Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Reincarnation

Do I believe in ‘reincarnation’ in the sense of a being, her/his personality, reappearing in another body after death, as if the true being is not the body, but a bodiless and lasting being that has desires or a destiny yet unfulfilled?

I generally plead agnostic. And, I feel confident that no one who does not have that kind of direct experience of continuity can know for certain, either.

True, I have tendencies and interests that seem inexplicable by this life’s experiences alone. And there are examples – like child prodigies – that are even harder to explain. Then there are the many Tibetans who have died, left signs about where they would come again, and then have been found and their identities verified through quite rigorous tests given by those who knew them before. I have no direct experiences like this.

But there is one thing that cuts me to the quick.

Every orphaned dog that comes to my attention, I gaze deeply into his/her eye, looking hard for any sign it could be Tenzin trying to come home. If it’s true and he were – and I missed it because I didn’t want to believe it – that would be a great tragedy.

I guess this means love has made me a believer.


May all beings be well and happy.