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to tranquilation of the heart, nor to real knowledge, nor to the insight of the higher stages of the Path, nor to Nirvana."

[When asked what it is that he has determined, The Buddha replied]:

"I have expounded . . . what is pain; I have expounded what is the origin of pain; I have expounded what is the cessation of pain; I have expounded what is the method by which one may reach what is the cessation of pain."

In other words, the Buddha returns his students to the teaching of the Four Noble Truths/Eight-fold Path (his own method to self-enlightenment). Notice the Buddha does not say the world's various metaphysical beliefs are untrue. He just says that based on his experience (and he always encourages you to go for your own experience!), no metaphysical belief, including the belief in reincarnation, leads to the end of suffering. It only keeps you ping-ponging between desire and fear.

If one chooses to study or practice Buddhism, one must distinguish between the original teachings of the Buddha, who was not a god or religious savior but rather something akin to a spiritual psychologist, and the "religion" of Buddhism, which in its various cloaks over over the centuries couldn't help but let the concept of a reincarnating soul creep back into its message. Reincarnation is a Hindu and Jain idea, not a Buddhist idea. Buddhism is essentially a reform of and reaction to Hinduism. The Buddha was open to the concept of reincarnation in the sense that everything is impermanent and continually recycling itself, but for him there was nothing necessarily individual about it.

Reincarnation is a challenging subject, but the beauty of Buddhism is that it is not a rigid set of divinely imposed doctrines, but a system of self-exploration based on dialogue and heuristics (personal trial & error). In this sense it is a naturally democratic process that unfolds differently for everyone. Generally speaking, Buddhism is probably the most highly evolved, practical, and all-embracing system of self-knowledge and compassion the world has ever created, and can be practiced within any religion.

Learn more about this author, Richard Dance.
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