Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: Are we reincarnated in the sense that Buddhists believe?

A: In a word - no.

Here is a quote from The Urantia Book. This is taken from the life of Jesus:

There was, throughout all these regions, a lingering belief in reincarnation. The older Jewish teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes, tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences. p1811:5 (164:3.4)

Buddhism and Urantia Book teachings are similar in some ways, but not in regards to reincarnation. The closest The Urantia Book comes to Buddhism in the matters of life and death is the Buddhist teaching of Nirvana - final liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, and the end of suffering.

The Urantia Book teaches that we will enjoy a true resurrection following our death, never to return to the Earth. In our new life on the Mansion Worlds, there will be no suffering, and we will be faced with the prospect of an "eternal adventure." True, we do enjoy successive lives - but never will we lose our personalities or our identities - and we always keep our memories. Our successive lives reflect our gradual transformation from a purely mortal being to a bonafide spirit, and our destiny lies in the worlds of Paradise and beyond...

Please take a few minutes and enjoy one of our flash movies which will help you to understand some Urantia Book teachings regarding what happens After You Die

There is a lot more information here about Life after Death as well

Thanks for this great question!

Labels: Buddhism, life after death, Mansion Worlds, Nirvana, reincarnation, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Monday, January 26, 2009

What is your belief about reincarnation and those intuitives/sensitives that promote past life readings?

A: Thank you for this timely and interesting question. The Urantia Book has the following to say about reincarnation:

The primitive doctrine of survival after death was not necessarily a belief in immortality. Beings who could not count over twenty could hardly conceive of infinity and eternity; they rather thought of recurring incarnations. href=" p953:4(86:4.5)

This idea of reincarnation originated in the observance of hereditary and trait resemblance of offspring to ancestors. The custom of naming children after grandparents and other ancestors was due to belief in reincarnation. Some later-day races believed that man died from three to seven times. p953:5(86:4.6)

The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigrationâ€”the doctrine of the reincarnation of soulsâ€”which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith.p1029:1(94:2.3)

The older Jewish teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes, tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences.p1811:5(164:3.4)

You can see from these quotes that reincarnation is not a belief that is fostered in the teachings of The Urantia Book, nor in the teachings of Jesus. However, it is a theory that many seeking souls adopt as a way of explaining survival of the self, as well as karma, the idea of reaping what we sow.

I was a believer in reincarnation at one point in my life, but I now much prefer the idea of "resurrection" of the immortal soul as presented in The Urantia Book:

On mansion world number one (or another in case of advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted by death. Between the time of planetary death or translation and resurrection on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing aside from experiencing the fact of survival. You begin over there right where you leave off down here.p533:5(47:3.7)

This teaching relieves any fears I may have had about having to return to this planet over and over again as the result of some past sins - which to me, is a very depressing thought. Having to endure, all over again, a complete mortal life until I "get it right," seems terribly unappealing to me.

Given the sheer size and magnitude of the inhabited universe presented in The Urantia Book, it seems highly unlikely to me that we would be doomed to such a circular existence focused on only this little ball of dirt in space. Rather, we can look forward to resurrection on new worlds, with new challenges, and new opportunities for atoning for our shortcomings. The watchword of the universe is "progress." Personally, I see nothing progressive about reincarnation.

I am however, interested in the phenomena of the intuitives that you mention, and I notice that many people seem to gain a great deal of comfort from these "readings." I am sure that they believe in what they are doing, as well as do the people who seek them out, but to me, it is only a curiosity, and nowhere near reality. I don't consider it sinful or bad, just pointless. I know that good and sincere people can have a desire to know everything they can in order to help them through this present life we are living, but the surest way to handle life on a day-to-day basis is to stay present, ask God to guide you, and do the best you can with every situation that comes up in your life. From the Urantia Book:

Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of monotonyâ€”these traits inherent in evolving human natureâ€”were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you during your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.p159:6(14:5.10)

Finally, as to the karmic idea, The Urantia Book has an interesting quote about reaping and sowing:

When you finish your earthly career, your body remains on this planet...You "sow a mortal body" in the grave; you "reap a morontia form" on the mansion worlds.p431:2(39:2.13)

(NB: "Morontia" is a term designating a stage of existence which is between material and spiritual - a transition state between being entirely mortal, and entirely spiritual: ed)

The Urantia Book teaches us that this new life vehicle will be a faithful reflection of the true inner person, so that the spiritual progress, or lack thereof, will be reflected in this new form. This is an intriguing concept, and to me, is a good reason continue to do all I can to progress spiritually right here and now...hey, I want to look good in my resurrected life!!!

