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Do you WANT to reincarnate after this life?

Aquinas

Aquinas

Oxford U., here I come!
Many (ok, MOST) of the people I talk to about reincarnation always shake their heads and say something to the effect of, "Why would I WANT to come back?"

Ok, now I realize that the spiritual plane we ascend to after our death is quite divine, and I realize that there are a lot of people for whom life has been unforgiving and harsh. My life has not been easy, and it continues to get more complicated as time goes on. But through it all, I WANT to come back. I WANT to have the experiences of childhood, and my first best friend, and my first kiss, and my first heartbreak, and my first realization that my parents aren't perfect, all over again. Through all the horrible things, and through all of the wonderful things, I want to come back again.

Most people look at me funny when I say this. As if its a crime to enjoy life? I don't always like my life (in fact, I'm not too fond of it at present) but I LIKE LIFE, period. Why do people get this smarmy look on their face and say, "Well isn't that special?" to me when I say that I like to live? I know I'm not finished growing yet, and I've never met anyone who IS close to being finished. I think the majority of us have a long way to go.

Does anyone WANT to/ NOT want to reincarnate? Why?
 
I agree. There is so much that I desperately want to do, and I don't think that one life is enough to cover it all.

I want to spend a year doing missionary work. I want to become an ambassador and bring peace between two warring nations. I want to live as a nun for a while. I want to live the life of a Bohemian artist. I want to take three years just to go backpacking across Europe and Asia. I want to learn more languages.

I also want to love more completely, less distrustfully. I want to be more decisive and impulsive, less timid. I want to learn not to stress the details.

I want to feel the sweet agony of first love all over again. I want to meet my true love for the first time, over and over again. I want to rediscover the simple joys of spring's first bloom, autumn's falling leaves, and the ever-elusive snowfall on Christmas Eve.

Nothing can ever compare to our spiritual home, but this existence offers so much in the way of delights and wonders. If I want those, I must resign myself to having my heart broken again, to seeing my family members die again. I must be ready to relearn, rediscover myself. But really, all those struggles and hearaches only serve to make the good that much better, and there is absolutely nothing that can make me stop thoroughly enjoying myself on this sphere Earth.
 
Aquinas,

I do not want to return. When I finally am allowed to stop reincarnating, the place that I will will go to is MUCH better than here. I am very much looking forward to my last reincarnation. (I will have 2 or 3 more lives after this one, depending on how successful this one is.)

