soul mates

RE: soul mates

ORIGINAL: roza

Does Buddhism believe in soul mates?

No, they don't. They don't believe in the soul.

RE: soul mates

Can I ask what they believe is reincarnated then?

RE: soul mates

I'm interested too. I really should know, but have never quite got my head around Buddhism. I went to a local group, thinking that it would be spiritual in my own terms, and the leader, some respected UK guy, told me that they don't believe in God! I have to admit, he well turned me off. 😮

So does someone know the score on Buddhism and can write about it in bite-sized pieces?

V

RE: soul mates

I plan to respond, but I can't at the moment. I'll be back with a response later, though. ;):D

RE: soul mates

ORIGINAL: siany3

Can I ask what they believe is reincarnated then?

They believe that memories and karma are carried over, but they don't believe in a permanent soul. They believe we are all part of what's known as "mind" or "mindstream." This is why they do not believe in "reincarnation" but, instead, believe in what's known as "rebirth."

I spent a couple of years at a few Buddhist discussion forums, and they were all adamant about the fact that they do not believe in reincarnation because reincarnation supports the idea of a permanent soul. Even the Dalai Lama has spoken out in public about the fact that they prefer to use the term "rebirth" because they do not believe in the idea of a permanent soul.

This has never made a lot of sense to me, because even those of us who believe in reincarnation know that in each lifetime we are not the same ego "self" and that we are constantly evolving and changing, so nothing is permanent. In that respect, I think it's merely a matter of semantics, but I think some of them would disagree. Some of them are pretty adamant about there being a distinct difference between rebirth and reincarnation.

In fact, here is what one member posted on the subject of rebirth:

• Chapter 9 • Rebirth

Finally, I would like to distinguish rebirth from transmigration ( reincarnation ) . You may not know that, in Buddhism, we consistently speak of rebirth, not transmigration.

This is because in Buddhism we do not believe in an abiding entity, or substance, that transmigrates . We do not believe in a self that is reborn .

This is why, when we explain rebirth, we make use of examples that do not require the transmigration of an essence or a substance.

For example, when a sprout is born from a seed, there is no substance that transmigrates. The seed and the sprout are not identical.

Similarly, when we light one candle from another candle, no substance travels from one to the other, even though the first is the cause of the second.

When one billiard ball strikes another, there is a continuity -- the energy and direction of the first ball is imparted to the second. The first ball is the cause of the second billiard ball moving in a particular direction and at a particular speed, but it is not the same ball.

When we step twice into a river, it is not the same river, and yet there is continuity, the continuity of cause and effect.

Hence there is rebirth, but not transmigration. Moral responsibility exists, but not an independent, permanent self.

The continuity of cause and effect exists, but not permanence.

• The Tree of Enlightenment
An Introduction to the Major Traditions of Buddhism
by Peter Della Santina
Chico Dharma Study Group
Chico , California

Rebirth:

Another member responded with the following:

Actually, there is no genuinely valid case for making a distinction between the terms "reincarnation," "rebirth," "transmigration," "metempsychosis," etc.

In all such cases, including in all of the Buddhist senses in which one speaks of this phenomenon of "rebirth," etc., there is the voluntary subscription to the circumstances of "conventional reality" (as opposed to "ultimate reality"), wherein, for the sake of describing mutually perceptible "events," one speaks of this multi-lifetime process.

In Buddhism, on the level of ultimate reality, not only is there no movement of a "soul" from the last life to this life to the next life, there is not even any real entity existing for even a single micromoment, much less any moving through time of any such entity. In this sense, one can't use any term at all for the phenomenon at issue here. Hence, if we orient the discussion to ultimate truth, we cannot speak of "rebirth," cannot speak of "reincarnation," cannot speak of "transmigration," and cannot speak of "metempsychosis

RE: soul mates

Thanks for that, Satori. You confirm what I received from a teacher in England - though with him the issue was also that he didn't believe in God!

I respect Buddhism very much but could never agree with the aspects of it you go into. How much they are missing IMHO about reality!

It reminds me of prayer wheels, which are also IMHO a totally useless excercise. What I mean is that there is quite a bit of sheer superstition within Buddhism.

V

RE: soul mates

ORIGINAL: venetian

Thanks for that, Satori. You confirm what I received from a teacher in England - though with him the issue was also that he didn't believe in God!