I would like to invite you to take a look at our dedicated page called Life After Death. You'll find many things of interest there that will give you even more information about The Urantia Book's teachings on the subject of eternal life.

And if you have not done so, please susbscribe to Quote of the Day - a free service of Truthbook.com. You'll receive a daily quote from The Urantia Book to uplift and inspire you.

Labels: eternal life, intuitives, life after death, reincarnation, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Why do so many people feelingly experience re-incarnation as a spiritual reality?

A: Buddhists and Hindus experience reincarnation as a spiritual reality because it is an integral part to their view of the life and death cycle and most believers in any one particular religion tend to accept all the doctrines of that religion. Others accept reincarnation as valid because it seems to provide a logical answer to the age-old questions of why do some people seem to be blessed while others face lives of struggle. And still others accept reincarnation because they believe they've been given proof through past life regression, deja-vu, or psychic experiences that appear to point to its validity as a belief system.

Perhaps one of the main reasons people accept the theory of reincarnation is because deep down they realize that there's more to existence than this one short life can provide and because they have not been given another satisfying or more complete explanation of the breadth and scope of the adventure that awaits upon departure from this life in the flesh while a belief in reincarnation seems to answer that call.

As you may be aware, The Urantia Book makes it clear that this is the first and only physical experience required to cause the soul to be born and that from this point onward our existence will be one of increasing spiritual awareness and development. The Urantia Book describes in exquisite detail the universe career we embark upon after physical death, what we will experience as heaven and beyond. This ascension plan is so full and all-encompassing that what the theory of reincarnation offers pales and seems dull and tedious in its wake. So until the time comes that there's a more complete understanding of God's plan for us the theory of reincarnation will continue to hold a place in the beliefs of many.

Please see our web page dedicated to the study of Life After Death as taught in The Urantia Book.

Labels: Buddhism, Hinduism, life after death, reincarnation, spirituality, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Friday, March 14, 2008

What is your belief about reincarnation and those intuitives/sensitives that promote past life readings?

Q: What is your belief about reincarnation and those intuitives/sensitives that promote past life readings?

A: Thank you for this timely and interesting question. The Urantia Book has the following to say about reincarnation:

p953:4((86:4.5)) The primitive doctrine of survival after death was not necessarily a belief in immortality. Beings who could not count over twenty could hardly conceive of infinity and eternity; they rather thought of recurring incarnations.

p953:5((86:4.6)) This idea of reincarnation originated in the observance of hereditary and trait resemblance of offspring to ancestors. The custom of naming children after grandparents and other ancestors was due to belief in reincarnation. Some later-day races believed that man died from three to seven times. .

p1029:1((94:2.3)) The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigrationâ€”the doctrine of the reincarnation of soulsâ€”which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith.

p1811:5((164:3.4)) The older Jewish teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes, tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences.

You can see from these quotes that reincarnation is not a belief that is fostered in the teachings of The Urantia Book, nor in the teachings of Jesus. However, it is a theory that many seeking souls adopt as a way of explaining survival of the self, as well as karma, the idea of reaping what we sow.

I was a believer in reincarnation at one point in my life, but I now much prefer the idea of "resurrection" of the immortal soul as presented in The Urantia Book:

p533:5((47:3.7)) On mansion world number one (or another in case of advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted by death. Between the time of planetary death or translation and resurrection on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing aside from experiencing the fact of survival. You begin over there right where you leave off down here.

This teaching relieves any fears I may have had about having to return to this planet over and over again as the result of some past sins - which to me, is a very depressing thought. Having to endure, all over again, a complete mortal life until I "get it right," seems terribly unappealing to me.

Given the sheer size and magnitude of the inhabited universe presented in The Urantia Book, it seems highly unlikely to me that we would be doomed to such a circular existence focused on only this little ball of dirt in space. Rather, we can look forward to resurrection on new worlds, with new challenges, and new opportunities for atoning for our shortcomings. The watchword of the universe is "progress." Personally, I see nothing progressive about reincarnation.

I am however, interested in the phenomena of the intuitives that you mention, and I notice that many people seem to gain a great deal of comfort from these "readings." I am sure that they believe in what they are doing, as well as do the people who seek them out, but to me, it is only a curiosity, and nowhere near reality. I don't consider it sinful or bad, just misguided and pointless. From the Urantia Book:

p159:6((14:5.10)) Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of monotonyâ€”these traits inherent in evolving human natureâ€”were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you during your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.

