Rebirth in Buddhism

As Buddhists, we certainly believe in the law of kamma or theory of rebirth preached by the Buddha. However, there are some scientists who has claimed that the individual comes into being at conception due to natural causes, so when we are dead there is nothing left. Buddhism dose not totally accept this point of view.

Buddhism offers more satisfactory explanation of how man comes and where he is going after death. According to Abhidhamma, having passing away, the person’s death-consciousness (patisandhi-viññāṇa) immediately follows the person to be reborn in the coming body.

These are several realms in which one can be reborn. Some people are reborn in heaven, some are reborn in hell, some reborn as hungry ghosts in woeful spheres, and so on.

The most important factor, but not the only one, influencing where we will reborn and what type of life we shall have, is kamma. The word “kamma” means “action” and refers to our actions, whether they are physical, verbal or mental. In other words, what we determine now is influenced by we acted and thought in the past. Likewise, how we think and act in the present will be causes for the fruition in the future.

According to the Buddha, the gentle and loving people tend to be reborn in a heaven realm due to their goods deeds. Those are reborn as human beings because they almost performed both good and bad deeds. Extremely cruel person tends to be reborn in hell.

Due to this process of birth and death, beings are reborn continuously in saṃsāra. As long as the fuels of cravings (lobha) and ignorance (avijjā) are totally ceased, he will attain a state of perfect freedom called Nibbāna. This is the purpose of life and the ultimate goal of Buddhism.