Birth and Rebirth

For general understanding, rebirth does not mean trans-migration. An individual

soul does not migrate from a physical body into another one. No, it just won’t fit

at all. Every individual or thing that exists would not be the same - it could only

be in a similar condition e.g. twins are similar but never the same individuals.

Every individual is unique respectively and no individuals would be the same even

though they do share some sort of the same genes before time.

On this pretext, you may have heard in various stories whereby a spirit or ghost

has the ability to possess into the body of an individual but it never absolutely

overtakes the soul of the possessed individual. This is because one cannot simply

exchange the soul at one’s whim and fancy. Even individuals with the most

powerful magic charm could not perform this feat. Also, you have heard of the

organ transplant cases, whereby the new recipients need to take

immunosuppressive drugs to treat any transplant rejections – live long.

In Buddhism, rebirth refers to evolving consciousness or stream of consciousness

of a person (upon death) and the new consciousness arising in the same person (in

the new person) is neither identical to, nor entirely different from, the old

consciousness, but forms part of a causal continuum or stream with it. The basic

cause for this persistent re-arising of personality is the abiding of consciousness

in ignorance; when ignorance is uprooted, rebirth ceases. For example, a flame is

transferred from one candle to another, or a fire spreads from one field to another.

In the same way that it depends on the original fire, there is a conditioned

relationship between one life and the next; they are not identical but neither are

they completely distinct.

And it is possible for rebirth to take place from a single source into different

identities at any various point of time, just like how the genetic lineage works for

generations. This is how we explain the destiny of being siblings, being life

partners, being close friends in one’s lifetime. Somehow or somewhere before

time, the so-called relevant individuals are inherited from the similar sources of

predecessor. Thus in the present lifetime one has the opportunity to meet and

know with the relevant beings and not the other non-relevant beings. Inevitably,

under the natural law of attraction, anything that belongs to the same ancestry

would somehow attract with each other, no matter how far or near distance and

how long or short time period. So by now, one would know what the phrase,

‘Destiny is made in Heaven; Man looks for his other half; We shared with a

common chemistry’, would mean in the general context.

Generally, most individuals could not recall their respective past lives because

they have inherited much assimilated element-dots deriving from myriad of

predecessors. However, some individuals did remember vividly on their past lives

and could relate it well in their present lives. A higher density of any particular

element-dot inheritance would mean a higher retention of genetic information that

determines the particular pool of behaviour of a predecessor.

Let us look at the following illustrations: -

Illustration 1 Key: -

Force of Ignorance Prevailing Conscious Mind Dependent phenomenon

Force of Awakening Subtle Conscious Mind

The Mind of a living being The Mind of a departing being

The Subtle Conscious Mind is The force of Ignorance has outdone

released into fragments the force of Awakening

o

回

光

返

照

A final burst of energy before death

Key: -

Subtle Conscious Mind of Individual A Subtle Conscious Mind of Individual B

Subtle Conscious Mind of Individual C Subtle Conscious Mind of Individual D

Fragments of liberated Subtle Conscious Mind of different

Individuals under an Imbalanced phenomenon

The Subtle Conscious Mind of different Individuals The Mind of a new being derived

congregating under a Balanced phenomenon from different predecessors

Illustration 2

Key: - E = Energy M = Matter

Generation 1

Individual A Individual B Individual C

E1-1 E1-2 E1-3 E1-4 E2-1 E2-2 E2-3 E3-1 E3-2 E3-3

E1-5 E1-6 E1-7 E2-4 E2-5 E2-6 E3-4 E3-5

M1-1 M1-2 M1-3 M1-4 M2-1 M2-2 M2-3 M2-4 M3-1 M3-2 M-3-3

M1-5 M1-6 M1-7 M2-5 M2-6 M3-4 M3-5

Disintegrating process

E1-1 E1-4 E1-3 E1-7 E2-1 E2-2 E2-4 E2-6 E3-1 E3-2 E3-4

E1-5 E1-6

E1-2 M1-1 M1-2 M2-2 M2-3 M2-4 M3-1 M3-2 M3-4 M3-5

M1-7 M1-4 M1-5 M2-5 M2-6 E2-5

M1-6 M1-3 E2-3 M2-1 M-3-3 E3-3 E3-5

Some lapse of time after the disintegrating process M1-2 M1-3 M1-4 M1-5 M2-2 M2-3 M2-4 M2-5 M2-6 M3-1 M3-2 M3-4 M3-5

E1-2-1 E1-3-1 E1-4-1 E1-5-1 E2-2-1 E2-3-1 E2-4-1 E2-5-1 E2-6-1 E3-1-1 E3-2-1 E3-4-1 E3-5-1

M1-6 M1-3 E1-6-1 E1-3-1 M2-1 E2-1-1 M3-3 E3-3-1

E1-2-1 E1-6 E1-5-1 E2-1-1 E2-4 E2-6-1 E3-1 E3-2-1 E3-5-1 E3-5

M1-2-1 M1-6-1 M1-5-1 M2-1-1 M2-4-1 M2-6-1 M3-1-1 M3-2-1 M3-5-2 M3-5-1

New integrating process

Generation 2

Individual A1 Individual B1 Individual C1

E2-4

E1-1 E1-2 E2-1 E1-3-1 E1-6 E2-2 E2-3 E3-4 E2-5 E2-6 M-2-4-1 M1-2-1

M1-5-1 M2-6-1 M1-3 M3-5-1 M3-2-1 M3-5-2 M3-1-1

Remarks: -

Individual A, Individual B and Individual C are three respective individuals living in separate

locations in Generation 1.

Individual A1 and Individual B1 are husband and wife in Generation 2.

Individual C1 is good friend of Individual A1 and Individual B1 in Generation 2.

Type of person - Individual A1 is a perfectly normal or healthy type,

Individual B1 is a hyperactive type or supernatural type,

Individual C1 is a weak or defective type.

The law of kamma applies in determining the above rebirth conditions.

In the above illustration, supposedly Individual A is an ardent pianist then the new

being would somehow be naturally talented toward the play of piano or something

with similarity. This is how we explain the natural talented skills we always

uncovered from young children and it is the same case scenario for the phobic

conditions in any particular individuals. Ultimately, it is the wonder of nature that

everyone would not be totally the same or totally different from each other.

According to Christianity, it is believed that human beings begin with Adam and

Eve and this saying may hold its truth literally.