist path so The cycle of rebirth sara karma dependent origination these realms of rebirth They may be things that you're trying to grasp and understand as a new Buddhist and we'll talk more about these in future episodes as well but it's something that does motivate Buddhist and I Wonder and I want to hear your feedback from you Does this motivate you as well?

What motivates you in Buddhism is your desire to be a Buddhist just to feel better?

Or is it because of this liberating teachings of the Buddha to break us?

Away from this cycle of rebirth stop these shackles that's really for me what drew me into Buddhism and Helped me understand several concepts was this idea of this liberating teachings the freedom That the Buddha taught and that freedom is from that karma That binds us into the cycle of rebirth,

Which is Dukkha Do you have any questions about rebirth in Buddhism,

Please send me a message from my website at onepedo.

Com Or on my social media and I look forward to talking with you in our next episode.

Thank you