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Why I believe Buddhism and Buddhist belief are false.

1. What is Buddhism.2. Who is Buddha.3. What is karma and reincarnation.4. Theory explains phenomena.5. Reincarnation is a theory6. Reincarnation contradicts the phenomenon of mediums invoking the spirit of thedead.7. Spirit possession theory explains all these phenomena.8. Demon possession.9. Deception.10. Works versus grace.11. Conclusion .

1. What is Buddhism

Buddhism is a widespread Asian r eli gion or phil osophy founded by SiddarthaGautama (Buddha;c.563-c.460 BC) in nor th east I ndia i n the 5 th century BC, whichteaches that elimination of the self and earthly desires is the route toenlightenment .

There are two main schools of thought in Buddhism, the Theravada and the Mahanyana, Theravada Buddhists believe they must personally eradicate their mental defilements

and develop all the great virtues in order to gain their final salvation by following the method

and example prescribed by the Buddha. They respect Bodhisattvas but do not regard them assaviors.In the Mahayana school of thought, the Bodhisattvas play an important role by showing

others the path to attain Nibbana. A Bodhisattva is a person who is able to be released fromSamsara and reaching Nibbana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering

beings.The practice of Buddhism has been modified by local customs, producing distinct

varieties of worship. They include the Indian, Tibetan, Ceylonese (Sri Lankan), Burmese,Thai, Cambodian, Chinese and Japanese varieties.

It is claimed that the Siddartha Gautama's way of life and doctrine were substantiallydifferent from the Hindu (Vedic and Brahmanic) believing people in India.

Yet he embraced the Hindu beliefs of Karma and rebirth explaining it as a natural lawof cause and effect. Hence Buddhism is often considered as an off-shoot of Hinduism because it shares with Hinduism its core beliefs of Karma and reincarnation. It also sharesmany common terms, some of which are: Dharma, Samsara, Mantra, Samadhi and Aum.

What distinguishes it from Hinduism is that it does not invoke the existence of gods.Although claiming to be non theistic, yet the practice of Buddhism involves worship of

the statue or image of Siddartha Gautama. Buddhists claim is that these images are not idols but are symbolic representations of his great qualities

One of his original concepts is that of dependent origination. It claims that that life orthe world is built on a set of relations, in which the arising and cessation of factors depend onsome other factors which condition them so that all phenomena in this universe are relative,conditioned states and do not arise independently of supportive conditions. Hence Buddhismdoes not support the concept of a creator or first cause. Since everything is conditioned,

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relative, and interdependent, there is nothing in this world which could be regarded as a permanent entity, variously regarded as an ego or an eternal soul.

This provided the basis for another original concept called the Anatta doctrine,interpreted as the absence of a distinct soul, self and ego for each person.

Yet he was of the opinion that the sum total of the Karma in the form of a consciousness

for each person is distinct and continues after bodily death by reincarnating in another body.He introduced the idea of the Four Noble Truths, Suffering, the Arising of Suffering, the

ceasing of Suffering, and the approach to the ceasing of Suffering.Another original concept introduced is The Eightfold path of a righteous life consisting

of Right Speech, Sila Right Action Morality, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Samadhi RightMindfulness Mental culture, Right Concentration, Right Understanding, Panna RightThoughts Wisdom.

The adherence to this path would bring a Buddhist devotee closer to the salvation called Nibbana.

In Buddhism, there is no such thing as sin as explained by other religions. Sin is merelyunskillful or unwholesome action resulting in further suffering in the present life or futurelives.

His rejection of the caste system appealed especially to the untouchables.

2. Who is Buddha

A Buddhist apologist, K.Sri Dhammananda describes Buddha as follows: Gautama Buddha, the founder of what came to be known as Buddhism, lived in Northern India in

the 6th century B.C. His personal name was Siddhartha, and family name Gotama. The name 'Buddha'was given to Him after He attained Enlightenment and realized the Truth. It means the 'Awakened' orthe 'Enlightened One'. He generally called Himself the Tathagata, while His followers called HimBhagava, the Blessed One. Others spoke of Him as Gotama or Sakyamuni.

