Transmigration Essay

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Transmigration according to Tibetan Buddhism is this, when a host dies, the soul will migrate to another body (host), a human, vegetation, an animal, or even a celestial. So, a soul will never just disappear but just like energy, a soul is never destroyed but passes down. Most people think that karma is fate or predestination, that a person has no power over what kind of karma he/she has done in previous existence. Because karma means “action” or “doing,” it is an action that is intended and deliberate. A person can choose to create karma of two varieties, wholesome karma (good karma) or unwholesome karma (bad karma). A person’s decisions in one life completely dictates what happens to him or her (the fruits he/she bears) in the next life, after the rebirth. A person, animal, or other being could very well be living with good things, good health, riches, etc. in this life but lose all of that and ends up being evil or a suffering creature in the life to come. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu in his study guide titled Kamma, an individual that is “undeveloped in [contemplating] the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering” is going to hell if he operates evil deeds. No one wants to go to hell because it is believed to be the worst place imaginable, a place of agony and Bhikkhu clearly explains who gets thrown down there. This is easily explained by the analogy of the salt crystal thrown in the cup of water or in a river. The evil deed in this case is the discharging of the salt crystal but what determines who goes to hell depends on how that individual discharges the salt crystal. If a man discharges the salt crystal into the river, it will not a...

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...g the right thing, being a good person and helping other so that good thing might come to you is mention plainly and numerous times. As Job states, people that do bad to others and make the lives of others miserable are going to receive the same thing. But at the same time, we could be going through tough times and hardships for the glory of God and not because we did something bad. When the disciples ask Jesus why the man was blind from birth, he said to them, that he was blind from birth not because of any sin he committed or that the parents committed, but he was born blind for in order to show the Glory of God. No matter what happens in this world, Christians know and believe that it’s all according to God’s work and that everything happens for His glory. So, even though I don’t completely agree with these philosophers, I understand their teachings and beliefs.

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