Prominent Buddhist Masters on Rebirth

The Buddhist magazine Lion’s Roar recently surveyed the perspectives of several prominent Buddhist masters on the topic of rebirth. Let’s delve into their insights.

1. Chögyam Trungpa

Chögyam Trungpa, a significant Tibetan Buddhist teacher, was appointed by the Dalai Lama to introduce Tibetan Buddhism to the United States. He offered a profound interpretation of rebirth:

The ultimate idea of rebirth is not purely the idea of physical birth and death. Physical birth and death are very crude examples of it. Actually, rebirth takes place every moment, every instant. Every instant is death; every instant is birth. It’s a changing process: there’s nothing you can grasp onto; everything is changing. But there is some continuity, of course — the change is the continuity.

Trungpa emphasized the psychological and experiential dimensions of Buddhism over metaphysical speculation. He encouraged students to shift their focus from the idea of rebirth after death to the ongoing transformation and renewal occurring in their daily lives. This approach aimed to make Buddhism more accessible to modern Western audiences.

2. Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022), a revered Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist, was also the…