Rebirth (Buddhism): Difference between revisions
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{{buddhism}} |
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{{Tibetan Buddhism}} |
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'''Rebirth''' in [[Buddhism]] is the [[doctrine]] that the evolving [[Consciousness (Buddhism)|consciousness]] (Pali: ''samvattanika-viññana'')<ref>"Post-Classical Developments in the Concepts of Karma and Rebirth in Theravada Buddhism." by Bruce Matthews. in ''Karma and Rebirth: Post-Classical Developments'' State Univ of New York Press: 1986 ISBN 0873959906 pg 125</ref><ref>Collins, Steven. ''Selfless persons: imagery and thought in Theravāda Buddhism'' Cambridge University Press, 1990. ISBN: 052139726X pg 215<sup>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ruJvjdNQVPIC&pg=RA1-PA115&lpg=RA1-PA115&dq=samvattanika&source=bl&ots=d_WluqzeuL&sig=SX1Ua5bfFDZJB16eOueopPtVntw&hl=en&ei=bfpFS5WzOs-UtgfU16z7AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&ved=0CD8Q6AEwDQ#v=onepage&q=samvattanika&f=false]</sup></ref> or stream of consciousness (Pali: ''viññana-sotam'',<ref>"Post-Classical Developments in the Concepts of Karma and Rebirth in Theravada Buddhism. by Bruce Matthews. in Karma and Rebirth: ''Post-Classical Developments'' State Univ of New York Press: 1986 ISBN 0873959906 pg 125</ref> Sanskrit: ''vijñāna-srotām, vijñāna-santāna'', or ''citta-santāna'') upon death (or "the dissolution of the aggregates" (P. ''khandha''s, S. ''[[skandha]]''s)), becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new aggregation. The consciousness in the new person is neither identical to nor entirely different from that in the deceased but the two form a causal continuum or stream. |
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In traditional [[Buddhist cosmology]] these lives can be in any of a large number of states of being including the human, any kind of animal and several types of supernatural being (see [[Six realms]]). Rebirth is conditioned by the [[Karma in Buddhism|karmas]] (actions of body, speech and mind) of previous lives; good karmas will yield a happier rebirth, bad karmas will produce one which is more unhappy. The basic cause for this is the abiding of consciousness in ignorance (Pali: ''avijja'', Sanskrit: ''[[avidya (Buddhism)|avidya]]''): when ignorance is uprooted, rebirth ceases. One of the analogies used to describe what happens then is that of a ray of light that never lands.<ref>Thanissaro Bhikkhu, [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html#n-9].</ref> |
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== Buddhist terminology and doctrine == |
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There is no word corresponding exactly to the English terms "rebirth", "metempsychosis", "transmigration" or "reincarnation" in the traditional Buddhist languages of [[Pāli]] and [[Sanskrit]]: the entire process of change from one life to the next is called ''punarbhava'' (Sanskrit) or ''punabbhava'' (Pāli), literally "becoming again", or more briefly ''[[bhava]]'', "becoming", while the state one is born into, the individual process of being born or coming into the world in any way, is referred to simply as "birth" (''[[Jati (Buddhism)|jāti]]''). The entire universal process that gives rise to this is called ''[[Samsara (Buddhism)|{{IAST|saṃsāra}}]]''. |
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The empirical, changing self does not only affect the world about it, it also generates, consciously and unconsciously, a subjective image of the world in which it lives as 'reality'. It "tunes in" to a particular level of consciousness which has a particular range of objects, selectively notices such objects and forms a partial model of reality in which the ego is the crucial reference point. In [[nibbana]] all such models are transcended and "the world stops" 'in this fathom-long carcase'.<ref>Peter Harvey, ''The Selfless Mind.'' Curzon Press 1995, page 247.</ref> |
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== Historical context == |
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The Buddha lived at a time of great philosophical creativity in India when many conceptions of the nature of life and death were proposed. Some were materialist, holding that there was no existence that the self is annihilated upon death. Others believed in a form of cyclic existence, where a being is born, lives, dies and then is re-born, but in the context of a type of [[determinism]] or [[fatalism]] in which karma played no role. Others were "eternalists", postulating an eternally existent self or soul comparable to that in Judaic monotheism: the ātman survives death andreincarnates as another living being, based on its [[Karma|karmic]] inheritance. This is the idea that has become dominant (with certain modifications) in modern [[Hinduism]]. |
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The Buddha's concept was distinct, consistent with the common notion of a sequence of lives over a very long time but constrained by two core concepts: that there is no irreducible self tying these lives together (''[[Anatman|anattā]]'') and that all compounded things are subject to dissolution, including all the components of the human person and personality (''[[Impermanence|anicca]]''). The story of the Buddha's life presented in the early texts does not allude to the idea of rebirth prior to his enlightenment, leading some to suggest that he discovered it for himself.<ref>Arvind Sharma's review of [[Hajime Nakamura]]'s ''A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy'', Philosophy East and West, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Jul., 1987), page 330.</ref> The Buddha's detailed conception of the connections between action ([[Karma in Buddhism|karma]]), rebirth and causality is set out in the [[Twelve Nidanas|twelve links]] of [[Pratitya-samutpada|dependent origination]]. |
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== Ideas of rebirth == |
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There are many references to rebirth in the early Buddhist scriptures. These are some of the more important; Mahakammavibhanga Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 136); Upali Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 56); Kukkuravatika Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 57); Moliyasivaka Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya 36.21); Sankha Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya 42.8). |
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Some English-speaking Buddhists prefer the term "rebirth" or "re-becoming" (Sanskrit: ''punarbhava''; [[Pali]]: ''punabbhava'') to "[[reincarnation]]" as they take the latter to imply a fixed entity that is reborn.<ref>"Reincarnation in Buddhism: What the Buddha Didn't Teach" By Barbara O'Brien, About.com<sup>[http://buddhism.about.com/od/karmaandrebirth/a/reincarnation.htm</sup>]</ref> It is said to be the "evolving [[Consciousness (Buddhism)|consciousness]]" (Pali: ''samvattanika viññana,'' [[Majjhima Nikaya|M]].1.256)<ref>"Post-Classical Developments in the Concepts of Karma and Rebirth in Theravada Buddhism." by Bruce Matthews. in ''Karma and Rebirth: Post-Classical Developments'' State Univ of New York Press: 1986 ISBN 0873959906 pg 125[http://books.google.com/books?id=iaRWtgXjplQC&pg=PA126&dq=Bija+Niyama&lr=#PPA125,M1]</ref><ref>Collins, Steven. ''Selfless persons: imagery and thought in Theravāda Buddhism'' Cambridge University Press, 1990. ISBN: 052139726X pg 215<sup>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ruJvjdNQVPIC&pg=RA1-PA115&lpg=RA1-PA115&dq=samvattanika&source=bl&ots=d_WluqzeuL&sig=SX1Ua5bfFDZJB16eOueopPtVntw&hl=en&ei=bfpFS5WzOs-UtgfU16z7AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&ved=0CD8Q6AEwDQ#v=onepage&q=samvattanika&f=false]</sup></ref> or "[[Stream of consciousness (psychology)#Buddhism|stream of consciousness]]" (Pali: ''viññana sotam'', [[Digha Nikaya|D]].3.105).<ref>"Post-Classical Developments in the Concepts of Karma and Rebirth in Theravada Buddhism. by Bruce Matthews. in Karma and Rebirth: ''Post-Classical Developments'' State Univ of New York Press: 1986 ISBN 0873959906 pg 125[http://books.google.com/books?id=iaRWtgXjplQC&pg=PA126&dq=Bija+Niyama&lr=#PPA125,M1]</ref> that reincarnates. The early Buddhist texts make it clear that there is no permanent consciousness that moves from life to life.<ref>For an explicit rejection of this view in the early texts see David J. Kalupahana, ''Causality--the central philosophy of Buddhism.'' University Press of Hawaii, 1975, page 119.</ref> The lack of a fixed self does not mean lack of continuity. In the same way that a flame is transferred from one candle to another,there is a [[pratitya-samutpada|conditioned relationship]] between one life and the next: they are neither identical nor completely distinct. |
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While all Buddhist traditions seem to accept some notion of rebirth, there is no unified view about precisely how events unfold after the moment of death. The medieval Pali scholar [[Buddhaghosa]] labeled the consciousness that constitutes the condition for a new birth as described in the early texts "rebirth-linking consciousness" (''patisandhi''). Some schools conclude that [[karma]] continued to exist and adhere to the person until it had worked out its consequences. For the [[Sautrantika]] school each act "perfumed" the individual and led to the planting of a "seed" that would later germinate as a good or bad karmic result. [[Theravada]] Buddhism generally asserts that rebirth is immediate while the [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan]] schools hold to the notion of a [[bardo]] (intermediate state) that can last up to forty-nine days. This has led to the development of a unique 'science' of death and rebirth, a good deal of which is set down in what is popularly known as ''[[Bardo Thodol|The Tibetan Book of the Dead]]''. |
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Theravada Buddhism generally denies there is an intermediate state, though some early Buddhist texts seem to support it.<ref>Macmillan ''Encyclopedia of Buddhism''. Vol. 1, p. 377</ref><ref>The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Translator. Wisdom Publications.</ref> One school that adopted this view was the [[Sarvastivada]], who believed that between death and rebirth there is a sort of limbo in which beings do not yet reap the consequences of their previous actions but may still influence their rebirth. The death process and this intermediate state were believed to offer a uniquely favourable opportunity for spiritual awakening. |
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=== Rebirth as cycle of consciousness === |
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Another view of describes the cycle of death and birth in the context of consciousness rather than the birth and death of the body. In this view, remaining impure aggregates, [[skandhas]], reform consciousness. |
