http://koti.phnet.fi/elohim/Reincarnation
If we start to examine the basic views of the New Age movement and the Oriental religions, it is good to start from reincarnation. This doctrine is namely in the background of almost all teachings of the New age movement and it is also the basic belief of the Oriental religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. About its commonness has been estimated, that about 25 % of people in the western countries believes in it, but in India and other countries of Asia, where the origin of this doctrine are, the percentage is naturally much bigger. Mainly in India and other countries of Asia they have taught this doctrine already for at least 2000 years, and obviously it was accepted generally about 300 years before Christ, not just before Him.
When it is a question of reincarnation, it in any case is based on the fact, that our life is believed to be a continuous circulation so that each person is born on the earth again and again and again, and gets a new incarnation always according to how he has lived in his former life. All bad things that happen to us today are only the result of earlier events, and we must now reap what we have sown earlier. Only if we experience enlightenment and at the same time are freed from the circulation and achieve moksha, this circulation does not continue eternally. (However, in the western view achieving moksha is not very important. Instead, in the western world reincarnation is seen in positive light, mainly as a possibility to develop and grow spiritually. It doesn't have the similar negative nuance to it.)
But what can we think about reincarnation; is it really true or not, and is it worth believing in? We try answer this in this article.
If we start to examine the basic views of the New Age movement and the Oriental religions, it is good to start from reincarnation. This doctrine is namely in the background of almost all teachings of the New age movement and it is also the basic belief of the Oriental religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. About its commonness has been estimated, that about 25 % of people in the western countries believes in it, but in India and other countries of Asia, where the origin of this doctrine are, the percentage is naturally much bigger. Mainly in India and other countries of Asia they have taught this doctrine already for at least 2000 years, and obviously it was accepted generally about 300 years before Christ, not just before Him.
When it is a question of reincarnation, it in any case is based on the fact, that our life is believed to be a continuous circulation so that each person is born on the earth again and again and again, and gets a new incarnation always according to how he has lived in his former life. All bad things that happen to us today are only the result of earlier events, and we must now reap what we have sown earlier. Only if we experience enlightenment and at the same time are freed from the circulation and achieve moksha, this circulation does not continue eternally. (However, in the western view achieving moksha is not very important. Instead, in the western world reincarnation is seen in positive light, mainly as a possibility to develop and grow spiritually. It doesn't have the similar negative nuance to it.)
But what can we think about reincarnation; is it really true or not, and is it worth believing in? We try answer this in this article.
