SEC17/W5 | Do you believe in reincarnation?

Die, then be reborn. Have you ever imagined such a reality before? If you're not, it means we're alike. I even used to think that the belief in reincarnation was primarily centered in the eastern-southern part of the world, but from the articles I've read recently it turns out that the belief in reincarnation has been embraced for thousands of years and has spread widely across the world.

Reincarnation beliefs across the globe

If we visit India, the birthplace of Hinduism, where the concept of reincarnation or "samsara" is very strong. In India people believe that a person's soul will undergo a new life after death depending on their karma in their previous life. Not far from India, in Nepal, Buddhists also practice the concept of reincarnation, but with a slightly different view. They believe that life after death is part of the cycle of rebirth where souls that are not liberated will continue to reincarnate into new lives.

_{Then in Tibet, there is a belief about the Dalai Lama (title for the spiritual leader in Tibet) as the incarnation of Chenrezig, the most popular deity there. Image source here}

Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama when he was 3 years old. In the belief of Tibetan society, the 14th Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, and so on until the First Dalai Lama. As far as I know, if the Dalai Lama passes away then all the residents will participate in searching for the new Dalai Lama among all the babies and toddlers in the country.

Even in some articles I've read, many tribes in Africa believe in the concept of reincarnation. What they believe is that souls that die will come back in their own descendants or even in animals or elements of nature. Then in Latin America, the Aztec and Maya tribes bear witness to the belief in the concept of reincarnation having grown long in South America.

My personal beliefs

Regardless of the religious beliefs I hold, personally I don't believe in reincarnation. I am someone who believes that the life we live now is the result of a series of consequences caused by our own choices. There is no one else in another life who has the right to determine our fate in this world.

_{For me, it would be very unfair if we were to say that someone is experiencing a bad fate right now because they were evil in a previous life. Image source here}

"There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are consequences" - Robert G. Ingersoll

Then if I were asked, "Do you believe that we get back our relationships through reincarnation?" My answer would be that I do not believe so. In the dogma I adhere to, someone who has died cannot reconnect with the living. There is a very thick boundary between life and death, so anyone who has died cannot return to the world, even if they dare to pay dearly to do so. Unfortunately, life only happens once and we must truly cherish it.

_{Children, spouses, close friends, they are all just companions in life. When someone dies, they only take themselves and themselves alone. Image source here}

Even if reincarnation were true. I have never asked to be born as someone else, not even Jeff Bezos. No matter how bad my fate may be, I find beauty in life. Beauty that we can only find when we feel content with what we have. I am content with what I have now, and if the luckiest person in the world offered their life in exchange for mine, I would certainly refuse.

I respect anyone who adheres to the concept of reincarnation because our goal in the world is, of course, to live peacefully alongside each other regardless of the differences in beliefs. In fact, it is these differences that make our lives meaningful as humans. I am also open to any discussion, whether you agree or disagree with my opinion.

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Thanks for dedicating your time to read my post

Have a great day

El-Nailul