...just one thought. The Buddha Shakyamuny (the historical Buddha) said while going back through all his lifetimes he couldn't find a beginning of "all that is" and assumed that the wheel of Samsara is ever turning, until we come across a teaching like Buddhism that shows us the way out.

One thought: What if there are realms that are just not accessible with the mind? I personally find it hard to believe that we don't have a choice between live times to choose what the next one is going to be like. The Buddha assumed that according to the level of distortion in our mind our rebirth will be determined. So it is pretty much a coincidence thing as what we will be reborn. We die and pop out the other end as a new born being - it could be anything. ...hmm... What happens in between?

Just a thought, maybe someone has an explanation for this

All the best,

Andreas

Dear Andreas,
could you please explain what you mean by this:

"The Buddha assumed that according to the level of distortion in our mind our rebirth will be determined. So it is pretty much a coincidence thing as what we will be reborn. We die and pop out the other end as a new born being - it could be anything. ...hmm... What happens in between?"

...is it a predetermination or a coincidence? I would also like to know what happensa in between...
Thank you!
Stefania

Hi Stefania,

thank you for asking!
According to Buddhism:
During our lifetimes we sum up both - good and bad Karma. (factor 1)

The existence here in this realm is seen as a flow of qualities, there is no such thing as a fixed entity we could call our self or "our" personality. We are empty. (factor 2)

When everything is a flow our current state is influenced by what we have been a second ago. What we will be in a second is determined by what we are now.

This is why there is so much attention in Buddhism on the moment of death - if you die fearful we will be reborn as something fearful.

As far as I understand it, there is a continuum between our lives without a gap - we die and our qualities get "attached" to another being that gets reborn.

Not too sure about the last paragraph, this is my understanding so far. I question that because it just doesn't feel quite right. We are doing conscious decisions during our lives, why shouldn't we be able to do conscious choices in non-physical realms?

Hi Andy,

thanks for the clarification, I understand what you mean now : ), how bizarre that a "coincidence" determines our life as a reborn being!
Your question is rignt: what happens between death and rebirth?
Open to your inputs...: )
Stef

Hi there,

I am unsure whether Buddhism sees reinkarnation as a process of coincidence. It is very unfortunate that I know so little about this religion, but I always thought that reincarnation is not coincidence, though a flow where qualities merge into other qualities??

Love and light,

Sophi

Hi again,

I also need to clear it off better...it should be the karma and our way of acting in our previous life to determine reincarnation, but my knowledge of Buddhism is still to improve but the idea of a continuous flow in progress is interesting...
With love,
Stef