Life. Death. Rebirth. Reincarnation? Anything to that question?
Maybe, but the fear of death and its ongoing anxiety has always a very universal fact, even though 90% of us believe in an afterlife (according to recent polls). Thus making it a subject for ongoing inquiry and discussion, as it seems the real fear is the plain fact that death is the greatest mystery of all, at least in relation to our normal physical reality.
But let’s break down that fear briefly and more specifically, since there seems to be several factors at work here. At least six that I can come up with right now. It’s certainly not meant to be an all-inclusive list. The first is the fact that we face death alone. Being the social entities we are, this can be very disconcerting. Even if we have family and friends with us at the time of our departure, we face that last stretch by ourselves.
Second, is the possibility we may have to face some type of judgment or karma on the other side, so that we won’t measure up and then have to deal with the consequences. Much of this is considered speculation by some, belief by others and reality by still others. Either way, it forms part of the basis of our fear.
Third, is just the opposite, that there is no tomorrow and that we will not exist at all past death. The possibility of non-being can create a great deal of apprehension and seems to go against most people’s basic beliefs and feelings that our lives should not be reduced to non-existence.
Fourth, involves the great amount of loss we will experience. We lose everything we have valued in our life. These attachments, whether people, things or hopes for the future, they will all be gone to us once we leave.
Fifth, has to do with how we die. Most people fear a violent, painful death, or a slow, debilitating death, preferring instead to go quick and painless, preferably in their sleep.
And finally, it seems to be about the failure of completing one’s life work. Many people fear a meaningless existence almost as much as they fear death itself. If they did not find their calling or complete their mission in life, their sense of failure adds greatly to their perceived finality of life.
I also want to mention what may be a possible underlying reason for all these factors; the simple plain fact that we do not know ourselves. I don’t mean our name, our background, our family, our friends, our job, our possessions, our hopes or our desires, but our personal, unique and separate identity. If we took all our life’s props away and were just left with ourselves, then … Who are we? Who are you? If you don’t know, that will certainly add anxiety in your life. So when we have to face death, we are forced to assess the meaning of our life. Not knowing who we are at this point only makes the anxiety grow even greater. I personally believe that once you know yourself, there is no reason to fear death, or life, for I feel that one fear is tied to the other. Once we realize we have no exit from our existence, we should try to figure out who we are and what we are doing here. For it seems that overcoming our fear of death, and thus of life, we can achieve a whole new perspective of the continuity of our existence. Anyway, it is certainly something to consider, and only you will really have the answer for you in the end.
So now, let’s get to this idea of reincarnation, making a basic definition in order here. In reincarnation, the theory is that there is an evolution to the growth process of a spiritual being’s existence. Once you’ve graduated to the level of human life, for the most part you will probably stay there for quite awhile (possibly going beyond?). It supposedly takes many, many lifetimes to attain this level after having incarnated into lower life forms. Also, there is a period between lifetimes on the other side, with a wide variance of time based on a number of factors. Reincarnation actually means “a spirit which becomes flesh again and again.” So, this is considered an ongoing process of birth, death and rebirth, allowing the being’s soul to evolve into higher forms of life.
According to several different polls taken the past couple decades, between 25% and 50% of people in America believe in reincarnation. Even more amazing, a recent online poll found that more than 50% were convinced reincarnation was fact, another 25% who thought it was likely and another 15% thought it possible, making more than 90% of those polled felt reincarnation could be reality. Certainly a very intriguing reflection of our current times. However, the theory of reincarnation goes way back in history, and has been a part of most religions at one time or another. Let’s take a quick history lesson.
Nobody knows for sure when and where this concept first originated, but the ancient Egyptians believed it, as well as the mystic Jews, the ancient Greeks, Druids, Gnostics, Neo-Platonists and most other mystery schools. As far as religion is concerned, it has been a part of the Hindu religion since about the ninth century B.C., partially as a result of the growth of the Upanishads. From there Buddhism, Jainism and Taoism adopted it.
Two religions where it seems to be conspicuously missing is in both Christianity and Islam. However, there are some exceptions. In Islam there is the Sufi mystical sect, also influenced by the Buddhists and Hindus, and who believe in it. If we examine some past history in Christianity we come up with some intriguing stories. Although there is some controversy here, as well as opposing views to the reliability of some historical accounts. I will leave that final assessment up to you.
Approximately in the first century A.D., reincarnation was widely taught in most of the biblical and Jewish lands. Among the earliest Christians, mostly in the Gnostic sects and the Essenes, it was a common part of the teachings. After the first generations of Christians, between about 150 to 250 A.D., several of the early church fathers taught certain aspects of reincarnation. One of the more famous ones was Origen, who became the center of ongoing controversy for several centuries after he died.
Origen was the first person since Paul to develop a theological system around Jesus’ teachings. He believed in reincarnation and preexistence of the soul, which he taught could be found in both the Old and New Testaments. It was his teachings in these mystical areas that later became heresy and were expunged from church doctrines.
About a hundred years later in the early part of the fourth century, another priest opened this controversy, causing an internal split over certain issues that would eventually affect the church’s stance on reincarnation. To quell this growing split, it required that the Roman emperor Constantine intervene into church affairs.
In 325 the Council of Nicea convened for two months with Constantine attending, along with 300 bishops basically under his control. Thirteen years before, Constantine had converted to Christianity, which would have a great effect on its spread. With the Roman Empire on the decline, here he saw his opportunity to exert his influence of the growth of this new sprouting religion, as well as attempt to re-exert the power of the empire. By intervening and helping establish new church creeds (still in force today), and exerting such dictatorial governmental policy into religious affairs, he would have a profound effect on the direction that Christianity grew, bringing about inconsistent and intolerant theological teachings. This also marked the beginning of the end for the concept of reincarnation and a host of other related mystical concepts. An interesting note to add here is, that at the same time the idea of reincarnation was being destroyed the idea of original sin was being created, paving the way for what would eventually be allowed to go into the Christian Bible.
However, it would take a series of events two hundred years later when Justinian became emperor to put the nail in the coffin of this “heretical” concept. By this time the empire was crumbling and on the verge of collapse, with the Byzantine Empire replacing it, at least what was left. With an edict that Justinius issued and all bishops signed in 543, and then in 553 with a church council convening to condemn heretical writings, which included reincarnation references, the idea of reincarnation disappeared from any church teachings permanently. Basically, it conflicted with the proper understanding of redemption and allowed the church to increase its power over the people it supposedly served. Salvation now had to be accomplished in one lifetime.
To further codify and embed its position, the church in both 1274 and 1439 declared that after death the soul promptly goes directly to heaven or hell and does not venture into physical bodies again. Despite all this, several noted clergymen over the centuries were influenced by Origen’s knowledge, as well as several Christian mystic sects, and continued to teach the possibility of reincarnation. But because they were violently persecuted and slaughtered, they were forced to go underground.
JAD