Comparing Reincarnation Beliefs between Hinduism and Buddhism
The idea of reincarnation began in India with the birth of Hinduism. Mike Oppenheim at Let Us Reason Ministries says, “Reincarnation seems to be a prevalent view in our society today. Mankind has continually searched for answers about life and the afterlife, and there are various religions that promote differing views. Hinduism, which is one of the oldest in the world, has influenced our culture more than any other…The word reincarnation means to come again in the flesh, Re-in= to come again, carnate= in the flesh. This is the successive embodiment of the soul in a series of mortal bodies.” (Oppenheim, pars. 1–5). Another religion in Asia also embodied the idea of reincarnation, but with different spiritual beliefs about the meaning.
Buddhism began in India when Buddha, also known as Prince Siddhartha Gautama, reached enlightenment under the bodhi tree and discovered the Four Noble Truths (Patheos Library, par. 2) but, as with other religions, the issue of the afterlife needed to be addressed. Because Hinduism was prevalent during Siddhartha’s life, he adopted the idea of reincarnation (Patheos Library, pars. 2–3).
In both Hinduism and Buddhism you must reach enlightenment to obtain Nirvana, or the end of suffering. Hinduism views the reaching of Nirvana as having good karma and dharma in your previous lives (Sullivan, par. 1), while Buddhism holds that once you realize that life is suffering, you can end the suffering (Bhikshu, par. 6).
Reincarnation is where the two religions differ the most in regards to the afterlife. Both follow that lives recycle into new forms, that the cycle will continue and that each life is a goal to reach the end of the cycle (Warner, par. 4). However, in Hinduism, there is self (Purusha), which is permanent, eternal and unchanging. The entire universe is comprised of two things: consciousness and matter (Purusha and Prakriti). Matter is our physical being while consciousness is part of our karmic results performed by the body (Warner, pars. 7–8). This all simply means that Hindus believe their conscious is separate from their physical being. Their body is simply a container for their soul until that body dies and their soul moves on to another body, like a hermit crab outgrowing a shell. Another comparison is, “A man might take off one suit of clothing and put on another. The man remains the same but the suits of clothing are different. In the same way the soul remains the same but the psycho-physical organism it takes up differs from life to life.” (Warner par. 2). In Buddhism, however, there is no self. This belief is best explained by Melanie Warner at BeyondTheNet, “The Buddhist term for rebirth is punabbhava, which means “again existence.” Buddhism sees rebirth not as the transmigration of a conscious entity but as the repeated occurrence of the process of existence. There is a continuity, a transmission of influence, a causal connection between one life and another. But there is no soul, no permanent entity which transmigrates from one life to another.” (Warner, par. 3).
Hinduism also teaches that you have an internal soul that continues in a process of reincarnation while inheriting karma, which is the sum of a person’s actions and past actions reflecting on your placement in your next life. (Sullivan, par. 3). While Buddhists describe their rebirth as more of one life, a flickering candle, igniting another candle, or another life, and not an actual soul moving bodies as it does in Hinduism. (Lane par. 5).
Susan Lane from AngelFire explains the difference between Hindu reincarnation and Buddhist rebirth as, “Reincarnation means the assumption of another body by a permanent, eternal self. Most Buddhists do not believe in a permanent self but believe human consciousness dissolves at death and that only a subtle mindstream remains. The mindstream carries with it karmic imprints from prior lives (but not memories and emotions associated with prior lives) and it is this subtle mindstream that conjoins with a new life-form after death. Thus, rebirth does not mean an identifiable human being assuming a new human body.” (Lane pars. 3–4)
In conclusion, Buddhism regards rebirth as a flow of life from one to the other, while Hinduism views it as an actual soul changing the bodies it inhabits. And while these two ideas are vastly different, the idea of rebirth and reincarnation both include the belief that you will have many lives before you reach the end of suffering or Nirvana. But Buddhism does not see your soul shifting bodies, and Hinduism doesn’t see the mindstream. It seems that Buddhism and Hinduism beliefs about reincarnation are more different than alike.
Works Cited
Bhikshu, Kusala. “Buddhist Enlightenment vs. Nirvana.” UrbanDharma. Urban Dharma, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma6/enlightnirvana.html>.
“Buddhism Origins.” Patheos Library. Avalon Consulting, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism.html>.
“Hinduism: the Caste System, Reincarnation and Karma.” Oriental Philosophy. Lander Philosophy, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/caste.html>.
Lane, Susan. “Rebirth vs. Reincarnation.” AngeFire. Fair Tibet, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.angelfire.com/yt/fairtibet/rebirth.html>.
Oppenheimer, Mike. “Reincarnation.” Let Us Reason. Let Us Reason Ministries, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.letusreason.org/NAM8.htm>.
“Reincarnation and Samsara.” Heart of Hinduism. ISKCON Educational Services, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://hinduism.iskcon.org/concepts/102.htm>.
Sullivan, Rick. “Facts of Hinduism.” Basics of Hinduism. Kauai Hindu Monastery, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/basics/facts>.
Thuruthiyil, Scaria. “Reincarnation in Hinduism.” Spiritual Wholeness. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.spiritual-wholeness.org/faqs/reincgen/hindrein.htm>.
Warner, Melanie. “Buddhism and Hinduism Compared.” BeyondTheNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/buddhismHinduism.htm>.