He was born a prince who seemed to have everything. He had a luxurious upbringing and Hisfamily was of pure descent on both sides. He was the heir to the throne, extremely handsome, inspiringtrust, stately and gifted with great beauty of complexion and fine presence. At sixteen He married Hiscousin named Yasodhara who bore Him a son whom they called Rahula. His wife was majestic,cheerful day and night, and full of dignity and grace.

Despite all this, He felt trapped amidst the luxury like a bird in a golden cage. During a visit to thecity one day, He saw what is known as the 'Four Sights', that is , an old man, a sick man, a dead man,

and a holy recluse. When He saw the sights, one after another, the realization came to Him that, 'it issubject to age and death'. He asked, 'Where is the realm of life in which there is neither age nor death?'The sight of the recluse, who was calm for having given up the craving for material life, gave him theclue that the first step in His search for Truth was Renunciation.

Determined to find the way out of these universal sufferings, He decided to leave home to find thecure not for Himself only, but for all mankind. One night in His twenty-ninth year, He bade His sleepingwife and son a silent farewell, saddled His great white horse, and rode off toward the forest.

His renunciation is unprecedented in history. He left at the height of youth, from pleasures todifficulties, from certainty of material security to uncertainty, from a position of wealth and power to thatof a wandering ascetic who took shelter in the cave and forest, with His ragged robe as the onlyprotection against the blazing sun, rain and winter winds. He renounced His position, wealth, promise of

prestige and power, and a life filled with love and hope in exchange for the search for Truth which noone had found.

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For six long years, He labored to find the Truth. He studied under the foremost masters of the day,and learned all these religious teachers could teach Him. When He could not find what He was lookingfor, He joined a band of ascetics and tortured His body so as to break its power and crush itsinterference, since it was believed that Truth could be found this way. A man of enormous energy andwill power, He outdid other ascetics in every austerity they proposed. While fasting, He ate so little that

when He took hold of the skin of His stomach, He actually touched His spine. He pushed Himself to theextent that no man had done and yet lived. He, too, would have certainly died had He not realized thefutility of self-mortification, and decided to practise moderation instead.

On the full moon night of the month of Vesakha, He sat under the Bodhi tree at Gaya, wrapped indeep meditation. It was then that His mind burst the bubble of the universe and realized the true natureof all life and all things. At the age of 35 years, He was transformed from an earnest truth seeker intothe Buddha, the Enlightened One.

For nearly half a century, the Buddha walked on the dusty paths of India Teaching the Dhamma sothat those who heard and practised could be ennobled and free. He founded an order of monks andnuns, challenged the caste system, raised the status of women, taught religious freedom and freeinquiry, opened the gates of deliverance to all, in every condition of life, high or low, saint or sinner, andennobled the lives of criminals like Angulimala and courtesans like Ambapali.

He was towering in wisdom and intellect. Every problem was analyzed in component parts andthen reassembled in logical order with the meaning made clear. None could defeat Him in dialogue. Anunequaled teacher, He still is the foremost analyst of the mind and phenomena even up to the presentday. For the first time in history, He gave men the power to think for themselves, raised the worth ofmankind, and showed that man can reach to the highest knowledge and supreme Enlightenment by hisown efforts.

Despite His peerless wisdom and royal lineage, He was never removed from the simple villager.Surface distinctions of class and caste meant little to Him. No one was too little or low for Him to help.Often when an outcast, or poor and dejected came to Him, his self-respect was restored and he turnedfrom the ignoble life to that of a noble being.

The Buddha was full of compassion(karuna)and wisdom(panna), knowing how and what to teacheach individual for his own benefit according to his level and capabilities. He was known to have walkedlong distances to help one single person.

