Is it better to believe in one life or in many?

Jeroen

It is actually an interesting question. Many religions that originate in the region of India believe in many lives and the wheel of reincarnation, for example Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism share this. But it seems to make people more content, because they know, if in this life they don’t have a palace, then perhaps in a next life it will happen for them. Much jealousy, much ill feeling is reduced by it.

If on the other hand you believe that this life is all there is, as Christians or Mohammedans or scientific materialists would have you believe, then you put an awful lot of pressure on what you do with this life. Everything becomes very immediate, and carries heavy consequence. You also immediately become concerned with meaning and philosophy.

I think for a Buddhist questions of meaning are resolved by the idea of reincarnation. In terms of the way it enables you to think, I find it much more sane than the Christian approach, and more wise and good natured also.