The Little Book of Buddhist Rebirth (The Little Books on Buddhism 7)

The Little Book of Buddhist Rebirth looks at questions related to how the Buddha’s teachings on rebirth apply to Buddhist practice. It starts with some fundamental questions, starting with “Did the Buddha actually teach rebirth?” And if he did, was he talking about the transmigration of a being from one lifetime to the next, or was it a metaphor for other types of phenomena like mental activity?

Next the Little Book looks at whether there is evidence that rebirth is a reality. What do studies on past life experiences tell us? What does our knowledge of Near Death Experiences tell us, and does this relate to how Buddhists describe rebirth? There is also a discussion of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and how its description of the death process compares to Near Death Experiences.

Then there is an examination of whether belief in rebirth is necessary to attain Awakening. Even if rebirth is part of the Buddha’s teachings, is it necessary to believe in rebirth in order to liberate our minds from suffering and stress? Or is rebirth a cultural artifact from ancient India, and we can dispense with it?

Finally there is a description of the Buddhist cosmology, how the Buddhist tradition came to understand the different realms in the universe.

This Little Book takes us beyond views and practices that fit comfortably into conventional reality. It prepares us for the transcendent teachings of the Buddha, and into the mystical world that lies beyond time and space.