He was affectionate and devoted to His disciples, always inquiring after their well-being andprogress. When staying at the monastery, He paid daily visits to the sick wards. His compassion for thesick can be seen from His advice, 'He who attends the sick, attends on me.' The Buddha kept order anddiscipline on the basis of mutual respect. King Pasenadi could not understand how the Buddhamaintained such order and discipline in the community of monks, when he as a king with the power topunish, could not maintain it as well in his court.

The Buddha did not claim to have 'created' worldly conditions, universal phenomena, or the

Universal Law which we call the 'Dhamma'. Although described as lokavidu or 'knower of the worlds',He was not regarded as the sole custodian of the Universal Laws. He freely acknowledge that theDhamma, together with the working of the cosmos, is timeless, it has no creator and is independent inthe absolute sense. Every conditioned thing that exists in the cosmos is subject to the operation ofDhamma. What the Buddha did (like all the other Buddhas before Him) was to rediscover this infallibleTruth and make it known to mankind. In discovering the Truth, He also found the means whereby onecould ultimately free oneself from being subjected to the endless cycle of conditioning, with its attendantevils of unsatisfactoriness.

After forty-five years of ministry, the Buddha passed away at the age of eighty at kusinara, leavingbehind thousands of followers, monks and nuns, and a vast treasure store of Dhamma Teaching. Theimpact of His great love and dedication is still felt today.

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3. What is karma and reincarnation

Karma is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence,

viewed as affecting their future fates. (ie the effects of a person's actions that determinehis destiny in his next incarnation)

The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit karman which means ‘action _ effect _ fate’.

Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body. Incarnation is a spirit embodied in a living human from.To incarnate is to be invested in a bodily form.The origin of this word is from the Latin in- carn- which means ‘into’ ‘flesh’.

Reincarnation is a necessary adjunct to Karma. This is because incomplete punishmentfor a person’s evil deeds in this lif e will be completed in future lives.

How else would punishment for the evil deeds of Pol Pot and Idi Amin be justly metedout as these two persons died peacefully in ripe old age.

It is believed that reincarnation takes place at conception or when the baby is inthe womb or at birth.

4. Theory explains phenomena

A phenomenon is a fact that is observed to exist or happen. A theory is a system of ideas intended to explain phenomena. Consistency is a harmonious agreement amongst things or parts without contradictions.

If a phenomenon contradicts a theory, then the theory is inconsistent and is probablyfalse.

If this phenomenon is consistent with another theory, then the second theory shouldreplace the first theory.

5. Reincarnation is a theory to explain the phenomena of persons being able to recall

events experienced by individuals who have died

The strongest evidence supporting the theory of reincarnation is from the work ofIan Stevenson who documented numerous cases of children ‘recalling’ historicalevents and relatives of deceased individuals. Some of these amazing claims have

been corroborated.(Ref: Old Souls, the scientific evidence for past lives by Tom Shroder, published bySimon & Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 1230, Ave of the Americas, New York, NY10020. ISBN 0-684-85192-X ©1999.)

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6. Reincarnation contradicts the phenomenon of mediums invoking the spirit of thedead

Reincarnation cannot explain how temple mediums are able to invoke the spirits of the

departed. If the spirit of the departed has already reincarnated into another body, how can italso appear in the temple medium?

7. Spirit possession theory explains all these phenomena

To possess is to have complete power over.The origin of this word is from the Latin possidere which means ‘ occupy , hold’.

Spir i t possession is the state of being under complete control of a spirit.Spirit possession is real ( Mark 1:23-25, 5:1-20, 7:24-30, 9:17-27).Spirit possession can explain explain how temple mediums are able to invoke the

spirits of the departed. It can also explain how some persons are able to accurately recallevents experienced by individuals who have long since died.

A definite case of spirit possession is described by Roy Stemman about a ThaiBuddhist monk who was born one day before his previous body died.

This case cannot be explained by reincarnation because it would mean that the baby was born without a spirit and remained without a spirit for one day.