I would like to share one concept, and that is the concept of non-attachment. Yes, I know that we want to enjoy all of the pleasurable experiences of the physical world. However, is the very pursuit of these pleasurable experiences that causes us to incarnate in the first place. Freeing up the desire for these experiences will free up our "need" to reincarnate. (I fully understand that for people like Aquinas, reincarnating is something they want to do, not something they need to do. I have a different way of looking at it, but I certainly respect their way of looking at it.)

~~~

I am sorry if this sounds like I am preaching. It is not my intent to preach at all. I am doing this because the concept of non-attachment is important to some groups of people in Asia. I am merely explaining a concept that many Westerners may have never heard before. This is a chance for Westeners to learn how other people view reality. The more we see how other people view reality, the better we can understand each other.
 
Does anyone WANT to/ NOT want to reincarnate? Why?
Click to expand...

Hell, no! If there was a way to buy my way out of reincarnation, I'd work as hard as I could to save up enough money. I'm not interested in ever coming back.

Well, you asked... :rolleyes:

Lib
 
Hi Aquinas and others,

Speaking just for myself, I'd sure like to not have to come back at all. This is with having a very easy life this time-- in fact, my first lives went really well, and only last time (so far) has been very traumatic. But I feel that who I am this time is just as influenced by a future life as by past lives, and if I do go through with it, or have to go through with it, it'd be pretty cool. I do have interests in what I might be doing next time. I've seen some things from it. But I don't like the concept of being trapped in an incarnation. I don't like how we have to be destructive in order to exist. I am not at all positive that where I'd be going if I didn't incarnate would be somehow blissful or perfect, but I know for sure that life isn't blissful, and it's a one-way thing, once you're in you can't leave without destroying, and can't stay without destroying.
 
P.S. The above post is my view for me; I'm _very glad_ to hear when people are happy about their lives, love their lives, and would do it over again (or do more, different stuff again).

Also... I keep wanting to go back to my traumatic life, I've never really detached from it, and that life is the one I'd want to replay... but that is not anything I see happening, I see my next life building on these, and continuing, doing very different things. I see I will have a personality based on _not_ being the same as this time, but with many of the same interests.
 
NO!!!! *Lol* This is my last life, THANK GOD, and I'm never coming back! :)

I understand wanting to go through the first kiss again, holding my freshly newborn baby in my arms, pregnancy (especially feeling the baby move inside. Even though I have had hard lives as males, I have always found that being female was more difficult and more rewarding at the same time. That's my personal opinion, of course! :) .). I am a hopeless romantic; really, I'd make you sick. *Lol* From what I understand, relationships between you and whomever you choose to give your affections to (which can be one entity or a thousand, since morals are not an issue: it's all done out of love.) remain in the "infatuation" stage, only better. Imagine (well, if you're like me, that is!) pretty much always feeling toward someone special the same way you did in the very beginning of your relationship: having stars in your eyes, your heart beating wildly, blushing, wanting to be with them as much as possible, etc. Why would I want to leave that for this place?! *Lol*

Aside from the whole romantic issue, just being accepted, KNOWING you're loved, having no insecurities, being completely strong within yourself, never having to lose someone (well, other than to reincarnation, but it's only a brief period of time), never experiencing pain, etc, etc.

I have had many tramatic lives, but -- dare I say it -- this life has so far been quite blessed in many ways. I still have the dialy struggles with myself, with others, and with things out of my control, but other than having my husband living half way around the world, I can't complain too much. I will say, though, that much like the majority of my lives, loneliness still plays a huge factor. So I guess one of the main attractions to never returning to earth again is never having to be lonely.

We can always visit Earth; I know I will often. But live here again? No thanks!

"I would like to share one concept, and that is the concept of non-attachment. Yes, I know that we want to enjoy all of the pleasurable experiences of the physical world. However, is the very pursuit of these pleasurable experiences that causes us to incarnate in the first place. Freeing up the desire for these experiences will free up our "need" to reincarnate."

Buntaro :), could you please elborate more? Are you refering (even partially) to material gain, as in dropping it all and living "simple" lives?

Jen. :)
 
I suppose it doesn’t matter how I feel about it, if there is reincarnation there are only minuscule odds that I would know that I’ve lived before and will again. In effect the me that I am now will die when I do, regardless of whether reincarnation is real or not, in the same way that any lives I may have had in the past have been forgotten.

I’m a long way from perfect - indeed, I don’t even know how to define perfect - so, assuming reincarnation is real, I imagine I’d have hundreds or thousands (hundreds of thousands? millions?) of lives left. Which is okay, I wouldn’t want to move on to a better place knowing others were still suffering here.

I think the hope that there is any continuance after death comes from the ego not wanting to be forgotten, we want to believe that our experiences have been noticed by a higher power. My life was difficult - a great deal of sadness and physical pain - but it was highly privileged in comparison to how most of the world lives. So I can assume that the odds are high that any future life will be very much worse, just as I can assume that any past life would have been short and notable for bad teeth and constant pregnancies. To forget one’s troubles and smell the roses - that is, metaphorically to assume that one can choose to enjoy life if one wishes - is an option for the wealthy but not for most of the world’s population. There are many things that I’d (perhaps selfishly) like to experience but even if I was fortunate enough to draw another life in an advanced country all factors (such as physical ability) have to fall into place as well. So there are things I’d like to fantasize about doing, and I find even the wretched experiences sort of interesting from a viewpoint of detachment, but logically, the fun stuff is rare in comparison to lives filled with a struggle for food and shelter.
 
Janababy!

Yes, a lot of it has to do with dropping a desire for material gain, and living "simple" lives.

