Expert: John Willemsens aka Advayavadananda - 3/16/2004

Question
Lately i have become very interested in Buddhism in general and have found that i agree with many of it's philosophies. However recently upon reading some introduction articles i have found something that perplexed me. In one article it said that the Buddha didnt neccesarily believe in a god because there was no physical evidence in support of a god or devine creator. But i also noticed that Buddhism supported the belief in reincarnation when there is no physical evidence of reincarnation that neither, I nor anybody else i know, is aware of. Since reincarnation occurs after death and nobody can usually speak up after they are dead, how can anybody be sure that reincarnation exists? If proof is neccasary for Buddhists to believe in a god why isnt proof neccesary to believe in reincarnation?  They seem to be contradicting beliefs.

Answer
Hello Patrick,
Please note that I speak for Advayavada Buddhism only.
If you want to know more about this form of Buddhism, please visit www.advayavada.nl.
In the QandA section you will find our position on rebirth, which differs from that of other schools.
Search with the Picosearch device for the word 'rebirth' or 'evidence'.
Kind regards,
John Willemsens a.k.a. Advayavadananda.