The logical explanation is that the baby was already born with an original spirit.One day after birth, his body became inhabited or possessed by another spirit .(Reincarnation, Amazing True Cases From Around The World by Roy Stemman(Editor of Reincarnation International), published by Judy Piatkus Ltd. Windmill Street,London W1P 1HF. ISBN 0-7499-1708-3 hbk, ISBN 0-7499-1787-3 pbk ©1997 (Ref: in

page 38))

I believe the spirit that possesses the body of a person suppresses the expressionof the original spirit of that person. I believe all possessing spirits are evil, otherwisethey would not possess.

I believe the Holy Spirit does not possess. On the contrary, the Holy Spiritrenders a person free to choose.

8. Demon possession

A demon is an evil spirit or devil. A person is demon possessed if he iscompletely controlled by an evil spirit.

I believe demons are fallen angels, Satan being chief among them.A medium is a person who claims to be able to communicate between the dead

and the living.Temple mediums appear to be able to summon the spirit of the departed. They gointo a trance, as if possessed , before they appear to talk like the deceased person. I

believe that the demonic spirit which has possessed the departed individual wasinvited by the medium to speak through the medium.

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I believe yoga meditation, which involves a process of emptying oneself of logicand reason, is a ploy by Satan to deceive the devotee into preparing himself asfertile ground for demon possession.

Demon possession is evil because it enslaves and suppresses the free will of theindividual.

When the Hindu or Buddhist parents bring their children to their temples, theyare actually offering their children as human sacrifice to demons for possession.

I believe when an unsaved person’s body dies, his original spirit is released intothe spirit realm to dwell there until the final judgment because it is unable to enterthe Kingdom of Heaven.

Through Hinduism and Buddhism, Satan and his fellow demonic spirits havedeceived many generations of people in large parts of the world into unwittinglyallowing their bodies and souls to be possessed. This permits the demonic spirits to'reincarnate' in them serially.

I believe the spirit realm is the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ (Psalm 23:4). I believe the original spirit of an individual is from Adonai and is eternal. When

an individual’s body dies, his original spirit leaves the body and enters the spiritrealm.

When a person accepts Jesus as Savior, his or her spirit becomes a sibling ofYeshua who is the first born of Adonai (Abba). As this spirit is a relative of Abba,it is permitted to enter and ‘dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6).

If a person, during his lifetime, has not accepted Yeshua as his Savior, his spiritis not sanctified (separated as holy). Even if he has performed many miracles in thename of Adonai, his spirit would not be permitted to enter the kingdom of heaven(Matthew 7: 21-23).

When his body dies, his spirit would remain in the spirit realm until the day offinal judgment, when he will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever(Revelation 20:11-15).

9. Deception

Deception means to deliberately mislead or misrepresent the truth; to swindle,hoax, cheat, dupe, fool, or entrap.

I believe the theory of spirit possession is able to explain all the phenomena attributedto the theory of reincarnation as well as explain the phenomenon of invoking the spirits of

the departed.Because of this, I consider the theory of reincarnation as redundant, unnecessary andeven false .

As the theory of reincarnation is open to question, it then follows that the theory ofkarma i s also open to question.

As the theories of reincarnation and karma form the foundations of Hinduism,Buddhism and New Age, then these systems of belief are also open to question.

Then what is the purpose of the theory of reincarnation?I believe the purpose is deception .I believe this concept of Nirvana is a deception hatched by Satan and his fellow

demonic spirits

I believe the demonic spirit seeks to escape from the valley of the shadow ofdeath and the eventual great white throne judgment and inevitable punishment in the

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lake of fire.I believe the demonic spirit believes that by doing good works it can seek favor

with Adonai in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.I believe on entry into the kingdom of heaven, these demons, under the

leadership of Satan, will, once again, attempt to overthrow Adonai.

Since the demonic spirit is unable to do good deeds in the spirit form, it needsto incarnate ( to become invested in a bodily form) by possessing the body of someunsuspecting person in order to do good deeds.

Hence it needs to ‘re -incarnate’.‘Reincarnation’ does not occur with the original spirit of an individual.

