Do All Zen Buddhists Believe in Rebirth?
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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 Zen Buddhist teachings. If there is no “self” that is born or dies, how can it be reborn?
This is a question that students of Zen have been navigating for centuries.
According to many traditional schools of Buddhism, rebirth refers to the cycle of living and dying, or the idea that every living creature will eventually become one with all other matter in the universe. However, the meaning of rebirth varies between different Buddhist schools of thought. For instance, some modern Buddhists believe that people are born into six realms of existence. One can be born in a heavenly, demi-god or human existence, or an animal, hungry ghost or hellish existence. These realms are called Samsara, and the goal is to move beyond all of them and reach “nirvana,” the spiritual realm where one comes to understand the impermanence of all things and accepts that the “self” is an illusion.
Other, older Buddhist teachings present a different idea of what it means to be reborn. Those who ascribe to these beliefs don’t accept the concept of realms of existence, but instead think that to imagine being reborn at all is to reject the basis of Zen and the Buddha itself.
Credit: wikipedia.org
To understand this more fully, it helps to look at the teachings of Dogen Zenji, who founded the Soto school of Zen in the early 13th century. One of the world’s most revered teachers of Zen Buddhism, Dogen wrote this about death and Zen, “Firewood, after becoming ash, does not again become firewood. Similarly, human beings, after death, do not live again.” His teachings emphasized that humans should make the most out of every moment rather than relying on faith or the belief that life continues in other forms after death.
Yet this was not the entirety of what Dogen taught. In many instances, he discussed the possibility of moving on to another realm.
The reason why many modern Zen Buddhists now reject the concept of rebirth, especially the realms of Samsara, is because Zen teaches that what is important is to live in the present. Some of the oldest Zen Buddhist teachings make no claims at all regarding what happens after someone dies, but simply teach that we should live in the moment in order to rid ourselves of suffering. This is one reason why many non-religious people have turned to the philosophies of Zen in recent decades.
Credit: wikipedia.org
Buddhism straddles the line between secular philosophy and religion. Its most basic teachings don’t require followers to have faith in any particular god or gods. Buddhism is also one of the most diverse religions in the world in terms of its followers’ philosophies and beliefs. Buddhist revivalists in India believe that taking intoxicants of any kind will prevent them from reaching enlightenment. Yet some Zen students choose meditation as their only physical devotion to Buddhism. In theory, as long as an individual rejects the concept of “self” and accepts the impermanence of life with detachment, it doesn’t matter whether that individual believes in rebirth or reincarnation. This sets Buddhism apart from most religious philosophies.
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It doesn’t matter if Buddhists are “modern” or Zen, or Theravatin or Tantric. Buddha Shakyamuni taught the 6 realms of existence and the Pure lands of the Enlightened beings (Buddhas) as well as the many Hell realms of lower rebirth. He taught that the all phenomena are empty- free of inherent existent and exist merely as a projection of the MIND (or mental continuum) apprehending them . The MIND is non physical and although they have a relationship it is NOT the physical BRAIN and is non-physical -it is our BUDDHA NATURE- is who we “are ” in essence and has no beginning nor end. Buddha taught that the “SELF” is a fabrication that we apprehend mistakenly to be who we are . It is this mistaken appearnce which is the source of all our suffering as it is contaminated with the 3 poisons: Attachment. Haterd and Ingnorance. It is this mistaken apprehension and the actions (KARMA) we create that result in rebirth accordying to our past KARMA in previous lives. (Or why “bad “things happen to “good” people.) Buddha taught that there is no external creative force (GOD) that “created all phenomena” but that what we normally see is all a projection of mind- (why 3 children raised in the same family have 3 completely different experiences of the same parents, etc. or why one see’s their boyfriend/girlfriend as unbelievably attractive and their friends see a creep!) It is ALL in our mind .
Through correct meditation practices in Sutra and Tantra that Buddha Shakyamuni taught over 2500 years ago (the closest we get is Quantum Physics that is pale in comparison) we can actually reach Enlightenment ourselves (whereas Christ who was a Bodhisattva who became Enlightened is worshipped as a “God” and his teachings of how to attain his state were contaminated destroyed or lost as few of his teachings survived the Roman Empire or beyond.)
