| Human beings go through an interesting process when | | | | which is constructed by a combination of your body, |
| reincarnating, a process that unless explained would | | | | feelings, memory, thoughts and consciousness. This |
| probably go unnoticed. This article will explain the steps. | | | | illusionary "I" thought then seems to be the one who is |
| All major religions recognize reincarnation. This | | | | doing the grasping, thinking about how to own or |
| especially true with Eastern religions. However | | | | disown the object of contact creating the attachments |
| Christianity, Islam, and Judaism incorporate | | | | or the aversions to what is sensed and contacted. |
| Reincarnation into their belief systems as well. | | | | This illusory ego then conditions the idea of "becoming;" |
| Many contemporary, Gnostic, and Esoteric Christians | | | | seeing oneself moving in time as a person and |
| believe in reincarnation, and the transmigration of souls | | | | becoming this or that, projecting one's "I" thought into |
| was a common belief until a few hundred years after | | | | the future based on the "I" thought's past. |
| Christ when the church fathers decided that the | | | | This skewed perception of reality with a fictitious "I" |
| church would no longer believe in reincarnation. We | | | | thought then conditions volition or action - karma - |
| could speculate that the church wanted people to | | | | which again conditions reincarnation as birth. Birth then |
| believe that they had only one shot to salvation (this | | | | inevitably leads to old age and death, and ther cycle |
| lifetime) and therefore all of their attention and | | | | continues forever until broken. |
| donations should be zealously directed toward the | | | | The cycle can be broken at any step, but great |
| church! | | | | wisdom and insight must be involved because the past |
| The Kabbalah followers of Judaism support | | | | karma of so many lifetimes in the past is very strong. |
| reincarnation, although most Jews for the last 500 | | | | And also, the perception that reincarnation is a good |
| years or so do not openly discuss it, probably for | | | | thing lacks the wisdom of seeing life as it is, fraught |
| similar reasons as above. | | | | with uncertainties and physical and mental pain, |
| In Islam, the concept of Dawriyyah (cycles) has many | | | | especially the pain of old age and separation from life |
| points in common with reincarnation, claiming that the | | | | again and again. |
| concept is mentioned in the Quran, and Sufism, the | | | | The Buddhist concept of reincarnation is called "rebirth," |
| deeper aspect of Islam which points to Sufi mystics: | | | | primarily because Buddhists, in their meditation, see no |
| "I died as mineral and became a plant, | | | | unchanging entity moving through time - no soul, self or |
| I died as plant and rose to animal, | | | | spirit. Only cause and effect that conditions the next |
| I died as animal and I was man. | | | | rebirth, based on the volition or actions of mind in past |
| Why should I fear? | | | | existences. Buddhists also see rebirth happening not |
| When was I less by dying?" | | | | only in the human realm, but many other worlds where |
| (Rumi ) | | | | their karma or actions of beings take on various forms |
| But what puts reincarnation into motion? | | | | consisting of material, fine material, and non-material |
| The first step to reincarnation is a strong attachment | | | | existences. The ending of being reborn is called |
| to life, particularly "our" life. We believe that we (our | | | | Nirvana in Buddhism, freedom from existence. |
| personality) will live eternally, in one form or another, in | | | | The first step to rebirth is death! We have to die to |
| one realm or another. This is an illusion based on a | | | | change clothes, so to speak. Therefore death is not to |
| fabricated ego that is constructed by mind. It is this | | | | be feared, just a new body, identity, and mind. And |
| "illusion," which is called confusion regarding the truth of | | | | underlying that new mind is all of our accumulated |
| matters, that begins the process of reincarnation. | | | | tendencies from countless lifetimes before. This is |
| While we are still alive and confused in this manner | | | | called our karma. |
| regarding the truth of what we really are - believing in | | | | The transference of this karma, in part our unsatisfied |
| a sense of ego or the "I" thought - we base our | | | | desires, involves rebirth in a vehicle that can satisfy our |
| actions upon this misconception, and these actions | | | | desires. Lets say for example we love to fornicate, |
| form certain confused habit patterns as well. This is | | | | that's the extent of our understanding, then we might |
| called karma, or our actions and volition. | | | | be reborn an animal where there would be no |
| When we die, the spiritual power of this confused | | | | restrictions! |
| action or volition - karma - this strong belief in a self or | | | | Or, let's say that you have reached deep stages of |
| ego, seeks another form in which to again play out this | | | | concentration and absorption in meditation, then your |
| illusion. A "rebirth consciousness" is therefore | | | | destiny would be in line with the experiences of that |
| conditioned and immediately follows the death | | | | unbelievable peace, and probably in a non-material |
| consciousness. | | | | body. |
| This rebirth consciousness seeks refuge in a womb (if | | | | Or perhaps you are a very gentle, loving person; |
| it's a human reincarnation - and there are many | | | | unselfish and concerned with others welfare, then you |
| different types in many different realms), and | | | | will very likely end up in a sensory heaven realm. But |
| conditions a new mind and body. | | | | none of the realms or existences are permanent, just |
| The mind and body necessarily leads to the six | | | | like this lifetime is not permanent. And you can look |
| senses, which require stimulation, and this leads to | | | | forward to many more lifetimes in many different kinds |
| contact with the world. | | | | of realms, depending upon your level of achievement in |
| When the senses contact the world, a feeling comes | | | | understanding the way things are is whatever realm |
| up regarding what we contact. Either we like what we | | | | you find yourself in. |
| see, hear, taste, smell, feel, or think, and attach to it, or | | | | So make the most of this lifetime. Rather than be |
| we dislike it and try to get rid of it. Or maybe we are | | | | complacent and relax into some weak finality of |
| neutral to it. One of three feelings. This feeling then | | | | comfortable beliefs, dig deeper. Ask questions. The |
| leads to grasping or desire to either love the object or | | | | deeper you go, the more interesting will be the next |
| hate it. | | | | lifetime. And although the next lifetime will not be lived |
| This grasping then leads to the architect of | | | | by "you," it will sure seem familiar! |
| reincarnation - the "I" thought or omnipotent watcher, | | | | |