What does Buddhism say about rebirth.+

 What does Buddhism say about rebirth? 

Definition. Rebirth is an eschatological notion that denotes a continuation of life after death. According to the Buddhist doctrine, the cycle of rebirth has no beginning and is maintained by ignorance, craving, attachment, and the fruition of the karmic forces that determine the nature of the future exisst

Aatish Palekar 

The present life of a person is the result of his past life, and the future birth depends upon the present life karmas, depending on their karmas. According to the doctrine of Karmas, every man is responsible for his actions.  The actions must bear fruits. The future of every individual depends on his present actions.

 

According to Karma theory, the fruits of the actions are according to the character of the actor. 

If someone has committed sin, he will have to suffer for it in the hell. But if some good man has by chance committed some evil action, he will get rid of it after suffering a little in this very life.

 

When everything is predetermined according to Karmas, then how can the individual effect any change it.

According to Karma theory is not mechanical. Though the present is determined by the past, the future is free and depends on our will. 

If anyone says that the man must bear the fruits of his karmas, there is no religious life in that condition, nor is there any opportunity for the absolute destruction of suffering. 

But if someone says that the reward which a man gets is according to his action, the priests! in that condition, there is religious life and the opportunity of the destruction of all suffering. As a matter of fact, if the doctrine of Karma is mechanical then there is hardly any place for religion and ethics in human life. The doctrine of Karma shows an order in the field of spiritual development as well as that of the terrestrial process. It does not lessen the importance of efforts and responsibility. The philosophy of Buddha is against absolute determinism as well as against absolute indeterminism.

In Buddhist philosophy, the succession of the world has been called Bhava-Chakra. In their cycle, the chain of cause and effect is always operating. It is this effect that has been emphasized in the doctrine of dependent origination. Both birth and death are two links in the same chain. As the old is destroyed, the new takes birth. Not only human beings but all living beings are caught in this cycle of the world.

But there is an escape from this worldly cycle. According to the Buddhist philosophy the Karma ceases to have any effect on the ultimate spiritual status. In that stage, the karmas and their effects are destroyed forever and the man rises above both merits and demerits. After attaining liberation the actions cease, but this does not mean inactivity. Really speaking, al Karmas do not bear fruit, but only those Karmas result into effects that are promoted by the passions Originating in ignorance. After the attainment of liberation, the Karmas remain, but they bear no fruit as the burnt seeds do not sprout in the plants.

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Rebirth in Buddhist Philosophy: Buddha does not believe in any permanent soul. Consciousness is an eternal process, in which there is the relation of antecedent and subsequent between different movements. But there is no unchanging, immutable soul behind his process. Hence, logically there is no place for rebirth in Buddhist philosophy. 

After death, the samskaras of the Jivas remain. These samskaras are according to his karmas and it is due to these that a link between one birth and another is maintained. This Sanskara is expressed in the last thought of a dying person. Along with this power of Karma, attachment or clinging is also required. This upadan is the power that is the cause of new birth according to old karmas. Without it the Karmas themselves have no power. After the attainment of liberation, the attachment is destroyed and Upadan annihilated, resulting into the negation of the rebirth. There is no similarity between the past and the present individual except that the new is according to the karmas of the old. Sometimes even consciousness has been admitted as remaining after death. Whatever we are or whatever we have thought is the result of it, consciousness has been rightly conceived as the essence of our soul. In fact, this proves the close relation between consciousness, action, thought, and will. After the attainment of Nirvana, one is liberated both from consciousness as well as from actions.

Remember:~

Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ These performers of karma do not know the Truth, which is hidden by the illusion.

The karma theory belongs to religion and yoga and it has nothing to do with Spirituality or Adyathma.

Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality. The karma theory is based on the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas Sage Sri, Sankara says the world is an illusion.

Thus, whatever karma is performed within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion. The karma theory is meant for the ignorant who are the followers of the Advaitic orthodox path. Advaitic orthodox path is meant for the ignorant populace. Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences:~

1. The ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices,

2. The more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.

Thus, the Purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way.

The Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara: ~ “Action (karma) cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. -Atma Bodha

Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

In the theistic analysis, human life and behavior are explained based on the theory of karma, which sets the cycle of rebirths into motion. All actions, good or bad, create their own karmic residues called vasanas, which exhibit their results over a period of time.

The karma which has already started taking fruit is called Prarabdha Karma. This is the karma that is responsible for the current birth. The accumulated karma which is yet to take fruit is called sanchit karma. As long as the cycle of rebirth continues, more karma will be done in the future, and this is called Agamin karma. Liberation (moksha) is the way out of this endless cycle.

The most valuable contribution of Sage Sankara is that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative explanation of Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutra was the final say in the matter of religion. Anything that goes contrary to the trio is not authentic. He also made a clear distinction between Vedas and Upanishads in his commentary on Gita. He stated that the Karma Kanda of the Vedas deals with the injunctions relating to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.

The path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have the inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Sage Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahma. He says that the Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss are real. The universe is not real.

Sage Sage Sankara - Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical, are but passing appearances.

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya.

Sage Sankara gave religion, ritual, and karma to the ignorant masses, as well as Advaitic wisdom to those who are seriously seeking the truth of their true existence.

Those who have taken the Path of wisdom or the Atmic path should discard the karma theory which is meant for the orthodox ignorant populace.

The person who is based on the individual experience of birth, life, and death, is trying to find the meaning of life.

There is no meaning or purpose in life because life is merely happening within the dualistic illusion. Thus, the Karma theory based on the physical entity is based on the birth, life, and death, which is part and parcel of the dualistic illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar