Reincarnation, Rebirth, Life After Life & Past Life Evidence
Life after life, reincarnation and rebirth are fascinating concepts. In Buddhism, life after death is a readily accepted concept, but is it really true? How do we know if we have had multiple lives? In this episode: I share a personal account of a family member who had what appears to be a past life recollection, I explore some of the scientific studies of Dr Jim Tucker where children have remembered their past lives, I introduce some of the surprising results of past life regression therapy by Dr Brian Weiss, I consider how near-death experiences may support the concept of multiple lives, and lastly, I explain how the Buddha discovered the important connection between karma and rebirth and how that impacts on a Buddhist’s life today.
Rebirth is an interesting topic and there are many people who believe in it. Before coming to Buddhism I was on the side of being neither a believer nor a non-believer. I was looking for more proof that it was a possibility. The books I mention in this video really helped me to open my eyes to the possibility of rebirth:
Life Before Life by Dr Jim Tucker
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss M.D.
Messages from the Masters by Brian L. Weiss M.D.
A quote from Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche, on rebirth:
“Sometimes I tease people and ask: ‘What makes you so adamant that there’s no life after death? What proof do you have? What if you found there was a life after this one, having died denying its existence?’
Those of us who undertake a spiritual discipline – of meditation, for example – come to discover many things about our own minds that we did not know before. For as our minds open more and more to the extraordinary, vast, and hitherto unsuspected existence of the nature of mind, we begin to glimpse a completely different dimension, one in which all of our assumptions about our identity and reality, which we thought we knew so well, start to dissolve, and in which the possibility of lives other than this one becomes at least likely. We begin to understand that everything we are being told by the masters about life and death, and life after death, is real.”
Here is a short and interesting news clip about an American boy who had an extraordinary tale of remembering his previous life where he fought in WW2 against the Japanese.
Here are some links to other videos on YouTube about reincarnation, rebirth and past life evidence that you might like to watch:
A video documenting the story of Jenny Cockell – another case which supports rebirth.
A short BBC story on the account of a young boy remembering dying in war.
A full length BBC program on Remembering Past Lives
And here’s an article from the Buddhist Broadcasting Network of a boy remembering a past life which was investigated by Dr Jim Tucker.
More videos:
You can find a complete collection of my videos on Buddhism and meditation at The Enthusiastic Buddhist Society.
Sutta used in this video:
“Assu Sutta: Tears” (SN 15.3), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 18 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn15/sn15.003.than.html.
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