Question about Reincarnation

[Siobahn]

I am aware that the Catholic Church teaches that once man dies on earth, man does not return. In Buddhism the Dalai Lama is considered to be a reincarnated Buddha. . . the way the Dalai Lama is “chosen” so to speak is he has to recognize items from his past life here on earth. . . once he does this he is considered to be the reincarnated Buddha. What are the Catholic apologetics on this issue? Thanks!

 

[Della]

With all due respect to those who believe the Dalai Lama to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, Catholic theology leaves no room for such beliefs. The new Dalai Lama is chosen as a very small child, and speaking just for myself, I would say that it is very easy to guide a very young child, through subtle means (and not necessarily conscious ones) to chose what one wants him to chose or say what one wants him to say. It doesn’t strike me as “proof” any more than seeing a young child who is a prodigy in some sport or musical instrument.

 

[batteddy]

Well, obviously, as Catholics, we don’t believe in reincarnation.

But to be fair…

I don’t think they claim that the Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of Buddha. The Dalai Lamas are said to be the continual reincarnations of the Gyatso gurus, going back to the first one in the 1300’s. These gurus (each being simply the reincarnation of the last) are in turn thought to be an incarnation of one of the many boddisatvas, which are beings close to Buddhahood but delayed for various reasons (often out of their own compassion and desire to stay sentient in order to teach others how to escape the cycle of life). Perhaps they imagine he is a Being destined to become a Buddha in the future, but he is definitely not a Buddha yet, and DEFINITELY NOT the Gautama Buddha (only the 28th Being to achieve Buddhahood in Buddhist knowledge).

The Dalai Lama speaks about this fact very matter of factly in interviews. He’s says stuff like, “well…sometimes when people are reincarnated, they remember their past life and get to choose their new life. But often times, even with boddisatvas, they allow a veil of ignorance to be placed over themselves in the new life. My reincarnation is probably something like that.”

And sometimes it just sounds fake. He’s said stuff like, “Well, maybe the Tibetans will no longer need Lamas at sometime in the future. Maybe they will elect their leaders democratically…and at that point, I will respect their decision and cease to reincarnate. But I definitely will not reincarnate inside China again…until the repressive regime falls. My next birth will definitely not be in China”.

And yet it’s sort of foolish for the Chinese leadership to contradict that too. But they do. The Chinese are already insisting that they’ve found the birth place of Tibets next Lama once this one dies…even though he has denied he will be reborn there! The Chinese state is clearly just trying to co-opt the religion.

But their all wrong, and need the truth of Christ.

 

[kleary]

Well a big answer to this came in the first century.

Buddah never rose from the dead… never claimed to… no one ever said he did.

However Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Now no other starter of a religion rose from the dead now did he?

Ken

 

[rossum]

In Buddhism the Dalai Lama is considered to be a reincarnated Buddha. . .

On a technical point, the Dalai Lama is considered to be a reincarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokita and not of the Buddha Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha. The Buddha realised nirvana and cannot be reincarnated. The point of Buddhism is to avoid reincarnation, Avalokita reincarnates out of compassion for those of us who are not yet enlightened.

Buddah never rose from the dead… never claimed to… no one ever said he did.

The point of Buddhism is to avoid rising from the dead and being reincarnated.

The Buddha said: “What do you think, monks: Which is greater, the tears you have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — or the water in the four great oceans?”

“As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the tears we have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not the water in the four great oceans.”

"Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me.

(Assu Sutta S.N. 15.3)

Being reincarnated is easy, avoiding it is difficult. From a Buddhist perspective the first of the Four Noble Truths tells us that life is unsatisfactory and inevitably linked with suffering. Promises of eternal life and rising from the dead are not the way to attract Buddhists to Christianity. An eternal life means even more oceans of tears - not a very pleasant prospect.

rossum

 

[ahimsaman72]

And just as a reminder, bodhissatvas delay their own nirvana by coming back (or staying) in the world to help others attain nirvana also. It is a compassionate decision.

The 14th Dalai Lama is said to be a reincarnation (or the rebirth) of Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit) or Kuan Yin (Chinese). It’s a “he” in the older traditions, but once “he” came to China, “he” became a “she” and has assumed this feminine role to the present day.

She is a compassionate being who is called upon to help believers in this world. The Dalai Lama is simply one of her incarnations.

When Tenzin Gyatso (the Dalai Lama) speaks of him being a “simple Buddhist monk” he is simply being humble (which he is expected to be). Even if he were a Buddha, he would not tell you so. That is forbidden.

Peace…