Thursday 11 November 2010
A Question to Jed: Reincarnation
11:25 | 
Posted by
Daniel Gillen
Jed,
I'm a fan of your works however occasionally you mention re-incarnation in your books.
Given that the 'self' does not exist, what do you mean by reincarnation/ past lives etc?
Or were you joking when you made such references in your work.
Many Thanks
Danny
---------------------------------------------
Danny,
Why does that matter to you?
J
---------------------------------------------
Jed,
I feel like I've made the realisation of no self, that there is no see-er, only seeing, pretty much the core of what you write about.
However, the off hand remarks you make about reincarnation really got me thinking and if there's a deeper truth out there for me to learn, I want to find it.
After all, given that I don't exist in any spiritual, magical or dualistic way, however you want to put it, what is the 'I' that could possibly be reincarnated?
Given this, I don't see how one can embrace the no-self realisation and "believe" in re-incarnation, it doesn't seem to fit.
Thanks again
Danny
-------------------------------------------
Danny,
You + Not-You = Everything
Sincerely,
J
Is there anybody here who can make sense of this?
Now I really enjoyed Jed's books, the second one was a bit boring in some places but overall the trilogy was fantastic. It was an enjoyable read but a couple of things really stood out to me.
The first: Jed basically tells you fuck all except his writing technique thing with regards to enlightenment. He also says something about all beliefs being false, something I agree with.
However, what really mystified me is that he talks a lot about 'future lives' and 'reincarnation'.
How is this compatible with the concept of no-self.
Now, Stephen on the blogroll wrote recently about the ying/yang to this whole thing. That the self doesn't exist, whilst you are everything that does exist. This seems to be what Jed is talking about in his last message. But how does this explain reincarnation? If I am everything, all life, how can I be reincarnated to make progress when I am simultaneously that which has made progress and that which hasn't. I would be all states at once.
Secondly, Jed seems to often say 'all beliefs are false'. Something I agree with. This doesn't mean however you can go around saying any hippy bullshit is true.
I don't think Jed is doing this, but I've done a lot of thinking and just cannot understand it. How can reincarnation and no self co-exist?
Ideas?
I'm a fan of your works however occasionally you mention re-incarnation in your books.
Given that the 'self' does not exist, what do you mean by reincarnation/ past lives etc?
Or were you joking when you made such references in your work.
Many Thanks
Danny
---------------------------------------------
Danny,
Why does that matter to you?
J
---------------------------------------------
Jed,
I feel like I've made the realisation of no self, that there is no see-er, only seeing, pretty much the core of what you write about.
However, the off hand remarks you make about reincarnation really got me thinking and if there's a deeper truth out there for me to learn, I want to find it.
After all, given that I don't exist in any spiritual, magical or dualistic way, however you want to put it, what is the 'I' that could possibly be reincarnated?
Given this, I don't see how one can embrace the no-self realisation and "believe" in re-incarnation, it doesn't seem to fit.
Thanks again
Danny
-------------------------------------------
Danny,
You + Not-You = Everything
Sincerely,
J
Is there anybody here who can make sense of this?
Now I really enjoyed Jed's books, the second one was a bit boring in some places but overall the trilogy was fantastic. It was an enjoyable read but a couple of things really stood out to me.
The first: Jed basically tells you fuck all except his writing technique thing with regards to enlightenment. He also says something about all beliefs being false, something I agree with.
However, what really mystified me is that he talks a lot about 'future lives' and 'reincarnation'.
How is this compatible with the concept of no-self.
Now, Stephen on the blogroll wrote recently about the ying/yang to this whole thing. That the self doesn't exist, whilst you are everything that does exist. This seems to be what Jed is talking about in his last message. But how does this explain reincarnation? If I am everything, all life, how can I be reincarnated to make progress when I am simultaneously that which has made progress and that which hasn't. I would be all states at once.
Secondly, Jed seems to often say 'all beliefs are false'. Something I agree with. This doesn't mean however you can go around saying any hippy bullshit is true.
I don't think Jed is doing this, but I've done a lot of thinking and just cannot understand it. How can reincarnation and no self co-exist?
Ideas?
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