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From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Reincarnation
Message-ID: <1990Dec14.033841.1929@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 14 Dec 90 03:38:41 GMT
References: <1990Dec10.030247.15986@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Dec11.022245.11063@nas.nasa.gov>
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In <1990Dec11.022245.11063@nas.nasa.gov> esot@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Eric Sotnak) writes:


>In article <1990Dec10.030247.15986@nas.nasa.gov> hugh@achilles.adelaide.edu.au (Hugh Garsden) writes:
>>Therefore, is there any reason why I could not be reincarnated
>>in the _past_ (i.e. the past according to the current direction
>>of time in the universe). Or, weirder still, could I be
>>reincarnated in my own _present_.

>  There is a non-standard interpretation of the doctrine of rebirth (not 
>reincarnation -- reincarnation is the voluntary rebirth of a bodhisattva
>resulting from his/her vow) which may address this concern and also the
>other concern you have alluded to.

Reincarnation is a bad word because life is eternal, at death one's
life becomes latent.

>  The enlightened person gains mastery over his/her own mind and body, and
>therefore over his or her karma insofar as his/her actions produce
>consequences according to the preceding psychological states, etc.  The
>enlightened person is thus able to free him/herself from the cycle of
>birth and rebirth, death and redeath.

Ths cycle is continuous eternally. One gains freedom from the sufferings
of birth and death, as one's problems in life are chosen to show others
the power of Buddhism and thereby lead them to the way.

--
   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
            Respectfully,
  	         Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov