(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Religion 101: Reincarnation and Asian religions [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-09-22 Reincarnation is a concept which is tolerated by some religious traditions, strongly embraced by others, and vehemently denied as a form of blasphemy by a few. The concept of reincarnation is fairly simple: the non-material essence, sometimes called a soul, continues after the physical death of the body and is reborn in another body. In his book The Handy Religion Answer Book, John Renard explains the concept of reincarnation this way: “At death, each living being’s soul is recycled, eventually becoming re-embodied in some other life form.” In his entry on reincarnation in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief, R. Joseph Hoffmann writes: “At the most basic level, the belief involves speculation about a non-material essence or ‘soul’ which survives the body at death and which may be reincarnated or reborn in plant or animal life, or in the form of other human beings.” Reincarnation is sometimes called transmigration or metempsychosis. Thomas Williams, in an article in Skeptic, describes it this way: “When you die, your spirit, your soul continues to live. You pass on to another body, another world, another life.” Jainism One of the oldest religions in India is Jainism, whose current form dates back to the sixth century BCE. Unlike the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Jainism is not based on the worship of a creator god but on the teachings of 24 tirthankaras (spiritual teachers) who conquered the cycle of death and rebirth. In Jainism, salvation is freeing the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth. In his book A Little History of Religion, Richard Holloway writes: “The word Jainism comes from a Sanskrit verb meaning to conquer. It refers to the battle Jains wage against their own nature to reach the enlightenment that brings salvation.” The goal of Jainism is to free the soul from the cycle of reincarnation or transmigration. In an article in Smithsonian, Maura Moynihan writes: “Jainism, whose origins lie in Indian prehistory, teaches that all souls are bound by karma, which is accumulated by deeds good or bad. Freeing one’s soul from the cycle of reincarnation is the supreme goal, and it can only be achieved through strict discipline, renunciation of the material world and understanding how to purify karma.” In his book Religions, Philip Wilkinson reports: “Like the followers of other Indian religions, Jains believe life is a series of deaths and rebirths, and that a person’s actions throughout life attract karma (a spiritual credit and debit system), which influences the way in which a person is reborn after death.” To free themselves from reincarnation, some Jain clergy fast until they die, believing that this act will free them from the cycle. Hinduism Hinduism is the largest religion in India and can be baffling to outsiders with its array of temples, ceremonies, and gods. One of the basic unifying beliefs of Hinduism is the concept of transmigration. In his book A Profile of Primitive Culture, Elman Service reports: “Transmigration and multiple rebirths are firm beliefs among the Hindus—life is a never-ended process of linked existences. A person who behaves ethically will go to heaven or become reborn into a family of high caste. Persons who behave badly will go to hell or be reborn into a lower caste, or, if their actions were quite reprehensible, into one of the lower animal species.” According to Hindu beliefs, the soul is kept prisoner in the body. In his book God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter, Stephen Prothero reports: “As long as we inhabit flesh and bones, we are destined to suffer. Yet death offers no release either because, after we die, we will be reborn in other bodies and repeat again and again the sorrowful cycles of life, death, and rebirth.” In his book Religions, Philip Wilkinson explains the Hindu worldview this way: “Hindus believe that life consists of a continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This cycle is governed by the doctrine of karma, which asserts that a good life will be rewarded with a favorable reincarnation, whereas a life of sinfulness, selfishness, or indulgence will lead to reincarnation as a lower being in the next life.” Writing about a Hindu Indian village in his ethnography Gopalpur: A South Indian Village, Alan Beals describes the villagers’ concept of reincarnation this way: “People who lead good lives are reborn as men. If their previous lives were very good, they become great kings and sit on thrones. A really perfect man can be considered to be an earthly reincarnation of one of the gods.” This suggests that men are favored over women. Alan Beals also reports: “One’s birth as a god or man or animal is determined by one’s behavior.” Buddhism About 2,500 years ago, Buddhism developed in northern India as a rebellion against the Hindu caste system. It is based on the teachings of Siddartha Gautama, who was later given the title Buddha—the “awakened one” or “enlightened one.” Like Jainism and Hinduism, reincarnation is part of the core teachings of Buddhism. R. Joseph Hoffmann writes: “Belief in spiritual rebirth has been an integral part of Buddhism as well, although the imagery and vocabulary used in the Buddhist tradition differs somewhat from the Hindu system.” R. Joseph Hoffmann also writes: “In Buddhist speculation, each individual is born with characteristics from a variety of past lives and other karmic sources, in the same way a new house might be assembled from the wreckage of many houses.” The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to obtain freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Sikhism One of the more recent religions in India is Sikhism which traces its origins to 1499 when Guru Nanak had a mystical experience. Sikhism emerged in the Punjab, a region of Hindus and Muslims. A monotheist religion, Sikhs see reincarnation as a process involving both karma—the process of moral cause and effect that directs rebirth—and their god. Philip Wilkinson writes: “In Sikh belief, living a good life is important in the process of favorable rebirth, but how we are reborn cannot be entirely in our own hands. God is so great that it is only through his will that a person can achieve a positive rebirth or reach the state of bliss.” Zoroastrianism There are some references to reincarnation found in Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion which originated in Persia (modern day Iran) in the seventh century BCE and which had an influence on the Abrahamic religions. More about religion Religion 101: Reincarnation and the Abrahamic Religions Religion 101: Ghosts in Different Cultures Religion 101: The Idea of an Afterlife Religion 101: Heaven and Hell in the Abrahamic Traditions Religion 102: Ancestor Worship in China Religion 101: Zoroaster's Vision Religion 101: Confucianism Religion 101: Buddhist Icons (Photo Diary) [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/22/2271477/-Religion-101-Reincarnation-and-Asian-religions?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/