Defend your Faith

Buddhists believe in Karma and Reincarnation. We believe our actions cause effects in this and future lives. We also believe our present is shaped by our past. We are required to live in the present to understand our past and make a better future. When we die, if we have not been liberated through Nirvana, we enter the form of another body. The type of body we enter is based on whether our actions have been virtuous or non-virtuous. This form will perish as well and we will be reborn again endlessly. This is known as "cyclic existence" or Samsara. We believe all truth is Nirvana and anything else is a delusion. The three main delusions or "poisons" are greed, anger, and ignorance--represented by a bird, a snake, and a pig. These delusions feed into each other into a downward spiral we call "bad karma" and their antidotes lead to good karma. For instance, imagine a drunk. At first he might be happy, his wife may comfort him and his family may stand beside him. But, then he says something at a dinner party that does not go over well. Then he has an altercation with his son and punches him. Then he gets jailed for a DUI and he has lost his wife, his brother doesn't visit and his sons lose respect for him. His world has fundamentally changed since he started drinking. Now, imagine this man, or another man if you wish, has found out he is an alcoholic. Upon hearing this news he goes into recovery, and begins talking to his wife who separated from him and his children start to believe in him again and he gets a new job. His world has fundamentally changed since he renounced drinking. These are examples of the metaphysics of good and bad karma. The interactions we have lead to the world that is produced. But, these are only first order actions of karma. Imagine a teacher, such as on Breaking Bad, who sells drugs to kids. This teacher is creating a bad world for other people--that is he is making people around him worse. Since the world around him is getting worse, he is living in a worse world. This is also Karma because he has helped shaped the world as one with maybe graffiti and gangs and violence. Imagine another teacher who teaches math with great proficiency. This is an indifferent action because although more students become interested in math and use it to excel in their careers, they may use it in ways that harm or help others. But, if that same teacher taught with integrity and honesty, he would breed a climate as such, leading not only to math being more widely used, but also more widely used for good ends. These are all second degree orders of karma. I'm sure there are others, but those are the only two I'm aware of. As far as reincarnation is concerned my case is less sound. There really is no proof of something like this. But, the only alternative is that there is nothing after death--we cease to exist. Maybe that is a form of reincarnation for certain souls. My best argument for reincarnation is a version of Descartes "Cognito ergo sum." I know I exist and for me to cease existing would require some sort of strange banishment from the universe. Either way I don't see how myself (or anyone else for that matter) could be removed from the universe. It just seems too unlikely. So my opinion on this is we must be reincarnated (if we are said to die at the end of this life). These are my arguments for Reincarnation and for Karma. Hoped you enjoyed!