Finally, as to the karmic idea, The Urantia Book has an interesting quote about reaping and sowing:

p431:2((39:2.13)) When you finish your earthly career, your body remains on this planet...You "sow a mortal body" in the grave; you "reap a morontia form" on the mansion worlds.

(NB: "Morontia" is a term designating a stage of existence which is between material and spiritual - a transition state between being entirely mortal, and entirely spiritual - ed.)

The Urantia Book teaches us that this new life vehicle will be a faithful reflection of the true inner person, so that the spiritual progress, or lack thereof, will be reflected in this new form. This is an intriguing concept, and to me, is a good reason continue to do all I can to progress spiritually...hey, I want to look good in my new life!!!

I would like to invite you to take a look at our flash movies - in particular, "After You Die," which is a beautiful. three-minute presentation about this very subject of life after death, and what we can expect when we experience our resurrection.

And if you have not done so, please susbscribe to Quote of the Day, a free service of Truthbook.com. You'll receive a daily quote from The Urantia Book to uplift and inspire you.

Labels: karma, life after death, morontia, past-lives, reincarnation, resurrection, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Friday, November 17, 2006

Reincarnation? Life On Other Planets?

Q: Part 1: Does Urantia consider the possibility of rebirth or reincarnation?
Part 2: Is there life on other galaxies and do we continue to learn after death?

A: The Urantia Book is a revelation -- it claims that distinction and those of us who have read and studied it to determine if the claim is unfounded have arrived at the conclusion that it is what it claims to be. Revelation will substantiate some long-held beliefs but it will also give new and often startling insights that can unsettle cherished opinions.

The theory of reincarnation is appealing for several reasons: it seems to offer an explanation for the inequalities of life, it can offer hope for those who desire a continuation of life and meaning beyond the lives we presently find ourselves in, and it's an indication of a plan that overrides and controls our very existence. But the theory of reincarnation addresses these concepts in meager and very unsatisfactory terms and at best one is left with only hazy ideas of how and why it all fits together. Still, it would be difficult to give up a belief in the theory unless there was something much better in place to substitute.

The Urantia Book goes into all the ramifications of these musings in great detail and with exquisite definition and lays out a plan of so much greater satisfaction, logic, meaning than any teachings of reincarnation attempt. Actually, reincarnation is but a hazy reflection of a grand concept of the mortal ascendant career that we enter into once our life here is through, a concept disclosed long ago in the early days of human history that has since been misinterpreted to mean repeated lives here on earth.

Regarding life on other galaxies and continuing to learn: creation isn't the simple mechanistic forces that produce matter in the fashion described through science. True there is energy and matter but there is also spirit and it is spirit for which creation was made. The material universe is creation put into motion by God for the expression of spirit and personality.

Galaxies exist for the purpose of expressing personality. Not all stars support planets nor do all planets support material life but so many do that the numbers are nearly limitless. The purpose of material will-creature life is that it is the starting point for personality expression on a long and glorious ascendant career, where knowledge and understanding continue to be our eternal goal.

May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day at our site. It's a free service that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book along with a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions. And of course I would recommend that you test for yourself the teachings of The Urantia Book to find out if they ring true. It's available at most book stores and libraries or can be purchased on-line through our site.

Best wishes and thank you for your questions.

Larry Watkins

Labels: death, galaxies, God, Larry Watkins, reincarnation, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Friday, October 27, 2006

Is Reincarnation Real?

Q: Towards the bottom of page 1811 in part 4, the text reads:

"There was, throughout all these regions, a lingering belief in reincarnation. The older Jewish teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes, tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master (Jesus) found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences."

Is the Midway author of this text saying that there is no reincarnation? I'd very much like to know how others who have studied the Urantia papers interpret this passage. Thank you very much.A: There are a number of teachings in The Urantia Book that many readers find difficult to first accept at face value and the reincarnation issue is one over which many stumble.

A: Everyone comes to The Urantia Book with predisposed baggage â€” spiritual, religious, psychological, intellectual. We all have beliefs and prejudices and opinions that we rely on to help us answer life's toughest questions to our own satisfaction and to make sense of the world around us. The Urantia Book is a phenomenon from outside the flow of human events or the personal realities we've managed to concoct and for some its teachings are just too challenging and they dismiss it, usually without taking the time or making the effort to have actually begun to understand it â€” they just see that it doesn't agree with their preconceptions so assume it, and not they, are mistaken.

So, some readers say they believe The Urantia Book but they still cling to beliefs that run counter to its teachings; others accept TUB and allow the new wine to fill new wineskins â€” there's a natural tension between ego and humility that must at some time be resolved.

