Reincarnation

[Sam Lim]

REINCARNATION, Past Life Evidence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0B4V_kowo

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, Sam, for posting a video on this subject.  I moved your post thread, because we already have a thread that is dedicated to the subject.

[Michel]

Scientific Proof of Reincarnation Dr. Ian Stevenson' s Life Work:

http://reluctant-messenger.com/reincarnation-proof.htm

[bodhimind]

Scientific Proof of Reincarnation Dr. Ian Stevenson' s Life Work:

http://reluctant-messenger.com/reincarnation-proof.htm

It might also be worth noting that Ian Stevenson comes from the University of Virginia, where they have a department that is for investigating these things. Unfortunately, not much recognition is coming from the mass public and while some of the evidence can be peer-reviewed as debatable, not many scientists are batting an eye. I would assume that since it does not entail a profit, it does not really get much funding either and is not profitable for a scientist to carry out such work.

Another one that I admire for solid work is Bruce Greyson, also from the University of Virginia, a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. He has documented a lot of cases of past-life recall from many children.

You can see a list of his studies here: http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/staff/biobruce-page

Also, he spoke at a conference on consciousness in 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPGZSC8odIU

Some of his arguments that consciousness does not exist as a result of a brain, supporting reincarnation/rebirth:

1. Past-iife recall

2. Sudden lucidity in brain-damaged patients prior to death

3. near-death experiences

4. Perfect functioning in patients in "impossible" brain-states (parts missing or hydrocephaly)

[Sam Lim]

If you watch the video, the boy said that he chose his parents. Just wanted to highlight that. So, don't say I don't want to be born or I didn't choose you to be my parent in a fit of anger. LOL

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

http://www.iisis.net/index.php%3Fpage%3Dsemkiw-anne-frank-barbro-karlen-reincarnation-past-life

[bodhimind]

If you watch the video, the boy said that he chose his parents. Just wanted to highlight that. So, don't say I don't want to be born or I didn't choose you to be my parent in a fit of anger. LOL

Reincarnation Case of Anne Frank | Barbro Karlen

http://www.iisis.net/index.php%3Fpage%3Dsemkiw-anne-frank-barbro-karlen-reincarnation-past-life

It is interesting how they say Barbro looks exactly like Anne Frank... even though they have two different parents. How does that work? Do we carry our features/body memory over as well? I know birth-marks can be carried over from fatal injuries.

[Alexander]

Thanks, Sam, for the links. When I worked at a city school last year, I thought about this subject frequently. The students I had were all "low born," so their parents were criminals, drug addicts, etc. At first I had sympathy for the students as they were born into that environment. Surely, they couldn't help being damaged if they were born to those parents. But, the more I was with the students, the more I realized they were scum. I recalled the quote from the Bhagavad Gita of how a soul is cast into a womb based on its karmas.

Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

Life after life I cast those who are malicious, hateful, cruel, and degraded into the wombs of those with similar demonic natures. Birth after birth they find themselves with demonic tendencies. Degraded in this way, Arjuna, they fail to reach me and fall lower still.

The dislike I developed for my students reminded me of Dante in The Inferno, when he at first felt sympathy for the damned, then later on loses all pity for them.

Reader, so may God grant you to understand my poem and profit from it, ask yourself how I could check my tears, when near at hand I saw the image of our humanity distorted... Certainly I wept. I leaned against the jagged face of a rock and wept.

Virgil said, "Still? Still like the other fools? There is no place for pity here. Who is more arrogant within his soul, who is more impious than one who dares to sorrow at God's judgment?"

[Sam Lim]

Thanks, Sam, for the links. When I worked at a city school last year, I thought about this subject frequently. The students I had were all "low born," so their parents were criminals, drug addicts, etc. At first I had sympathy for the students as they were born into that environment. Surely, they couldn't help being damaged if they were born to those parents. But, the more I was with the students, the more I realized they were scum. I recalled the quote from the Bhagavad Gita of how a soul is cast into a womb based on its karmas.

I felt so bad and it was funny at the same time when you said "low born". They are born into a bad situation. One can climb out of a hell hole. I was born into a family where I was being physically abused every day and I do believe one can extricate one self from that situation. Which I did with so much hate, resentment and anger. I also believe that we born to do or to learn something. Once that lesson is done then there will be no more re-birth.

Quote from: The Bhagavad Gita
Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

Life after life I cast those who are malicious, hateful, cruel, and degraded into the wombs of those with similar demonic natures. Birth after birth they find themselves with demonic tendencies. Degraded in this way, Arjuna, they fail to reach me and fall lower still.