Look at all the ruthless millionaires in the world. All they think about is taking advantage of their fellow human beings. They only live for material gain. I believe that these people have a serious problem when they get to the Other Side. They truly burn with a painful desire to get back to Earth. (Do you remember the story of Tityus in Greek and Roman mythology?)

Now, look at the Catholic religious orders, how they require "poverty" as one of the three vows. I remember hearing one Vatican priest say he was surprised at how well Pope John Paul II was keeping his vow of poverty. I try to keep this idea of "poverty" in my life, and the "simple" life that results is something I very much appreciate.
 
I will be back; because consciousness creates...and to me the three intelligences - thoughts, feelings and emotions - will bring me back unless I have attained the highest level of consciousness/awareness. And even then - I think I will be back because LOVE is a very powerful force. I still think of the Jedi Knight -Skywalker - when he doubted something would work or would give up and Yoda said -"That is why you fail." Somehow that thought process - at least for me - works here too.

So those of you that are saying - "NO, I am not coming back"...what about those you love in this life - who need you? Do you really have all of your karma worked out? Are you sure - that your higher power - self - source - agrees with you? Do you have no "Soul" agreements with others?

I cannot help but also reference Ian Stevenson cases - where hate - anger - and love - were the driving forces behind a child being drawn to their next life. And trauma or abuse, sudden death - or an accident being one of the main reasons - the child remembered the previous life. SO much can happen in the physical realm....and it is here - IMO - that we create so much.

Buntaro - where does LOVE fit into your theories?
 
I've always believed that the purpose of our reincarnating is to attain a sort of perfection, nirvana, or at least become more god-like so as to be closer to god. I know I'm not there yet, and I've never met anyone who is. So, I KNOW I will reincarnate - and that's ok. However, I also believe that whatever an individual truly believes about themselves in their heart, THAT is what is true for them. So if a person believe s/he has two lives or two million lives left to go before attaining the next level, that's what will happen.

Myself? I'm looking forward to coming back. However, I don't see loving life as an attachment that would keep bringing me back. Rather, I think anyone who can truly say they love life despite all the tragedies is to be applauded. Call me crazy.
 
Deborah asked:
So those of you that are saying - "NO, I am not coming back"...what about those you love in this life - who need you? Do you really have all of your karma worked out? Are you sure - that your higher power - self - source - agrees with you? Do you have no "Soul" agreements with others?
Click to expand...

I might have soul agreements with others. But for me, it looks like they are all negative (or they have turned out to be negative). Other people have mentioned reasons why they want to come back: first love, first kiss, first child, etc. I have had none of this, and often end up feeling like I've been abandoned here by my soul group/soulmates. THAT is why I don't want to come back... for fear of having another life like this one. I'm sure I don't have all my karma worked out. But at this point, I don't really care if I ever work it out. I'd rather just sit in some cold corner of the universe all by myself, if that's what it comes down to.

I haven't always had so little hope, either. But more than a quarter century of loneliness can really do a number on a human personality.

Lib
 
Originally posted by Libellule
Other people have mentioned reasons why they want to come back: first love, first kiss, first child, etc. I have had none of this, and often end up feeling like I've been abandoned here by my soul group/soulmates. THAT is why I don't want to come back... for fear of having another life like this one. I'm sure I don't have all my karma worked out. But at this point, I don't really care if I ever work it out. I'd rather just sit in some cold corner of the universe all by myself, if that's what it comes down to.

I haven't always had so little hope, either. But more than a quarter century of loneliness can really do a number on a human personality.
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Perhaps that is the lesson you were meant to learn in this life. Loneliness is part of the human experience, albeit not a particularly enjoyable one. Perhaps, also, you just haven't found your soul group yet. I was 35 before I reconnected with mine.

I look forward to many lifetimes, I still have much to learn.
 
This life is more important!

I have had none of this, and often end up feeling like I've been abandoned here by my soul group/soulmates. THAT is why I don't want to come back... for fear of having another life like this one. I'm sure I don't have all my karma worked out. But at this point, I don't really care if I ever work it out. I'd rather just sit in some cold corner of the universe all by myself, if that's what it comes down to.
Click to expand...
Lib, there is nothing wrong with not wanting to come back. But you are here now, where there are always warmer places for iridescent insects. World is wide open if you if you do not limit yourself to soul groups. As for karma, I think it works out by itself. I did not respond to this thread earlier, because I think we should be thinking about making this life better rather than worry about future lives.
 
To return or not

I have not had a bad life it has not been easy but that is really down to my own inner searching that helped towards a break down. I am also acutley aware that I have held myself back and continue to do so but am genuinley trying now to move forward. I had a very good childhood have always felt loved have been fairly successful, live in a country where we are pretty well looked after, I have a roof over my head, two fantastic daughters, I will not go hungry, I could go on. But as for coming back again, I have no idea. I do believe that I was given the choice to come back this time and did so willingly because of what I was told, although whatever it was is clearly something that I have to work out lol although I do have some outline ideas. I therefore take it that if I am to come back again I will have had some sort of briefing and can then decide on that basis if I will or not. So until then I have no idea atall.:)
 
I would like to be reincarnated, but I hope to have the opportunity to rest and have my spirit become rejuvenated between this life and my next.

I've been terribly unhappy with many things about myself in this life. A serious accident in my early childhood affected my overall sense of identity and my development. Since that time, I've felt that I've been trying to catch up just to try to live a normal life. I never seem to be able to get to that point though and often just wish I could start over.

I look at reincarnation as another opportunity for me to really get to live life rather than spend so much time just struggling as I have in this one. I'm not saying I expect or even want a trouble-free life. Those probably don't even exist. I just want a life where I can experience a fairly normal childhood, not be so afraid to get involved in close relationships with others, and have confidence that I can do what I set out to do.