The teachings of reincarnation that originated in eastern philosophy may well be remnants of the teachings of the planetary prince from over 500,000 years ago. In a sense they're reflections of the actual "reincarnation" we experience on the mansion worlds as we progress through them but rather than understanding this as a journey that transpires after we leave here it became a belief associated with mortal existence. For reincarnation to occur, a pre-existent soul left over from the previous past life, has to exist so that it can be inserted into a new body and start the cycle all over again; The Urantia Book clearly explains that the soul is born in this, the first and only life in the flesh, when the first moral decision is made. The evolving soul is the vehicle that carries individuality at death to the mansion worlds so that you begin over there where you left off here. The soul does not linger on earth, does not reincarnate.

Eastern philosophies are inspired as well as being of evolutionary origin â€” they contain truths and legends and myths mixed in with superstition and fear, ghosts and psychic upwellings, just like the Western philosophies do. These philosophies help make sense of why the human condition is so confused but they add another layer of confusion in the process.

The Urantia Book teachings are more consistent, more logical, more elevating, more exciting than anything that the theory of reincarnation has to offer â€” it's just a matter of deciding for one over the other.

Thanks for the question.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: eastern philosophy, Jesus, reincarnation, The Urantia Book

Permalink

Monday, December 19, 2005

What is the truth about Reincarnation?

Q: What is the truth about Reincarnation?

A: The acceptance of "truth" is a relative thing in human experience. To a Moslem, truth is contained in the teachings of the Quran, to most Christians the Bible is the truth. Even within the various Christian and Moslem sects the truth is seen from different angles. So how do you know the truth and how might God regard your affinity for it?

Your endowments as a human being include a mind for interacting with your environment and logic for sifting through information to determine facts, meaningful truths and to formulate beliefs. That's how a Moslem and a Christian can arrive at their truths which essentially conflict with one another but which quite possibly are pleasing to God because they were each arrived at through the best application of each believer's endowments. What we may assume to be most pleasing to God would be how we arrive at and act upon our decisions and beliefs, not specifically what we believe.

For students of The Urantia Book the message it contains has become their standard for perceiving truth and The Urantia Book does have several things to say regarding the theory of reincarnation. If you'll return to the Truthbook.com FAQ (upper right hand corner of our home page), under ("What does The Urantia Book Say About...), and the heading "What does the book teach regarding reincarnation?" you'll find some of the reason students of the book replace whatever beliefs about reincarnation they may have one time entertained with the Urantia book teachings.

This is an often asked question so we have added it to our discussion board so that you might have the benefit of the thoughtful responses of our online Urantia Book reader community. You can visit this board and see these responses by clicking here: http://forums.truthbook.com/viewforum.php?f=11. And may I also recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book along with a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the Urantia teachings. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins,
Truthbook.com

Labels: Bible, Christian, Larry Watkins, Moslem, Quran, reincarnation, The Urantia Book, truth

Permalink

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Why do so many people feelingly experience re-incarnation as a spiritual reality?

Q. Why do so many people feelingly experience re-incarnation as a spiritual reality?

A. Buddhists and Hindus experience reincarnation as a spiritual reality because it is an integral part to their view of the life and death cycle and most believers in any one particular religion tend to accept all the doctrines of that religion. Others accept reincarnation as valid because it seems to provide a logical answer to the age-old questions of why do some people seem to be blessed while others face lives of struggle. And still others accept reincarnation because they believe they've been given proof through past life regression, deja-vu, or psychic experiences that appear to point to its validity as a belief system.

Perhaps one of the main reasons people accept the theory of reincarnation is because deep down they realize that there's more to existence than this one short life can provide and because they have not been given another satisfying or more complete explanation of the breadth and scope of the adventure that awaits upon departure from this life in the flesh while a belief in reincarnation seems to answer that call. As you may be aware, The Urantia Book makes it clear that this is the first and only physical experience required to cause the soul to be born and that from this point onward our existence will be one of increasing spiritual awareness and development. The Urantia Book describes in exquisite detail the universe career we embark upon after physical death, what we will experience as heaven and beyond. This ascension plan is so full and all-encompassing that what the theory of reincarnation offers pales and seems dull and tedious in its wake. So until the time comes that there's a more complete understanding of God's plan for us the theory of reincarnation will continue to hold a place in the beliefs of many.

Thank you again,
Larry Watkins

Labels: Buddhism, Hinduism, Larry Watkins, reincarnation, spiritual growth, struggle, The Urantia Book