‘Reincarnation’ occurs with demonic s pirits. They hop from body to body, possessingand suppressing the original spirit within each new body.

Through Hinduism and Buddhism, and their core belief of karma andreincarnation, Satan has deceived many people into accepting and believing that bydoing good works, a person would qualify to have his spirit elevated from onelifetime to the next in order to eventually reach a state of spiritual ‘enlightenment’.

I believe even rational and logical thinking persons can choose to believe in‘reincarnation’. This is because they have been deceived by demonic spirits. They arerendered blind to reason and logic regarding spiritual matters.

Deception is the signature of Satan.I believe Adonai created man to fellowship with. Adonai gave man dominion

over the earth.The first action of Satan to Adam and Eve was deception. Satan possessed the

serpent and duped Eve and Adam into eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge ofgood and evil, the one which Adonai specifically forbade them to eat. (Genesis 3:1-7)

By this hoax, Satan cheated mankind of his right standing with Adonai anddominion over the earth. Instead, mankind, including myself came under dominion ofSatan and was headed for certain death.

In the ‘fallen’ state, I am unable to fellowship with Adonai. However, Adonaistill wanted to fellowship with me.

The triune Godhead sent a part of Himself, Yeshua to earth as a man to dieand bear the total punishment for the disobedience (sin) of all of mankind so that in

believing in this sacrifice, my fallen spiritual self will die and become reborn as asibling of Christ Yeshua.

As a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17), I can directly fellowship with Adonai bycasting all my cares to Him, secure in the belief that I have absolute right-standingwith Him ( Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7)

When I believe in Yeshua as my savior, I am freed from bondage to Satan.Satan is powerless to prevent me from believing the good news of the divineexchange.

What he can do is to attempt to deceive me with alternative routes to Adonailike Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age and Islam.

Satan inspired Hinduism and Buddhism with the core beliefs of Karma andreincarnation.

The concept of reincarnation has been debunked by the concept of demonicspirit possession explaining all the ‘evidence’ proffered for reincarnation.

Hence reincarnation is a lie and Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age beliefs aredeceptions. They bear the signature of Satan.

With the death burial and resurrection of Yeshua, Satan has had been stripped ofhis power over me and over anyone else who believe in the risen Yeshua Christ.

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The demonic possessing spirit prevents the person from hearing andunderstanding the good news of Grace.

In order to set free any person under bondage of demonic spirits, one can driveout demons by calling on the name of Yeshua because ‘at the name of Yeshua,every knee will bow’ (Philippians 2:10).

Once liberated, that person, if chosen by Adonai, would be able to see and believethe Gospel (good news) which is ‘Adonai so loved the world that he gave his oneand only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life(John 3:16).

10. Works versus grace

Most religions include in their system of beliefs the belief that doing good deedsand avoiding bad deeds make a person more spiritually ‘pure’ and therefore moreacceptable by the creator.

I believe one of the main deceptions of Satan is the belief that ‘do good getsgood and do bad gets bad and that if a person’s good deeds outnumber the bad, hegets to enter heaven. This is contrary to my belief that a person can never by hisgood deeds qualify for entry into heaven. It is only by the grace of Abba that thosewho have been chosen will be invited into heaven.

Grace Christianity is the only belief system which holds that nothing man doeswill qualify him to be acceptable by Adonai, and that it is only by the grace ofAdonai is man accepted by Adonai. The grace of Adonai is His son, Yeshua. Only

by accepting Yeshua as my personal savior can I be accepted by Adonai. All otherways, including doing good deeds count for nothing. Yeshua's voluntary death at thecross permitted an exchange to take place, his life for mankind’s death, his perfectionfor man’s imperfection, his goodness for man’s evil etc. Also, Yeshua came to lifeagain and returned to his father the creator.

Because I choose to accept Yeshua as my personal savior, I become a sibling ofYeshua. At the moment of my bodily death, as a relative of Adonai, my spirit canthen enter and ‘dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23:6). Because I believein Yeshua, my spirit welcomes the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit dwelling withinme, all possessing spirits would be driven out. The Holy Spirit will never leave menor forsake me forever (Deuteronomy 31:8).

