I would like to write about how the Doctrine of Rebirth can help us in our spiritual journey and also provide much needed comfort to those of us (including me) who are no longer young and who have their best years behind them.
I will start by saying that all religions (with the possible exception of Buddhism in some of its versions) accept the doctrine of rebirth. Then why is it that this fact (or at the very least this possibility) is not stressed upon in the press, in the books we read and in our lives?
I do suppose that the answer to this question is that the doctrine of rebirth does not in any way help the capitalist machine which drives society. All of us (especially when we are young) are told to produce and consume more. If the main emphasis of our lives becomes ensuring a favourable rebirth, then it may cause inconvenience to the capitalistic system.
We have the case of Tibet to guide us. Up until the 1950s Tibet was an intensely religious country and most of its citizens were encouraged to seek enlightenment. And Tibet was conquered and overrun by China who (under the influence of Mao) believed that religion was poison.
But leaving aside these political considerations how does the doctrine of rebirth comfort us and guide us to live wisely.
Well I can say from my experience that belief in rebirth enables us to endure what must be endured and gives us courage. I think that it is a teaching of the Mayan civilization to suffer, endure and hold your peace.
I am combining belief in rebirth with remembrance of the law of impermanence. I tell myself that whatever I am suffering now is temporary and, in the end (even if it takes an eternity), I will attain salvation or Nirvana.
Another way in which contemplation can be done is through telling yourself that your true nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda (or Existence-Knowledge-Bliss). Whatever we are experiencing now will pass away but our true nature will remain with us and nobody and nothing can take it away from us.
Everybody fears old age and death. Belief in the doctrine of rebirth can help us endure what must be endured. We can tell ourselves that what we are going through is only temporary and will end in due course. In this way we will be able to maintain a balanced mind in the midst of all our ordeals and challenges.
What follows below is a quotation from the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. The great American industrialist and philanthropist, Henry Ford, said:
I adopted the theory of reincarnation when I was 26. Religion offered nothing to the point. Even work could not give me complete satisfaction. Work is futile if we cannot utilize the experience we collect in one lifetime in the next. When I discovered reincarnation … time was no longer limited. I was no longer a slave to the hands of a clock … I would like to communicate to others the calmness that the long view of life gives to us.
There is a chapter on Karma and Rebirth in Sogyal Rinpoche’s book and I highly recommend that you read it.
I’ll end here. Please comment on this article if you liked it or even if you didn’t. Feedback from my readers keeps me going.
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