The problem of Rebirth: Belief versus Reality, an overview (original) (raw)
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Christian Philosophical Reflection on Rebirth: Bring This Discussion Into Our Classroom
Aletheia Christian Educators Journal
There are only three major competing theories regarding life after death. Atheism holds the theory that life ends at one’s death. Another theory is the reincarnation view held by most people on this planet. Rebirth is often grouped as part of the reincarnation view. The last theory, held by Judeo-Christian and Islam religions, is the resurrection, often called the heaven and hell view. Proponents of each theory attack other theories, and debates have become common in social media, often confusing students. There is a significant need for Christian educators to equip themselves before preparing students to learn comparative religions. Teachers must be well-versed in answering objections to the Christian faith. This paper helps teachers understand the reincarnation theory, emphasizing the rebirth view and showing why the theory is attractive. It then gives philosophical responses based on the Christian worldview. The paper concludes with two short pieces of advice for Christian educ...
Rebirth: The Shaky Foundation of the Four Noble Truths
This article demonstrates that the very foundation of the Four Noble Truths presupposes the reality of rebirth, of samsara, along with karma. Without the assumption that rebirth occurs the whole edifice of the Four Noble Truths crumbles. I also observe that the doctrine of rebirth is by its very nature dehumanising and compare and contrast this with the humanising truths of the gospel message.
Rebirth According to the Bhagavad gıta; Epistemology, Ontology and Ethics
This paper is engaged with the topic of reincarnation in the Bhagavad g¯ ıt¯ a, better termed " rebirth ". It first looks into the epistemological aspects of rebirth, and highlights the type of knowledge or terminology underlying the vision of rebirth, as opposed to a different type of knowledge that is not suitable for this purpose, and which leads to a different vision of reality. It then looks into the ontological aspects of rebirth, and having highlighted some Upanis. adic sources, it highlights major Bhagavad g¯ ıt¯ a sections describing the soul and rebirth. Finally, it looks into the ethics derived from the concept of rebirth; it first characterizes these as " ethics of equanimity " , and then expands these into the " ethics of enlightened action " , which refer to action grounded in the idea of rebirth.
Rebirth or Reincarnation, 2021
A lot of people are wary of any discussion regarding rebirth or reincarnation. For many, particularly those born into any of the Western cultures, the subject is avoided. Some of this reluctance is due to the fact that both rebirth and reincarnation are misunderstood, particularly regarding the difference between the two. However, the wariness also stems from cultural biases and religious superstitions. When the teachings of the Buddha were introduced to the West, rebirth became the most difficult concept to comprehend. This is because, up to the time Buddha's teachings were introduced, the foundations for the Western world view developed not in the Eastern countries, but in ancient Greece and Rome. These world views, which were both materialistic and superstitious, became ingrained and woven into the fabric of Western religions and philosophy. These did not contain anything bordering on the concept of repeated rebirth. This resulting void of understanding of the Buddha's teaching of rebirth rests in the fact that most Western cultures hold such teachings (concepts) to be merely myth.
A Critical Response to the Question “Did the Buddha Teach Rebirth?”
Jurnal Pencerahan
The theory of rebirth is widely accepted in Indian philosophy and it is mostly connected with the soul which keeps moving from one life to another life. Since the Buddha rejects the concept of the eternal soul by presenting Anatta theory, many questions are risen whether the Buddha teaches rebirth. Some people assume that the Buddha accepts the doctrine of rebirth because it is popular in pre-Buddhist traditions. This present research purpose is to give a critical explanation of the question of whether the Buddha teaches rebirth. This research is carried out with a library approach by collecting information from canonical texts as well as their commentaries. This research results from a comprehensive explanation of rebirth taught by the Buddha which is very unique and different from the theory of rebirth explained by other Indian traditions. The theory of rebirth (punabbhava) taught by the Buddha neither has an association with any external authority such as Brahma, Jagadātma, or Go...
Perspectives on Reincarnation: Hindu, Christian, and Scientific (January 2019, MDPI)
Religions, MDPI, 2019
A volume of essays on the topic of rebirth, or reincarnation, which explore this topic from theological, philosophical, historical, and literary perspectives, with a primary focus on Hindu, Christian, and scientific claims about this topic.
Research Notes on Rebirth in Mainstream Buddhism: Beliefs, Models, and Proofs
2020
Faith […] refers to the firm conviction (abhisampratyaya), the serene acceptance (prasāda) 3 of the mind, the [sincere] aspiration (abhilāṣa) [directed] at the [law of] act (karman) and fruition (phala), the [four Noble] Truths (satya), and the [three] Jewels (ratna). 1 I have nothing against New Age approaches and re-interpretations of Buddhist philosophy in a modern key. On the contrary! I think they should be as bold and creative as they choose to be. Such creativity is not only in tune with the paradigm of our times but also helps Buddhism develop as a living system of ideas and practices. What I feel rather objectionable is that (quite?) a few modernising approaches present themselves as faithful reflections of the traditional Buddhist doctrines and practices. Boldness should, I believe, be also directed at the admission that our modern adaptations, or at least part of them, may depart from the historically attested corpus of teachings and praxis. 2 For Sthiramati's dating, see Deleanu 2019, 19-22. 3 Skt. prasāda can also be translated as 'clear acceptance'.
The Reality and the Verifiability of Reincarnation
We investigate the topic of reincarnation by revisiting a recent debate from the pages of the journal Philosophy East and West between Whitley Kaufman, who presents five moral objections to karma and reincarnation as an explanation for human suffering, and Monima Chadha and Nick Trakakis, who seek to respond to Kaufman's critiques. Our discussion of four of the problems analysed in their exchange will suggest that while the rejoinders of Chadha and Trakakis to Kaufman consist of plausible logical possibilities which successfully rebut some of his criticisms, the scenarios that they sketch are grounded in specific metaphysical theses about the nature of the human person and the structure of reality. The cogency of the responses that Chadha and Trakakis formulate is integrally related to the acceptance of these metaphysical presuppositions which need to be highlighted more clearly as we seek to understand what is at stake in the dispute.