I respect Buddhism very much but could never agree with the aspects of it you go into. How much they are missing IMHO about reality!

It reminds me of prayer wheels, which are also IMHO a totally useless excercise. What I mean is that there is quite a bit of sheer superstition within Buddhism.

V

You're welcome, Venetian. I feel the same way. In fact, a friend of mine was giving me a psychic reading last year and we talked about how I had spent some time at a few Buddhist forums, and she remarked, "Your consciousness is so much more expanded than Buddhism!" And I had to laugh, because it's so true! 😀

Buddhism is limited in a lot of ways. However, I have always loved their view of non-attachment -- transcending the dualities by observing and not choosing to be attached or detached. It is something I have used and incorporated in my life for many years. But I think that's a belief that is held by both Buddhists and Hindus.

I also didn't agree with their belief about the Bardo realms, i.e. that a person's energy remained there for 49 days before moving on. In quantum physics, time is not linear ... certainly not on the astral planes! So it seemed like they were still holding onto a lot of archaic views in some ways.

Some Buddhists hadn't even explored their past lives and referred to such things as "supernatural." 😮 Not all Buddhists are that way, however. The various teachings really vary depending on what school of Buddhism a particular Buddhist follows.

But you're right about their not believing in an individual creator God. That's very true.

RE: soul mates

Thanks again, Satori.

I'd reply at more length, but I have to quickly put out another prayer-flag. :eek:;)

RE: soul mates

Namaste Roza,

From what I have learnedonmy Buddhist path (New Kadampa Tradition Buddhism), full-enlightenment cannotbe achieved along the Buddhist pathwithout a realization of Emptiness, the ultimate true nature of reality.

What we experience as humans is conventional reality (think of the film 'The Matrix'), which is not the true nature of reality. Everything we see and experiencelacks inherent existence, i.e.objects,senses, air, feelings, etc.do not exist fromtheir own side, but exist only as a perception of the mind. This conventional reality also includes the 'I', self, ego where the 'I', self, ego only exist as a perception of a self-cherishing mind. (Again, think of 'The Matrix', the scene with the gifted children at the home of the Oracle... 'There is no spoon').

Emptiness is a non-conceptual state: formless, omniscient, timeless;a mind orconsciousnessof pure love, great compassion, ultimate wisdom.

Until a mind achieves full-enlightenment, a mind is trapped in Samsara, the cycle of birth, life and death (all of which are in the nature of suffering) since beginningless time. As we have experienced Samsara since beginningless time, every living being has, in one life or another, been our mother, so we should practice pure love and great compassion for every living being. A mind is (re-)born/reincarnated in any number of different realms and situations within those realms according to Karma (cause and effect of virtuous and non-virtuous actions performed in past lives). Memories are notcarried over to the next life, but minds with miracle gifts such as clairvoyance are able to ascertain past actions and events. As Satori has said, we have different levels of mind and, at the point of death, our gross waking mind ceases to exist. However,the very subtle mindcontinues a 'consciousness' and is either reborn or liberated from Samsara, depending on karmic imprints.

As for souls, there is only the mind.

Lisa

p.s. I am not a realized being, so others may find fault with what I have written, but I am open to learning.

RE: soul mates

I've just been reading up on samsara myself, all very interesting, but I've got a long way to go to digest it all.

In answer to the oiriginal question I would say that Buddhists would not have "soul mates" as this would imply a form of attachment and Buddhists seeks to be free of attachment in their aim to become enlightened.

I think there is a subtle difference between "reincarnation" and "rebirth" otherwise we wouldn't have the two words. To me, re-incarnation implies that all but the physical elements of a person are being born again into another physical body, whereas re-birth imples that birth is taking place again, but without memories or personality that is part ofthe "soul", all that is being carried forward is the karma and merit. Also, I would feel that re-incarnation implies being born again in human form, whereas re-birth in Buddhist terms can be being born into any of the six levels of samsara which may not necessarily be as human form.

Love and Reiki Hugs

I know this is an old post, but I am currently reading 'A cave in the snow' where soul mates, soul family and even soul enemies is discussed.
Tenzin Palmo describes the feeling of meeting her teacher for the first time, and knowing that they had spent many lives together.

This truck a cord with me as I am very lucky to be married to my soul mate.

Question everything!

Hip