1

"Idea of reincarnation(rebirth) is due to craving for existence" I'd like to listen to your opinion about this.

X-pression
  • 133
  • 7

1 Answers1

2

The desire to live a good life with ambition, and be reborn into another good life, is due to the craving for existence (bhava tanha).

The desire to die as soon as possible, and not be reborn, is due to the craving for non-existence (vibhava tanha).

The idea of rebirth or non-rebirth is different from the desire for rebirth or non-rebirth. Ideas are merely mental formations (sankhara).

Also, what "rebirth" actually means, depends on the definition.

Some people see it as the rebirth of the same consciousness (or some other kind of unchanging thing like a "soul") from one lifetime to another. This type of rebirth was refuted by the Buddha.

The other type of "rebirth" is a chain of the succession of related changing processes that are dependently originated based on conditions. This type of rebirth was taught by the Buddha.

The Buddha also taught that suffering is ended only by ending craving and attaining Nibbana, not by death or suicide.

ruben2020
  • 36,945
  • 5
  • 31
  • 94
  • Do you think rebirth as animals, humans, and gods is taught by Buddha literally? – X-pression Feb 07 '19 at 14:56
  • Rebirth of WHO? That's the interesting question in Buddhism. – ruben2020 Feb 07 '19 at 15:30
  • Also see this answer. – ruben2020 Feb 07 '19 at 15:57
  • My question is as simple as it gets. either yes or no. – X-pression Feb 07 '19 at 16:41
  • @X-pression Yes. The Buddha was quite explicit in his words when it comes to literal rebirth and the various realms of existence in many suttas thru out the Nikayas. One simple ex: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn15/sn15.013.than.html – santa100 Feb 07 '19 at 16:55
  • 1
    Yes. The suttas says rebirth happens with the break-up of the body after death. To me, that's literal rebirth. But rebirth of whom? The current life and the next life are related, but it's not the same individual or consciousness that is reborn. – ruben2020 Feb 07 '19 at 16:56