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Buddhist [[meditation]] teachers suggest that observation reveals consciousness as a sequence of conscious moments rather than a continuum of awareness. Each moment is an experience of an individual mind-state such as a thought, a memory, a feeling or a perception. A mind-state arises, exists and, being impermanent, ceases, following which the next mind-state arises. Thus the consciousness of a sentient being can be seen as a continuous series of birth and death of these mind-states. Rebirth is the persistence of this process. |
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In the practice of [[Vipassana]] meditation, the meditator uses "bare attention" to observe the endless round of mind-states without interfering, owning or judging. This limits the power of desire which, according to the second noble truth of Buddhism, is the cause of suffering (''dukkha'') and leads to ''[[Nirvana]]'' (''[[nibbana]]'', vanishing (of the self-idea)). |
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== Notes == |
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{{reflist|1}} |
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== Commentaries == |
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*Steven Collins, ''Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism'', Cambridge, 1982. ISBN 0-521-39726-X |
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*Peter Harvey, ''The Selfless Mind: Personality, Consciousness and Nirvana in Early Buddhism'', Curzon, 1995. ISBN 0-7007-0338-1 |
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*Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, ''Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully: The Profound Practice of Transference of Consciousness'', Tharpa, 1999. ISBN 81-7822-058-X |
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*[[Glenn H. Mullin]], ''Death and Dying: The Tibetan Tradition'', Arkana, 1986. ISBN 0-14-019013-9. |
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*Mullin, Glenn, H. (1998). ''Living in the Face of Death: The Tibetan Tradition''. 2008 reprint: Snow Lion Publications, Ithica, New York. ISBN 978-1-55939-310-2. |
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*Vicki MacKenzie, ''Reborn in the West'', HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0-7225-3443-4 |
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*Tom Shroder, ''Old Souls: Scientific Search for Proof of Past Lives'', Simon and Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0-684-85193-8 |
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*Francis Story, ''Rebirth as Doctrine and Experience: Essays and Case Studies'', Buddhist Publication Society, 1975. ISBN 955-24-0176-3 |
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*Robert A.F. Thurman (trans.), ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Liberation Through Understanding in the Between'', HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN 1-85538-412-4 |
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*Martin Willson, ''Rebirth and the Western Buddhist'', Wisdom Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-86171-215-3 |
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*Nagapriya, ''Exploring Karma and Rebirth'', Windhorse Publications, Birmingham 2004. ISBN 1-899579-61-3 |
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== External links == |
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* [http://www.buddhistethics.org/1/king1.html A Buddhist Ethic Without Karmic Rebirth?] |
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* [http://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_06.html Dhamma Without Rebirth?] |
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* [http://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_46.html Does Rebirth Make Sense?] |
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*[http://www.ahandfulofleaves.com/magga/Paticcasamuppada.htm Causal Relationship] An analysis of {{IAST|Paṭiccasamuppāda}} in the Nikāyas |
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=== Sources that identify rebirth with reincarnation === |
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* [http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda05.htm BuddhaNet] |
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{{Buddhism topics}} |
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[[Category:Buddhist philosophical concepts]] |
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[[Category:Buddhist terms]] |
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[[cs:Znovuzrozování]] |
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[[de:Wiedergeburt (Buddhismus)]] |
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[[es:Renacimiento (budismo)]] |
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[[fa:باززایی (آیین بودایی)]] |
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[[fr:Punarbhava]] |
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[[ms:Kelahiran semula]] |
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[[nl:Wedergeboorte (boeddhisme)]] |
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[[no:Gjenfødelse]] |
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[[pt:Renascimento (budismo)]] |
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Revision as of 23:24, 2 May 2010
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