The Problem

I used to love the playground as a kid. Mainly because being in the playground meant that you were NOT in school. I loved the swing and monkey bars but could not stand the merry-go-round. I couldn't stand it because I would get sick on it. At first it started out as fun as you went round a few times, then round again, and again, and again, and again, until it felt like my brain was mashing itself into one ear and my tater-tots were ready to reappear in an unpleasing form. Time to GET OFF!

I am taking a class on Buddhism in my truck. It is a fascinating religion but one of the things that I didn't realize that Buddhist consider reincarnation the PROBLEM of death and not the solution. In America reincarnation is hailed as some sort of panacea to all kinds of problems. But especially reincarnation is the solution of the problem Christianity presents in its theology of a REAL heaven and hell. Americans will tell you that there is no heaven and hell and that you come back as someone (or something) else, that energy is never destroyed it is simply recycled; hell is just too terrible a concept to believe in.

In true Buddhism reincarnation is the PROBLEM not the solution. Reincarnation is the "hell" of Buddhism. The problem is coming back as something else or someone else again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and .... Buddhist understand that the endless cycle of life is something you need to GET OFF OF or escape from and NOT something to be celebrated. In order to escape reincarnation they developed the idea of karma and nirvana. Karma means: actions or performance or in Christianese: works, good or bad. Nirvana means: blowing out, snuffing out a flame. The purpose or ultimate nirvana in Buddhism is to snuff out your cycle of life, to BE no more. You do that through good karma, good actions or works where eventually you will be like the Buddha himself ... GONE!

Now I can understand the appeal of getting off the merry-go-round. After a few thousand lifetimes the thought of another would be nauseating. The best thing would SEEM TO BE a complete stop, snuffing out the flame of life. In fact the wisest man who ever lived commented on this cycle of life calling it "Meaningless, UTTERLY meaningless, and wearisome." I would concur. Buddhism isn't for me. Heaven cannot be a "snuffing out" heaven must be a true awakening and true rebirth from your ONLY lifetime into your only ultimate reward. You have just one chance here, do the right thing.