Buddhist reincarnation versus no-self

I have found Buddhist philosophy to be a rich intellectual tradition. Yet its often profoundly rational thought sits alongside other ideas which seem to be no more than outdated superstitions. Conceptions of self are a case in point. Like many, I have been struck by the similarities between western bundle theories of the self and Buddhism’s doctrine of anattā, which we looked at in Chapter Eight. Nevertheless, Buddhists also believe in reincarnation. But how can a rational view of the self as a kind of temporary construction be compatible with the supernatural view of the self as something that can transfer from one body to another?

Saved 23 April 2015

#reincarnation #Buddhism #self