For those still with attachment, then they are caught in the wheel of samsara.(going in circles) They never progress. (Those who are malicious , hateful and cruel)

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Sam, for the links. When I worked at a city school last year, I thought about this subject frequently. The students I had were all "low born," so their parents were criminals, drug addicts, etc. At first I had sympathy for the students as they were born into that environment. Surely, they couldn't help being damaged if they were born to those parents. But, the more I was with the students, the more I realized they were scum. I recalled the quote from the Bhagavad Gita of how a soul is cast into a womb based on its karmas.

I felt so bad and it was funny at the same time when you said "low born". They are born into a bad situation. One can climb out of a hell hole. I was born into a family where I was being physically abused every day and I do believe one can extricate one self from that situation. Which I did with so much hate, resentment and anger. I also believe that we born to do or to learn something. Once that lesson is done then there will be no more re-birth.

I agree with Sam. I too was born into an abusive family, and I extracted myself from the endless cycle of suffering by taking up a rigorous, self-aware contemplative life; so if I can do it, then I know anyone can.  However, sadly, too few people do the personal work to do so.  It is not due to their "low-birth" as I see the same problems among the "high-born" wealthy.  Debauchery is common among the wealthy, as it is among the poor, and it has always been so.

Quote from: The Bhagavad Gita
Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

Life after life I cast those who are malicious, hateful, cruel, and degraded into the wombs of those with similar demonic natures. Birth after birth they find themselves with demonic tendencies. Degraded in this way, Arjuna, they fail to reach me and fall lower still.

For those still with attachment, then they are caught in the wheel of samsara.(going in circles) They never progress. (Those who are malicious , hateful and cruel)

Otherwise known as "thou shalt not covet...", or "suffering has a cause, it is your craving..."  It is the same thing said in different religions.

[Zack]

They're not scum.

[Alexander]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-B_kmAebbQ This is a school very similar to where I worked last year, if anyone is interested; however, my students were much worse than these.

They're not scum.

This is the attitude I had as well, Zack, but I was unable to maintain it.

[rougeleader115]

They're not scum.

This is the attitude I had as well, Zack, but I was unable to maintain it.

Sadly, I agree.

[Zack]

It seemed to me to be glorifying and finding justification for hatred.

[Cal]

It seemed to me to be glorifying and finding justification for hatred.

Zack, not to defend the statement but to provide definition. Scum is defined as a layer of dirt or froth on the surface of a liquid, which is quite accurate if we look within a proper context. However, im not gonna isolate this to them, as this is a good description for mankind. I'll be the first to advocate helping others, but definition is rather important. Perhaps words like scum, which have a perceived negative connotation to them should be left out, as when they are taken within the context of perception, any number of different outcomes may occur. However, there are many many references to "balance" within a spiritual context. Simply, one thing cannot exist without the other. So we can take things like Alexanders statement that those kids were in fact scum, and isolate it. Say correct things in a social context, like your above statement. Or, we can look at the evidence provided and determine that this does actually exist. Why does it exist? To provide contrast for determination, balance. I found Alexanders statement interesting. I do not know how I would perceive the situation in his shoes, possibly the same way. However, I dont look at things in this way, I dissect them, as I wish to understand the base meaning. Kids and adults alike that are so far to an extremity are quite interesting, as they provide the clearest actions in which not to take. In order to recognize this, one must define. We all have a choice to make, until we dont.

[Jhanananda]

Alexander's emotional, and offensive, statement regarding students that he once taught reminded me of the first year that I had my major awakening back when I was 21.  At that time I wanted to help people, especially children, so I found a job working as a psychiatric technician in an institute that housed, I guess they are called "mentally deficient" these days.  Then they were called 'retarded.'  I found that they had all been so institutionalized that they were not at all interested in me helping them.

After that I worked at a place for juvenile delinquents, which was called "Desert Sanctuary."  It was a remote ranch near Benson, AZ, which was run by Bill Haines, who also happened to be an American Hindu-style swami, who called himself "Swami Dhayananda."  He found a better living housing juvenile delinquents than running it as an ashram. 

For those who are interested in the history of Millbrook, Desert Sanctuary is where the furnishings and people who ran Millbrook fled to after the feds raided Millbrook and arrested Tim Leary.

Anyway, I found the juvenile delinquents there were also not interested in me helping them out.  Instead they enjoyed hijacking me.

Fast forward 40 years.  I find the only people whom I can help are those who have stumbled upon deep meditation.  Perhaps, Alexander, you will find the same, or find something else.