Author: Mehrullah Azizi
An Analysis of the History and Beliefs of Buddhism (part 23)
Ideologies and Beliefs of Buddhism
5. Denial of Resurrection (The Hereafter) – Continued
Second Section: Reincarnation of Souls
To better understand this doctrine, it should be noted that reincarnation is commonly divided into four types or stages:
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Naskh (Transmigration within humans):
In this stage, the soul passes from one human being to another human being. It is called naskh because the soul leaves one person and appears in the body of another. This type of transfer occurs within the same human category.
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Maskh (Transformation into animals):
This stage concerns individuals whose souls, due to sinful actions, are transferred after death into animal bodies. Here, the soul moves into the category of animals.
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Raskh (Transformation into plants or inanimate forms):
In this stage, the soul is transferred into plants or even more static forms. According to this belief, it is a more severe state because:
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The transfer occurs from one category (human) to a completely different one (plant).
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The soul remains in a fixed and motionless condition for a long time, like a plant or even a stone.
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Faskh (Final dissolution):
This stage differs from the others and applies to beings such as plants that are cut or animals that are slaughtered, after which nothing remains. In this stage, the lowest level of existence ends and the cycle comes to a conclusion. [1]
The Ultimate Goal of Reincarnation
The ultimate purpose of reincarnation differs between Buddhism and Brahmanical Hinduism:
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In Hinduism, the goal is liberation from worldly attachments so that the soul returns to its original source, Brahman, and merges with it—like a drop of water dissolving into the ocean.
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In Buddhism, the ultimate aim is reaching Nirvana, which signifies the complete cessation of suffering and the permanent end of the cycle of rebirth.
Belief in reincarnation is not exclusive to Buddhism. Throughout history, various groups have held similar beliefs, including ancient Egyptians, some Greek philosophers, and certain groups in Iran. Among followers of Hindu traditions, it is considered one of the most fundamental and ancient doctrines.
In fact, many Indian religions—both before and after Buddha—adopted this belief from earlier religious traditions of India. It is often said that reincarnation is so deeply rooted in Indian religious thought that denying it would exclude a person from being a true adherent of those traditions. [2]
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Response and Critique
The doctrine of reincarnation, as held in Buddhism, is considered from an Islamic perspective to be invalid and based on speculative philosophy. The claim that the human soul passes through multiple bodies after death is rejected both rationally and scripturally. The critique can be summarized as follows:
First:
According to this belief, a person is rewarded or punished for actions performed in a previous life. This contradicts the concept of justice, because the individual has no memory or awareness of that previous life. Reward or punishment is only meaningful if the person knows what actions he is being judged for.
Second:
If the soul moves from one body to another, then personality, memory, mental traits, and even physical identity all change. The question arises: what remains constant that allows us to say this is the same person? If nothing identifiable remains, then assigning reward or punishment to that individual becomes unreasonable.
Third:
If a human soul is transferred into an animal body, and animals lack moral awareness and responsibility, how can they continue or rectify past actions? A being without moral choice cannot logically serve as a subject of punishment or moral development.
Fourth:
Some philosophers argue that spiritual punishment alone is sufficient. However, such punishment is too weak to prevent wrongdoing. Real pleasure and pain are closely connected to the body—through sensation, sight, and physical experience. If punishment is purely spiritual, how can it effectively deter immoral behavior?
To be continued…
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Sources:
1- The Concept of the Hereafter in Buddhism, p. 11.
2- Reincarnation: Its Principles and the Islamic Ruling on It, p. 201, cited in: Duha al-Islam, Vol. 1, p. 250; and Islamic Philosophy, p. 134.
