Reincarnation or Rebirth

Rebirth refers to a one's mind taking one body after another upon death. Our mind refers to all of our formless emotional and cognitive experiences.

While we are alive, the body and mind are linked, but at death they separate. The body becomes a corpse, and the mind continues on to take another body. To emphasis the continuity of consciousness, we use the word "mindstream" to refer to our mind. Each person has a separate mind or mindstream.

Our Past Lives
Our minds being obscured by Ignorance finds it difficult to remember the past. Also, many changes occur in our body and mind as we die and are reborn, making recollection difficult.

Not remembering something does not mean that it does not exist–we sometimes cannot even remember where we parked our car! However, some people can remember their past lives in meditation or through hypnosis.

No beginning
Our Mind, that carries over from life to life has no beginning–its continuity is infinite.

Each moment of our Mind is a continuation of the previous moment. Who we are and what we think and feel depends on who we were yesterday. Our present mind is a continuation of the past mind. One moment of our Mind was caused by the previous moment of our Mind. This continuity can be traced back to childhood and even to when we were a fetus in our Mother's womb. Even before the time of conception, our mindstream existed in another body.

Reasons that causes Rebirth
Although all sentient beings have the Buddha nature or Buddha potential, their minds are clouded by Ignorance since beginning-less time. From Ignorance springs Craving and Aversion, which cause us to continually crave for life and its illusory pleasures while hating death and other displeasures. Each moment of Ignorance was produced from the preceding moment without a beginning. Although Ignorance has no beginning, it can be eradicated through the attainment of Wisdom in Enlightenment.

Is Being Reborn Good?
The idea of rebirth can be very comforting as it offers chances to amend the mistakes you have made in this life and time to further develop the skills and abilities you have nurtured in this life.

If we fail to attain Enlightenment in this life, you will have the opportunity to try again next time. If you have made mistakes in this life, you will be able to learn from your mistakes. Things you were unable to do or achieve in this life may well become possible in the next life.

Ultimately, the aim of the Buddhist is to end the wheel of rebirth–to be released from the cycle of birth and death. Out of Compassion, one who is released can also help to show others the path to liberation.

Factors that decides how I'm Reborn
The most important factor influencing where we will be reborn and what sort of life we shall have is Karma–our intentional physical and mental actions.

What we are is determined very much by how we have thought and acted in the past. Likewise, how we think and act now will influence how we will be in the future. A gentle loving person tends to be reborn in a heaven realm or as a human being who has a predominance of pleasant experiences. The anxious, worried or extremely cruel person tends to be reborn in a hell realm or as a human who has a predominance of painful experiences. The person who develops obsessive craving, fierce longings, and burning ambitions that can never be satisfied tends to be reborn as a hungry ghost or as a human being frustrated by longing and wanting. Whatever mental habits are strongly developed in this life will continue in the next life.

What Does Rebirth Explain?
Karma and rebirth together explain many "unsolved" mysteries:

1.The inequality of Mankind and their experiences (Even twins are different in character)

2.Talents of geniuses and child prodigies

3.Spontaneous arising of instinctive likes and dislikes in infants.

4.Intellectual differences between parents and their children.

5.Sudden outbursts of emotion and changes in character.

6.Untimely death and unexpected changes in fortune.

Can I Decide Where I'm Reborn?
Yes–that is why one of the steps on the Noble Eightfold Path is Perfect Effort. It depends on our sincerity, how much energy we exert and how strong the habit is. Some people simply go through life under the influence of their past habits, without making an effort to change them and falling victim to these unpleasant results. Such people will continue to suffer unless they change their negative habits. The longer the negative habits remain, the more difficult they are to change.

The Buddhist understands this and takes advantage of each and every opportunity to break mental habits that have unpleasant results and to develop mental habits that have a pleasant and happy result.

Meditation is one of the techniques used to modify the habit patterns of the Mind as does speaking or refraining to speaking, acting or refraining to act in certain ways.

The whole of the Buddhist life is a training to purify and free the mind.

Rebirth
The Buddha remembered his past lives. Even today there are monks, nuns and others who can remember their previous existences. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation and mental training. For those who can recall their past lives, the idea of rebirth becomes an established fact whish puts this present life in a meaningful perspective.

The law of karma can only be fully understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because sometimes it takes this long for karma to bear its fruit.

Rebirth is not merely limited to the human realm. The Buddha taught that the realm of human beings is but one among many. In addition there are the realms of heavens, hells, animals and ghosts. Depending on the karma one has accumulated, one may be reborn in any of these. Understanding this brings up a sense of empathy and respect for the lives of all beings.

Because no realm is permanent, the repetitive cycle of birth and death and the wandering from realm to realm is inherently unsatisfying. Eventually one seeks a way out. By following the Noble Eightfold Path to its culmination of enlightenment, the process of rebirth ceases completely.

Karma
Karma means action. It refers to the intentional deeds we do with our body, speech and mind through action, talking and thinking. Karma is the law that every willed deed, given the conditions, produces a certain effect. How does Karma Work?

All deeds leave imprints or seeds on our consciousness, which ripen into our experiences when the appropriate conditions come together. For example, if we help someone with a kind heart, this action leaves an imprint on our mindstream. When conditions are suitable, this imprint will ripen in our receiving of help when we need it.

Karmic seeds continue with us from lifetime to lifetime. However, if we do not create the cause or Karma for something, we won't experience that result. If one doesn't plant a certain seed, that plant will not grow.
According to the seed that is sown, So is the fruit you reap. The doer of good will gather good result, The doer of evil reaps evil result. If you plant a good seed well, Then you will enjoy the good fruits. The Effects of Karma.

