I Believe in Literal Rebirth - Poll

[Nicholas Weeks]

Let us crunch the numbers on Dhamma Wheel and see where we stand.

Edited to add a 5th option and now folks can change their vote.

Literal rebirth is simply ordinary, life after lifetime rebirth. Some Buddhists make a fetish of moment-to-moment rebirth of thoughts and deny or ignore the truth of many lives of rebirth in samsara. So "literal" means conventional & ordinary, not moment-to-moment.

[PeterB]

Why ?

[acinteyyo]

Would you please define in short what exactely you mean by "rebirth"?

[PeterB]

And what purpose your poll has.

[Annapurna]

Wife:

"Have you been drinking...?" tries to sniff at husband's breath..

Husband:

"Would you please define drinking ? And why would you ask something like this to begin with...?"

[PeterB]

I find it disappointing that a request for clarity regarding a poll should be likened to having too much to drink.

[bodom]

Oh geez why does everything have to be so difficult around here. If your not interested in participating in a simple poll then dont. Its not a presidential election. No need to question his motivation or intention. Thats up to him to look at for himself not anyone else.

I voted undecided Will.

[Annapurna]

Quite right Bodom.

It's just a harmless poll, and imo there is no need to clarify, justify or define it, it is already clear.

If you don't like the poll, simply disregard it.

[acinteyyo]

But how am I supposed to know how to answer when I don't have a clue what is meant with rebirth? Is meant what I think rebirth is or something else? A simple and short definition in few words would be enough. Otherwise this poll would be absolutely meaningless, if it doesn't matter what the question is. I definitly don't want to go in for any discussion about rebirth. If it's inappropriate to ask, my apologies...

best wishes, acinteyyo

[PeterB]

And what does " believe " mean in this context ?

[Annapurna]

Gentlemen I think you are way too humble.

And you are not forced to reply to threads.

[lojong1]

drinking

have to be so difficult around here

There is no need to clarify, it is already clear.

Buddhists!
Sorry Will, I don't know what rebirth means either. Looking at the confusion in other rebirth threads here, I think answering Acinteyyo's request is the only way to get anything useful from this poll.

[bodom]

But how am I supposed to know how to answer when I don't have a clue what is meant with rebirth? Is meant what I think rebirth is or something else? A simple and short definition in few words would be enough. Otherwise this poll would be absolutely meaningless, if it doesn't matter what the question is. I definitly don't want to go in for any discussion about rebirth. If it's inappropriate to ask, my apologies...

best wishes, acinteyyo

There are only two types of rebirth discussed in Buddhism. momentary and literal.

The OP specified already.

[Annapurna]

Sorry , Lojong, but this is a poll, and not a clarification thread.

The first post clearly says:

Let us crunch the numbers on Dhamma Wheel and see where we stand.

Nothing else.

People who want to discuss and clarify are welcome in the discussion threads.

[Sanghamitta]

Its not at all clear. people are being asked to vote without the terms being clarified. Its null and void.