I also like seeing and experiencing different things. I've lived in three different states and regions of the U.S. over the past six years. I also enjoy traveling to other areas of this and other countries. These experiences help me get a taste of what variety different lives and different places have available to offer. I kind of look at reincarnation that way too. Perhaps in my next life, I'll be born into a different part of the world, be of a different race, and experience living as someone in a different class with different socio-economic standards. If that happens, I would probably enjoy it because, to me, just the different experiences would seem interesting.

I'm ready for a new, fresh start and I see reincarnation as a way to get that.
 
I do want to return. I think that given a choice, I'd like to be reborn somewhere in the far east. It just seems like a nice place to live.
 
I would want to come back. The reason: As I said in another thread, I want to learn and experience so much more. I feel I am not ready yet to spend my life somewhere in the 'hereafter' forever, because I lack of much knowledge and experience that I feel can only be learned on the physical earthplane.
True, life can be hard, but it is from the hard times we learn most it is said. Reflecting back on my present life, I think the struggles that I overcame were the things I regard as the most important achievements and progress I made. Like many of you, I also feel often that it has been enough now....but this feeling doesn't last. I want to explore more...and more ...and more....here on earth ! So much that it can't be done in just my current lifetime. So yes, definitely I want to come back.

Eevee
 
to answer the original question, i do and i don't. I would like to just for the experience of being someone different and possibly getting to be with better people... but I don't because I'm sick of life and living and am just getting fed up with the reoccuring themes (which is what I'm trying to break in this life). So I pretty much am sure that I'll need to reincarnate for at least a couple more lifetimes... and the next ones should be a little more pleasant hopefully. it's not a matter of wanting to or not... but if you will or you won't.
 
I do not want to reincarnate after this life if I can help it, and if I do certainly not in to this modern day era.
 
Oh I definitely want to come back again :D I feel that there are many things that I have not accomplished in this life, that I would like to work on in the next one. I've learned a lot thus far, but still have many miles to go ;)


Ailish
 
Yes, I want to reincarnate again, and again. I see reincarnation as a gift. In every life we live there are paths not taken. Future lives give us a chance to explore those paths and see where they lead. I still have many choices to make in this life and paths to follow, so I'm in no way anxious for it to end (quite the opposite), but I look forward to starting another when I've done all I can this life and my time runs out. :)
 
id rather live now

i have no burning desire to do either, recently ive come to realise that as much as its interesting to look into these things, the past and the furture i mean, the most important thing (for me atleast) is to concentrate on living this life, not letting it go by. im just more and more determined to get as much as possible into this time round, incase i never do come back :laugh: of course it would be nice to have that perfect existence on some higher plane, but it would also be amazing to experience everything ive havent had the chance to in this life, even if i wont remember next time round :laugh: for me this question poses an attractive challenge, to get what you want/need from this life, because its all we have control over for the time being at least :)
 
I'm ambivalent. Part of my wants to come back because there are things I want to accomplish that I'm only setting the stage for in this life. Part of me knows I feel more at home on the other side. An increasing part of me wants God-Realization, and ironically, that part of me wants to incarnate because I know it's the only way to wrap up my business here so that won't keep getting pulled back.

A comment in response to being sexy, seeing all the drawbacks and not wanting to be so sexy next time. The saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it." I think that applies strongly to reincarnation. If in one lifetime one bemoans the fact that one is plain, and longs to be sexy, then in a later life one is sexy and sees that it's not all a bed of roses, and longs to be plain. Best to not want anything and accept gracefully whatever comes to one, I think.
Steve S.
 
Well, since this thread ended before I showed up, I guess I'm at least new to it, so here goes. After another 50-60 years of this life, yes, I do want to reincarnate. Overall, I've had a blast so far, and don't want the experience to end anytime soon. But based on now and my past lives, I welcome still yet another shot at the game called life. And since attitude is the key, I think, I sure hope that's a part of what carries forward. In fact I have started a special account so I can buy a deluxe fisrt class ticket. All donations will be appreciated.

John
 
I'm with you John. I am not arrogant enough (almost, but not quite :)) to believe that I have learned all that there is to learn here, or done all there is to do, or been everywhere or seen everything. Neither am I sick of my 'friends' - I like hanging out with them and doing 'stuff'. I hope that in the next life I can do something a bit more 'useful' with my life - something which might serve humanity or the planet or such on a larger scale.

I feel that this life has been a 'patch up' life. Because, for whatever reason, I have this strange ability to remember a lot of my past I feel I have been able to put some annoying nagging issues away so that I can 'get on with it' next time with a bit more clarity and hopefully a bit less baggage.

Those concerned about the state of the environment, politics and the planet in general in the future have the option of using the utmost of their ability to do whatever they can now to help - even if it is only writing a letter to your congressman or making a donation to Greenpeace.
 
I've always felt that I didn't want to be reincarnated after this life (for that matter, from childhood I've felt that I didn't want to live this life!). On the other hand, I had a dream a few years back that claimed to show a future life that looked incredibly cool, so who knows? I have the feeling that I will have a choice as to whether I want to live it or not...
 
I'm quite happy being reincarnated another 50 times!!!
Life is great, why wouldn't I want to have another life, even if it is a crappy one, its still a life, knowing me, I'd get bored if I graduated!

I'm not the type to enjoy doing the same tasks each and every day, I want something exciting and something with adventure!!!
For me, BRING THE LIVES ON!!!
 
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