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Rebirth
Rebirth. The belief (also transmigration, metempsychosis, reincarnation, etc.) common in Eastern religions, that there is a continuity from one life to a next, either of a self or soul (see e.g. ĀTMAN), or, in the case of Buddhism, of the process itself. Buddhism teaches a karmically controlled continuity of consciousnesses between lives but denies that there is an ātman or inherently existing self which is the bearer of these consciousnesses (see punabbhāva). There are six realms of rebirth: three are pleasant (peaceful deities (deva), wrathful deities (asura), and humans), and three are unpleasant (animals, hungry ghosts (preta), and hell-beings).
In Hinduism also, rebirth may be in many forms, including those of animals, and on many levels of heavens and hells (see e.g. NARAKA). Terms for rebirth in Skt. include punarājātī, punarāvritti, punarutpatti, punarjanman, punarjīvātu. Among Jains, for whom karma is an accumulated impediment, rebirth of the jīva is immediate and instantaneous, ‘leaping like a monkey’ (Viyahapannatti Bhagavai), which eradicated the need for ancestor rituals, and for speculation about what supports the soul or process as it awaits rebirth (as in Hinduism and Buddhism). Ideas of rebirth have appeared in Western religions, but have remained marginal: see DIBBUK; GILGUL; ORIGEN; TANĀSUKH. See also TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD. |
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Rebirth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Rebirth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Rebirth.html JOHN BOWKER. "Rebirth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Rebirth.html |
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rebirth
rebirth. The belief that one is reborn after death. The idea is pre-Buddhist and is first encountered in the early Upaniṣads (c.800 bce). The notion is widespread in Indian religions, which believe in a continuity of the individual from one life to the next. Belief in rebirth is a corollary of the doctrine of karma, which holds that a person experiences the good or bad fruits of moral action at a later date. According to Buddhism, there are six possible realms of rebirth (see Bhavacakra; Gati). Rebirth is one of the ‘givens’ of Buddhist thought and since its truth is universally assumed it is rarely asserted or defended as a dogma. The authorities claim that the fact of rebirth is open to empirical verification by advanced yogins (such as the Buddha) who it is said can recall in great detail the circumstances of countless previous lives. Some contemporary Buddhists have suggested that belief in rebirth is not an essential part of Buddhist teachings, but the notion is deeply engrained in the tradition and the ancient texts. See also reincarnation.
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Cite this article
DAMIEN KEOWN. "rebirth." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "rebirth." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-rebirth.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "rebirth." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-rebirth.html |
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rebirth
re·birth / rēˈbər[unvoicedth]; ˈrēˌbər[unvoicedth]/ • n. the process of being reincarnated or born again: the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. ∎ the action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline; revival: the rebirth of a defeated nation. |
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Cite this article
"rebirth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "rebirth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-rebirth.html "rebirth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-rebirth.html |
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