Zen Buddhism rebirth?

Question

Does Zen take rebirth as literal or figurative? Alan W.Watts writes it is figurative, but I want to make sure.

Answer 1

As a Theravadan Buddhist it is my understanding that Zen Buddhists see Rebirth as figurative.

Theravadan's see it as literal and as a consequence of unresolved negative Karmic affects as well as an unevolved Buddha Nature for want of a better term. Theravadan's follow this teaching as it appears as the Lord Buddha taught this in his Dharma, I do not know why Zen Buddhists follow another Path.

I apologse for not being able to supply a better explanation...my understanding of Zen is only limited...

Peace from a Buddhist....

Answer 2

Don't know about Zen or whether it is different from Thervada but rebirth is not the same as reincarnation.
Rebirth is the concept that the being which I think of as "me" is constantly being reborn by my internal processes and that their is no permanent "me". No continuous soul, no permanent record but a continual process of change and rebirth.
Since their is no permanent "me" there is nothing to reincarnate so being born again as a dog or another human isn't really an option.

Answer 3

i'm a Hindu yet i'll attempt and answer. there's an stunning style of misunderstanding surrounding the techniques of Reincarnation and Rebirth. at first look it style of sounds like they are synonyms, yet there's a super distinction between those 2 techniques. The doctrine of reincarnation, additionally mentioned as transmigration, is taught by potential of Hinduism, Jainism and Gnostic Christianity. it fairly is considerable postulate is that there is an indestructible, eternal, own element that travels from one existence to the subsequent. This element is named atman interior the Hindu faith, jiva interior the Jain faith and soul by potential of Gnostic Christianity. Reincarnation assumes identity between the occupant of this physique and, whilst this physique dies, the occupant of here physique. in assessment, Buddhism teaches the doctrine of rebirth. between a sequence of lifetimes there's a relationship of causality, not of identity. To make this extra sparkling, enable's use the occasion of the falling dominos. If I place a sequence of dominos status up in line next to a minimum of one yet another, and that i strike the 1st one to make it cave in, this reasons the 2d to cave in, and the subsequent, until the final in line falls down. the fall of the 1st domino is the rationalization for the fall of the final one, yet there is not a shared identity between the 1st and the final domino. whilst somebody dies, rebirth is led to by potential of the continuation of the psychological tactics of the lifeless individual in a sparkling physique. the recent individual even however isn't same to the only that left the previous physique (an stunning style of reasons and stipulations come into play to shape this new being), nor a thoroughly different individual (because of the fact of causality relation). Now to a pair Westerners reincarnation is a supernatural component and so that they reject it whilst on the comparable time embracing Buddhism. it fairly is because of the fact they have on no account won a sparkling differentiation of rebirth from reincarnation. So their preconceptions reason them to think of a disbelief in reincarnation/rebirth. As has additionally been mentioned, Zen specializes interior the here and now not on dying. additionally Zen practises are concentrated on awakening not on reaching good karma for destiny lives. subsequently Zen Masters and books say little or no on rebirth because of the fact it fairly is not mandatory to their approach of awakening. subsequently a Western Zen pupil might on no account detect his fake effect of reincarnation / rebirth being the comparable. _()_

Answer 4

I have a question, what incarnates? Once this is known, one knows there self.