When an individual does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, he is open to

demonic spirit possession and is especially vulnerable when depressed or despondent.

11. Conclusion

I believe Grace Christianity is the only way of reaching my creator, Adonai. Allother ways, though appealing, are not genuine and may lead to possession bydemons.

Because I believe in free choice after making my choice, I choose freedom from

demon possession by calling upon the name of Yeshua.

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The following is a collection of relevant definitions and comments. My own comments and beliefs are in the Times New Roman font .Quotations from other sources are in theArial narrow font .

Atman. In Hinduism, atman is the spiritual life principle of the universe, especially when

regarded as existing within the real self of the individual. The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit ătman which means ‘essence’.

Avatar. In Hindu belief, an avatar is a manifestation of a deity or released soul in

bodily form on earth. It is also defined as an incarnation of god on earth. The plural form is avatara.

An example is Krishna. One living guru, Sai Baba claims to be an avatar. Hehas been reputed to have performed many miracles.

Bodhisattva. A person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so through compassion for

suffering beings.

Buddhism.Buddhism is a widespread Asian reli gion or phil osophy founded by Siddartha

Gautama (Buddha;c.563-c.460 BC) in nor th east I ndia i n the 5 th century BC, whichteaches that elimination of the self and earthly desires is the route toenlightenment.

Deity.God or goddess, especially in polytheistic religion.

Dharma.The eternal law of the cosmos, inherent in the very nature of things. Dharma is a

Sanskrit term that denotes the underlying order of the cosmos and of life. It is symbolized bythe wheel. In the sphere of morality and ethics, it means ‘the right way of living’. Dharma isa concept originating from India. There are various versions of dharma, the Hindu version,the Buddhist version, the Jain version and the Sikh version. The proponents of each believetheirs to be the ‘right’ or in truest accord with the deepest realities of nature.

Guru.Guru is a Hindu spiritual teacher. Origin from Hindi and Punjabi. The origin of

this word is from the Sanskrit 'guru' which means ‘weighty, grave’, hence, ‘elder,teacher’.

Hinduism. Hinduism is a major religious and cultural tradition of the Indian subcontinent,

including belief in reincarnation and the worship of a large pantheon of deities.

An Indian Yogi, Sai Baba, explains Hinduism as follows:

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. The three cardinal principles of Hinduism are: 1) Beliefin a series of births (reincarnation ). 2) Belief in Avatars of the Lord for the reestablishment ofDharma

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and the transformation of those who have strayed from it. 3)Belief inKarma , the fact of every activityhaving its inevitable consequences and of human destiny being shaped by cumulative effect of all theseconsequences. Karma is the cause of births, theJivi being compelled to undergo another ordeal forclearing its accounts and becoming free of both debit and credit.

The life aim of Hindus is to reach fulfillment through constant spiritual discipline, thefulfillment that

comes from the awareness of one's Divinity. Merging with the Divine is the attainment of fullness. TheVedas are the soul that sustains the spiritual life of Hindus. They are the breath that that keeps thepeople alive. TheVedas emanated from God Himself. The great sages received theVedas as a seriesof sounds and spread it over the world by word of mouth from preceptor to the pupil. One can knowfrom theVedas the code of right activity and the body of right knowledge. TheVedas teach man hisduties from birth to death. They describe his rights and duties, obligations and responsibilities in allstages of life. In order to explain theVedas in simpler terms, thePuranas (scriptures) and epic textsappeared in course of time. Two such great epics are the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Another greatspiritual text of Hinduism is the Bhagavat Geetha, which helps people to control the agitation of themind, destroy the delusion, develop true knowledge and make one catch a glimpse of the glory of theLord.

The wordHindu means those who keep away from the path of violence, away from inflicting injuryon others. The essence of all the scriptural texts of Hinduism can be described in one sentence as"Help Ever, Hurt Never".

