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From: jbarber@pravda.gatech.edu (John R. Barber)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Body and Soul?
Message-ID: <1990Sep14.002702.11511@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 14 Sep 90 00:27:02 GMT
References: <1990Sep13.000952.27231@nas.nasa.gov>
Sender: prabhu@nas.nasa.gov (Dinesh K. Prabhu)
Organization: Georgia Tech AI Group
Lines: 45
Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov


In article <1990Sep13.000952.27231@nas.nasa.gov> hugh@cs.adelaide.edu.au (Hugh Garsden) writes:
>
>A question.
>
>Suppose we accept that there is a soul, and that we are reincarnated. At
>some time, therefore, the soul must enter the body (since it comes
>intact from a previous life). When does it do this? Before we are born?
>After? At the same time? Are there any references in religious texts (please
>give them) on this?
>
> [lines deleted]
>
>Hugh Garsden
>University of Adelaide

Both Tibetan Buddhism and Taoism hold that the soul becomes associated
with the fetus/body at the time of conception.  In this view of reincarnation,
an energy "glow" is emitted by partners in a sex act at or around the time of 
conception which attracts a soul that "jumps in".

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol), translated by Evans-Wentz and
others, goes into great detail describing the process of death, existence in
the spiritual realm, and re-entry to life for those in the Tibetan Buddhist 
tradition, and particularly suggests that a developed one can choose 
appropriate rebirth based on the type of energy emanation.  Other Buddhist 
traditions hold similar views, but I am less familiar with them.

In _8000 Years of Wisdom: Conversations with Taoist Master Ni, Hua-Ching,
book II_ and other books, Master Ni offers corresponding guidance for 
prospective parents on how to attract and nurture a spiritually achieved soul.
His tradition holds, as well, that the process described in the Bardo occurs,
but is less optimistic about the prospects for choice in rebirth by most
people.

The basic scenario that both traditions suppose is: life, death, existence in 
the spiritual realm(s), and eventual re-birth through association with a body
at conception for those souls who must be reborn, in a repetitive cycle until 
it is transcended or the soul becomes "anchored" at some point within it.  

-----
John R. Barber, AI Group, School of Information and Computer Science
Georgia Tech,  Atlanta, Georgia  30332-0280     (404)-853-9381,-9382
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