Expert: Justin Choo - 11/4/2008

Question
QUESTION: Below is a statement you made to A True Malaysian:

Other life forms can be reborn as humans. There are another two areas. The first one is that you must realize that the universe is so huge, beyond human reckoning. There are life forms in other world systems as well. In the context of space travel, time and distance are non-events, meaning, they cease to exist. The other sphere where lives exist are in a different dimension. The Buddha revealed that there are 31 planes of existence, Humans and animals are two of the 31 planes. There are heaven and hell planes in different dimensions which we can't see.


Can you back up the above statements with proof, if so I would like to see it. Other religions make these kind of wide sweeping statements (different claims) too and they will argue tooth and nail to protect their precious beliefs.   Are the Buddhists any better?  Can they go beyond blind faith and provide substantial proof that what they say about reincarnation is actually true?

Bob


ANSWER: Hi Bob,

"Other religions make these kind of wide sweeping statements (different claims) too and they will argue tooth and nail to protect their precious beliefs."

I shall not "argue tooth and nail" to protect what I wrote.  It is up to you to decide.  If you don't agree, it's ok.

Thank you for your interest shown.

Justin Choo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Justin:

Your answer is a cop-out.  You can’t protect what you wrote because you can’t back it up with proof, and you know it.  Perhaps you are afraid to fully challenge your beliefs, if so you are just burying your head in the sand.  If what you believe is not the truth than that is delusion and you know where that leads.  Blind faith based on a false belief (no matter how nice it sounds) won’t help you either, it is still delusion.
         
I did not ask you to argue tooth and nail. That is not what I asked of you. Actually I am not interested in arguing at all, I just want to know what the truth is.  Maybe my posting came across that way but I am really not.   I am sincerely interested in knowing what the truth is.  Truth that is  backed up with proof, not blind faith.  I very much doubt that you can do that, but if you can I would like to hear what you have to say.  It is said that the truth shall set you free.

Bob


ANSWER: Hi Bob,

" I very much doubt that you can do that, but if you can I would like to hear what you have to say. "

You don't have to doubt that.  You are right.  I am here only to answer questions on Buddhism.  I am not here to prove everything under the sun.

Have a nice day.

Justin Choo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Justin:

I didn’t ask you to prove everything under the sun.  I only asked you for proof (truth) on your Buddhist beliefs about  reincarnation.  I thought it was a reasonable request.

Bob


Answer
Hi Bob,

The Buddha talked about "rebirth" and not "reincarnation".  These two concepts are different but I shall not discuss here.

On your insistence, please refer to the following links.  You can also Google "Dr Ian Stevenson" and "Rebirth research" for more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Stevenson

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/rebirthscience.pdf

Thanks for your interest shown.

Justin Choo