Aum , which is a primary symbol of Hinduism, is the symbol of unchanging eternal, universalsupreme God. Aum , is the primordial word, which gives life to all the other words. Aum is the origin ofcreation. It contains the essence of all theVedas and is the source of all the scriptures.”

Another Indian Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda explainsSelf Realization as the knowing thatweare one with the omnipresence ofGod in body, mind and soul.

JainismJainism is one of the oldest religions in the world originating in ancient India. The Jains

follow the teachings of the 24 Jinas (conquerors) who are known as Tirthankars. The 24th isthe 6th century BC Mahavira.

Jains believe that every human has an eternal soul and is responsible for his actions. TheJain religion places great emphasis on Karma. Essentially, it means that all people reap whatthey sow. A happy or miserable existence is influenced by the actions in previous lives.

Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberatedand attaining Moksha. Tirthankaras are role models because they have attained Moksha.

Jains believe that we should live, think and act respectfully and honor the spiritualnature of all life. Adherents to the faith are required to be vegetarians.God is viewed as the traits of the pure soul of each living being, chiefly described as

infinite knowledge, perception, consciousness and happiness. They do not believe in anomnipotent, supreme, creator being.

Jains hold that this temporal world is full of misery and sorrow. In order to attain lasting bliss, they believe one must transcend the eternal cycle of soul transmigration. They believethe way to break out of this cycle is to practice detachment through rational perception,knowledge and conduct.

Hence Jainism holds re-incarnation and karma as foundational in its religion. Becausethe theory of re-incarnation has been refuted, I believe Jainism and Jainist beliefs are false.

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Karma. Hindus and Buddhists believe in the concept of karma. Karma is the sum of a

person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as affecting their future fates. The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit karman which means‘action _ effect _ fate’.

Hindus and Buddhists believe that by doing good deeds, they accumulate positivekarma credits. This would enable their spirit to reincarnate in a higher spiritual planein the next lifetime.Over many lifetimes, they would become more enlightened. Some eventually becomeenlightened enough to be like Gautama Siddhartha Buddha and attain the level ofnirvana.

Mantra. A word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. A Vedic hymn. The

origin of this word is from the Sanskrit 'man' which means ‘thought’, hence mantrais ‘instrument of thought’.

Maya.M aya is the power by which the universe becomes manifest; the illusion of the

phenomenal world. The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit 'mãyã' , from mã 'create'.

Meditate.To meditate is to focus one’s mind for a period of time for spiritual purposes or

as a method of relaxation.

MokshaMoksha (Sanskrit: liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: release) refer in Indian religions to

liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (re-incarnation) and all the suffering andlimitation of worldly existence. Liberation is experienced in this life as a dissolution of thesense of self as an egoistic personality, reaching a state of Nirvana.

New Age.

‘ New age’ is a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches totr aditional Western cul tur e, with an interest in spi r i tuali ty, mysticism, holi sm, andenvironmentalism .

Nirvana. Hindus and Buddhists believe in a state of Nirvana or Nibbana. Nirvana is defined as a transcendent state in which there is no suffering or

desire and no sense of s elf. The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit nirvănawhere nirvă means ‘be extinguished’. On attaining nirvana, a person is released

from the repeated cycles of reincarnation and suffering.

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Pantheism. A belief which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a

manifestation of God.This concept holds that the creator and the creation are one and the same, and that the

creator is not separate from the creation, and that the creator did not precede the creation.

Hence the concept of pantheism is consistent with the core beliefs of Hinduism and most New Age practices.

Reincarnation. Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body.

Incarnation is a spirit embodied in a living human from.To incarnate is to be invested in a bodily form.The origin of this word is from the Latin in- carn- which means ‘into’ ‘flesh’.

Samadhi .Samadhi is a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation. The

origin of this word is from Sanskrit samădhi which means ‘contemplation’. Samadhi has also been described as a state in which one’s consc iousness

becomes in unity with the atman.Yogis describe samadhi as a state of supreme happiness. Hindus believe that they

can attain samadhi by meditating and looking within themselves in order to ‘self -realize’. The devotee is required to disciple himself to a guru or yogi and movecloser to Nibbana after many years of meditation, chanting of mantras and asceticliving.

