Tag Archives: Reincarnation

Hindu Cremations at Nepal’s Pashupatinath Temple

Family members complete nearly two weeks of traditional Hindu mourning rituals

Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal is one of the region’s most significant Hindu pilgrimage destinations. Located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati river, the sprawling temple complex includes hundreds of Shiva “lingams,” or symbols representing Lord Shiva, and overflows … Continue reading

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The Mystery and Magic of Haitian Vodou Funeral Rites

Ensuring the survival of the spirit

According to The Guardian, Haitians have a saying that Haiti is 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant, and 100 percent Vodou. Vodou, or Voodoo as many call it, is a combination of Catholicism, other forms of Christianity, several African religions … Continue reading

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”Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife” by Mary Roach

The search for scientific evidence of a soul and an afterlife

In the preface to “Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife,” author Mary Roach tells her reader that she is not interested in philosophical debates on the soul, but neither is Spook a “debunking book” for skeptics. (Debunking books assume an outcome … Continue reading

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Do All Zen Buddhists Believe in Rebirth?

A look into two theories behind Dogen teachings

One of the primary concepts behind most schools of Zen Buddhism is the idea that there is no real “self” who is born or dies. If one believes in this concept, it seems that the idea of “rebirth” doesn’t fit into … Continue reading

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”the Tibetan Book of the Dead” edited by John Baldock

Editor W.Y. Evans-Wentz's famous translation offers a Buddhist perspective of the end-of-life experience, or the Art of Dying

“The Art of Dying is quite as important as the Art of Living,” writes editor W.Y. Evans-Wentz in his preface to The Tibetan Book of the Dead. An ancient Buddhist text, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or the Bardo … Continue reading

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“Eternal Life” by Carl Dennis

Carl Dennis contemplates both in "Eternal Life"

Reincarnation and ghosts are two end-of-life subjects I haven’t touched on much in this column. But Carl Dennis’s “Eternal Life” tackles both in a playful, pondering manner. This also means that he goes back and forth on his views. Initially, … Continue reading

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