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Thanks for your insight, Esmerelda! I appreciate you taking the time to express your thoughts on this. It really is such a fascinating topic and wonderful to hear your depth of knowledge. Thanks for enhancing this topic further for our readers!
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Hi Esmerelda,
I too believe that there is a deep and profound connection between Buddhism and Christianity, and I have outlined my views and conclusions regarding the connection in an essay I wrote titled the Purpose of Monotheism and Its Future:
https://archive.org/details/ThePurposeOfMonotheismAndItsFuture
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Esmeralda, I am afraid you are confusing the beliefs of some sects what what Buddha actually taught. You can find late Sutras and other writings that put forward the concepts you discuss, but there is no indication that they existed in early Buddhism or were part of the Buddhas teaching.
To be honest, Pure Land Buddhism is about as far as way from Buddha’s own philosophy as one can imagine. Although Nichiren is worse!
religions often sanctify writings and treat the speculations of humans as if they were unalterable truth. As Buddha almost certainly DID say, you should question all that teaching and all those teachers and apply reason to the path.
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Hi Esmeralda thank you for your views on Buddhist philosophy. I wholeheartedly agree! I followed the Dalai Lama’s teachings (and many other great masters) living in India for 18 years.
All of them taught that our inner essence is pure but clouded over by our karmic imprints, conditioning and habitual tendencies. So the only way to reach enlightenment is to purify those negative imprints and develop the six perfections of generosity, patience, diligence, discipline, compassion and wisdom.
Karma plays a huge role in our development and as you said this explains why children in one family can all behave so differently. There are many examples also of rebirth and indeed the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is one of the most outstanding.
I do hope you get this as you posted it 5 years ago!! Wish we could meet up? I live in East Sussex.
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I hope this is true. I recently read thich nhats book no death no fear to find comfort and it did the complete opposite. The thought of being non existent and living on in the memories of others isn’t really a comforting thought. If it’s true then so be it but I am confused as to why a man who spend his entire life in meditation to come to the same conclusions as most atheists would.
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Hi Marissa
I feel that the following article clarifies this issue very effectively:
https://essenceofbuddhism.wordpress.com/2013/07/12/the-confusion-over-the-self-in-modern-buddhism/
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You know there’s a Zen parable about how a master could try to point the full moon to a dog but the dog would only stare at their masters hand. Different religions are that hand, those who debate about the differences between religions, the Dog. It what all the religions point to, the moon. Do any of you see it?
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Hmm, well that is your point of view. But the official teaching of Christianity, for example, is that only it points to the true reality. Going on the same terms of the parable, all religions, at their best, point at the moon and stars, at their worst, at putrifying dead corpses, but onlye Christianity points at the sun. Not saying that is true, but it it is not good to generalize a point about different religions, without taking into account their own view. I mean, Christ says he is the way, as in the only way to the father, in the Gospels. You can say that it is not a true account, but I am talking here about the official teaching. Islam, from my shallow experience, also talks about the unique relationship Mohammed got with God – Allah is the word for God in arabic, it is not a first time, like Jesus. Even arabic christians used the same word to refer to God. These are just two examples of religions which posit some kind of exclusivism.
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Aren’t you proving that the moon is what the hand points to BY saying that each religion thinks it points to the sun? Whether you call it the sun or moon doesn’t matter. isn’t the point that the dog can’t tell the difference if he’s looking at the hand?
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No reincarmation. Just stop believing/entertaining any firm notions of anything and as a result creating an equal opposite force. People on Dmt have hellish experiences when they enter it with emotionally negative charged nihilistic attitude. Remember, it’s just energy that creates hallucinations with an opposite force to show them that it isnt so but in reality you’re. Creating that division. Its not there. You are not in your body, things may not be transactiomal. Perhaps there are no ledgers.
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Well you clearly are your body if nothing exists after death. We can sit and paint it into pretty little analogies that thich nhat would do, “ we are the flower in the meadow” “ the wind to the face” basically, an atheist would come to the same conclusion as him without spending a lifetime in meditations. I say having a blind faith is better than the above.
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