By the process of Yoga meditation, the devotee attempts to empty himself of allhis ego driven desires, reason and logic. The devotee believes that through practiceand obedient following of a Yogi, he can achieve self realization.

Self realization is defined as the fulfillment of one’s own potential. An IndianYogi, Paramahansa Yogananda explains Self Realization as the knowing that we are onewith the omnipresence of God in body, mind and soul. Another Indian Yogi, Sai Baba,states that t he life aim of Hindus is to reach fulfillment through constant spiritual discipline, thefulfillment that comes from the awareness of one's Divinity. Merging with the Divine is the attainment offullness.

Samsara.Samsara is the cycle of death and rebirth in which life in the material world is

bound. The origin of this word is from the Sanskrit samsăra.

SikhismSikhism is a religious belief founded by Guru Nanak Dev 1469 to 1539 in Punjab, India.

His writings are compiled in the Siri Guru Granth SahibCentral in his teaching is the belief that there is one creator God called Satnam Vahiguru

or Truth as revealed by Guru Nanak. He saw the universe as a creation of one supreme power, and since the creator was in the world he created, it could not be treated as unreal as proposed in Hinduism and Buddhism.

His teachings did not include the policy of renunciation of the world or detachment fromworldly responsibilities. He denounced the leading of one's life as an ascetic and put greatemphasis on hard work and earning a livelihood. For him taking care of one's family and

providing food and shelter for them was one of the prime duties of man before God.However, similar to Hinduism and Buddhism, he believed in reincarnation and karma .

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Because the theory of re-incarnation has been refuted, I believe Sikhism and Sikh beliefs arefalse.

Soul. Soul is the spiritual or non-material part of a human regarded as immortal. The

origin of this word is from the Old English, Germanic sāwol.

Spirit .Spirit is the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and

character; this is regarded as surviving after death of the body, often manifested asa ghost. The origin of this word is from Latin spiritos which means ‘breath’ .

Yoga. Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including

breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily positions, iswidely practiced for health and relaxation. The origin of this word is from theSanskrit yoga which means ‘union’.

Yogi. A yogi is a person proficient in yoga .An example of a yogi is Paramahansa Yogananda.Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh on Jan 5, 1893 in the northern Indian city of Gorakhpur. Died

Mar 7, 1952 in Los Angeles, USA. From the age of seventeen, he was trained in the yogadiscipline by Swami Sri Yukteswar for ten years. Paramahansa considered his gurus asavatara . He was conferred with the Swami order in 1915, after graduating from the Universityof Calcutta. He founded a ‘how to live’ school for boys where yoga spiritual training wascombined with modern educational methods. He went to the United States, founded a societycalled Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920 and five years later he settled in Los Angeles. Hepopularized a form of yoga called Kriya Yoga. He is well known for his ‘Autobiography of aYogi’ and an English translation of ‘The Bhagavad Gita’. In his autobiography, he refers to thepart of the brain above and between the eyes as the ‘Christ consciousness center’. Hisdisciples have deified him as an avatar.

Resource material:

Definitions in italics are based on The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 10 th edition, revised . 2001 .

Quotations from other sources are in theArial narrow font .

Old Souls, the scientific evidence for past lives by Tom Shroder, published by Simon& Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 1230, Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.ISBN 0-684-85192-X). ©1999.

Reincarnation, Amazing True Cases From Around The World by Roy Stemman (Editor

of Reincarnation International), published by Judy Piatkus Ltd. Windmill Street, LondonW1P 1HF. ISBN 0-7499-1708-3 hbk, ISBN 0-7499-1787-3 pbk ©1997 (Ref: in page 38)

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Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda published by Self-RealizationFellowship, 3880 San Raphael Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90065-3298 U.S.A. ISBN 0-87612-082-6. 12th Ed. © 1981