*See the extension to this question for the entire scenario.
There are 3 guys. A Bishop, a bandit, and a Buddhist. The Bishop is good, the bandit is evil, and the Buddhist is a middle-of-the-roader that firmly believes in reincarnation. Each one has a radically different life and belief system, but they have one thing in common: they all plan on having their bodies cryogenically frozen when they die, so that they can be thawed, healed, and revived once the technology is available in the future.
Eventually, they all die, and their bodies are laid out and frozen next to each other, with each man in his own chamber. Their souls disincorporate and move on. The bishop goes to Heaven, the bandit goes to Hell, and the Buddhist is reincarnated into his next body. First he’s a bear, then a goat, then a cat, a dog, an eagle, an elephant, and finally a human baby boy. When he’s 9 years old, something extraordinary happens … the technology arises to revive the properly frozen dead.
2007-08-28 15:30:10 · 4 answers · asked by Michael F 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The three bodies are revived about 100 years after they were originally frozen. The Bishop’s soul leaves Heaven and resumes his life in his old body, and he says “Oh no, I was so happy in Heaven. I should have never signed up for this cryogenic BS.” When the bandit is revived, he says “Yes! I’m so glad to be out of Hell!” The only real question that I’d ask is: What about the Buddhist? If his soul is now back into his original body, what will happen to the body of the 9 year old boy? Will his soul be dragged out of that one and put back into his original body? Will a new soul take over the 9 year old boy? Would the 9 year old boy’s body just die, or would it be impossible for his soul to return?
2007-08-28 15:30:24 · update #1
If the Buddhist's soul has indeed moved on to a new vessel, the original would not be able to be revived, for there would be no energy to fuel it. That energy would already be in use elsewhere.
2007-08-28 15:59:42 · answer #1 · answered by Shihan 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would answer with a question
Are you absolutely sure that you are not having a life in more than one body at this very moment?
Do you remember your whole situation before you were born such that you know just how much came into this world to join with the fertilized egg your parents provided?
How do you know your higher spirit did not have more than one task for you to complete to gain whatever comes next?
2007-08-28 22:50:37 · answer #2 · answered by genntri 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rebirth is not inevitable. It is dependent on conditions.
Where those condiions are not met, there is Nirvaana, release from rebirth.
2007-08-29 03:53:03 · answer #3 · answered by goodfella 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are no souls in Buddhism. All is Buddha.
2007-08-28 22:39:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