Karma affects our future rebirths and influences what we experience during our lives: how others treat us, our wealth, social status etc. Karma also affects our personality and character: our talents, strong personality traits and habits. The kind of environment we are born into is also influenced by Karma.

We are according to what we have done. We will be according to what we do.

Different kinds of Karma
If an action brings pain and misery in the long term for oneself and others, it is unwholesome or negative Karma. And if it brings happiness, it is wholesome or positive Karma. Actions aren't inherently good or bad - they are only so according to the results they bring. Whatever happiness and fortune we experience in our lives comes from our own positive actions, while our problems result from our own negative actions.

You are responsible for everything. There is no one that decides the "rewards and punishments" for what we do. We create the causes of our actions, and we experience their results. We are responsible for our own experience. The Buddha discovered the law of Karma- He did not create it. By teaching us the law of Karma, the Buddha shows us how to work within the functioning of cause and effect in order to experience happiness and avoid pain.

Is Everything Subject to Karma?
The law of Karma does not apply to "mindless" actions such as walking, sitting or sleeping. Such actions do not produce effects apart from the actions themselves. However, Karma applies to the thoughts the person is thinking when he is doing them. Similarly, accidents are considered neutral action (Karma) because they are unintentional. However, we should always work towards increasing our mindfulness so that accidents will not occur.

When we see dishonest people who are wealthy, or cruel people who are powerful, or kind people who die young, we may doubt the law of Karma. But many of the results we experience in this life are the results of actions in previous lives, and many of the actions we do in this life will only ripen in future lives- this is called long-term Karma. (Short-term Karma is that which show results within a short term of time.)

The wealth of dishonest people is the result of their generosity in past lives. Their current dishonesty is however, leaving karmic seeds for them to be cheated and to experience poverty in future lives. Likewise, the respect and authority given to cruel people is due to positive actions they did in the past. In the present, they are abusing their power, thus creating the cause for future pain. Those who die young are experiencing the result of negative actions such as killing done in past lives. However, their present kindness is planting seeds or imprints on their mindstreams for them to experience happiness in the future.

Ways to purify Negative Karma
Purification is very important as it prevents future suffering and relieves guilt. By purifying our minds, we are able to be more peaceful and understand the Dharma better.

The four opponent powers used to purify negative imprints or seeds are:

1.Regret
2.Determination Not to Repeat the Action
3.Taking the Threefold Refuge and Generating Compassion towards Others
4.Actual Remedial Practice (Any Positive Action- including Meditation and Chanting)

The four opponent powers must be done repeatedly. As we have done many negative actions, we cannot, expect to counteract all of them at once. The stronger the four opponents powers are, the firmer our determination not to repeat the action and the more powerful the purification will be.

Does Karma Influence Whom We Meet?
Yes–but this does not mean that relationships are pre-determined. We may have certain karmic predispositions to feel close to or to have friction with certain people. But, this does not mean that our relationships with them must continue along the same lines. If we are kind to those who speak ill of us and try to communicate with them, the relationships will change - creating positive Karma that will bring happiness in the future.

We are not karmically bound to others- there are no special people who are the one and only one for us. Since we had many past lives, we have had contact with every being sometime before. Our relationship with any particular person also changes constantly. However, past karmic connections can influence our present relationships. For example, if someone has been our spiritual mentor in a past life, we may be drawn to that person in this lifetime, and when he or she teaches us the Dharma, it may have a very strong effect on us.

If Others Suffer Due out of Negative Karma, Can We Help Them?
We know what it is like to feel miserable, and that is exactly how others feel when they are experiencing the results of their own destructive actions. Out of empathy and compassion, we should definitely help! Though others created the causes to experience their difficulties, maybe they also created the cause to receive help from us! We are all alike in wanting happiness and trying to avoid pain. It does not matter whose pain or problem it is–we should try to relieve it.

For example, to think, "The poor are poor because of their own past lives' miserliness. I would be interfering with their karma if I tried to help" is a cruel misconception. We should never rationalize our own laziness, apathy or smugness by misinterpreting cause and effect. Compassion and universal responsibility are important for our own spiritual development and for world peace. Karma can be changed from you. Karma is not inflexibly fixed–it does not mean fate or pre-determination. Intentional actions will at some time or other produce their effects under certain conditions. Though people in their present lives are experiencing the effects of their past actions (Karma), it is possible to change or reduce the effects of these past actions through present actions, which affect the immediate future and future lives. Understanding the law of Karma helps one realize that we are whatever we make ourselves to be. Our are entirely responsible for our destiny.

The Law of Karma
The Buddha said, "Monks, karma is intention." According to the natural law of karma (or karma), there are inescapable results of our intentional actions. Certain acts, things said or thought will lead to hurting others or harming oneself if the intention behind them is unwholesome. This 'bad karma is motivated by selfish desire, anger or delusion. Because the result is unpleasant and painful, wise people don't follow impure intentions. Similarly there are actions, speech and thoughts which stem from wholesome intentions. This good karma leads to well-being of oneself and others. Motivated by generosity, compassion, clarity of understanding and other positive states of mind, wise people cultivate and follow up on their pure intentions.

Much, though not all, of what one experiences is the result of one's previous karma. So when one finds oneself in an unpleasant situation, rather than projecting blame on others one can examine one's own past conduct and take responsibility for the causes that lead up to the situation. Likewise when one is feeling happy, instead of taking it for granted one looks to understand the previous causes and conditions that brought it about. Understanding how happiness originates encourages further good karma. The Buddha pointed out that no being, divine or not, has the power to stop the consequences of good or bad karma. One reaps exactly what one sows. So if you want to be wealthy, then be generous, hard-working and trustworthy. If you want to go to heaven, be virtuous, be kind and meditate. If you want to be enlightened, develop insight based on deep peace of mind.

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