What does reincarnation mean to Buddhist?

Answer 1

There is more than one understanding of what rebirth is according to Buddhism.

In general, a traditional view is that if one is not enlightened in this life, then one still generates "the fruits of one's actions" (the results of karmic actions) and the remaining fruits that have not been applied to this life will be applied in the next life. What exactly gets reborn, in this cosmology, is still debated.

Modern western Buddhism has developed the understanding that when the Buddha spoke about rebirth he was using it as a metaphor -- that what is born and reborn is our created "self" -- the one that gets mistaken for our eternal selves, our "atman", our "soul". It is our created self that keeps us stuck in a cycle of delusion, greed, ill will, ignorance -- a literally "self perpetuating" cycle. When we see this accurately we can practice skills that will help us break out of it.

Answer 2

First off, Buddhists do not believe in a transmigration of a soul type of reincarnation. We believe in a rebirth of the consciousness, but not, again, a strict "if I was like this (happy, angry, a worrier, etc) in a former life I will be like this in the next. What we believe is that all sentient beings form a universal consciousness and that individuals are a culmination of their former consciousness, their actions (karma) and all that they affected. It can be explain more simply like this:

Think of all the sentient beings as being a part of the ocean. Actions happen that causes waves to occur. These waves are a part of the ocean but still have individual characteristics. After a while the wave diminishes and disappears, but that wave has affected the ocean and causes a new wave to appear in a slightly different form but with some characteristics of the old wave. Our individual selves are those waves. We rise (are born), we live are lives (we perform activities (actions)) and then we die (return to the ocean).

Answer 3

In Buddhism reincarnation is viewed as rebirth which means closely the same thing. The belief is that death is not the end of life but a transition. But due to how well a person may have lived his or her live which determines rebirth

Answer 4

In Buddhism reincarnation is called REBIRTH, but the idea around it is that life is a learning ground. Just like a school, those who have pass their exams move to the next class while those who have failed come back to earth to be reborn and correct their wrong. That is the idea behind it.

Answer 5

It is continuation of life process. It goes on till abolishment of desires there by sufferings.

Answer 6

the another term for rebirth is reborn or born again.....=)

Answer 7

because you think your body is you, so you try to satisfy your body's needs, so you have reincarnation. Only when you find the real you is no body then no more reincarnation for you.