[steve52389]

Hi I believe in reincarnation after you die my soul goes into anther body but when I die is there something special that has to has to happen so my soul can go into anther body like do I have to be cremated or do I have to be buried?

[Wondergirl]

This site might help -

Buddhist ceremonies > Funeral - page 1/2

[hauntinghelper]

hi i believe in reincarnation after you die my soul goes into anther body but when i die is there something special that has to has to happen so my soul can go into anther body like do i have to be cremated or do i have to be buried?

So your afterlife depends on how people handle your body when you pass? Something to think about...

[Fr_Chuck]

No but why do you assume it will be a body, ( at least human) I assume you either do not follow the Buddhist faith well. The idea is of Karma where you are working your way up in creation, if you live wrong, you can go down, if you live better you are born up, the idea is that at some point you will live good enough to reach a state of perfection.

[hauntinghelper]

Exactly... it's not as if you are just dumped into a new human form... you're either moving up or down on the pole. Wanting to believe in something is one thing... but you need to do further reading on it's full concept I think...

[Thomas1970]

First a distinction must be made between "reincarnation" and "rebirth." Buddhists believe in the latter, as reincarnation asserts a largely eternal and unchanging "self"; a belief seen as contradictory to it's fundamental path of liberation from suffering ("erroneous" assertions). The distinction of relative versus ultimate reality.
"Birth" and "death" are considered, in a sense, wrongful and painful perceptions, in the same way that physics states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. It only migrates to become absorbed by other forms.
Reincarnation is a belief central to the Hindu faith, amongst others.

It is also largely incorrect, in the case of Buddhism, to view creation from the lens of a caste system as all life contains "Buddha Nature" -- the potential to achieve enlightenment (liberation) in any given moment. Animals are not considered "less" than humans -- simply that human existence is viewed as engendering the greatest opportunity for enlightenment, being the most "balanced." Clearer mental faculties than animals or ghosts and hell beings, yet enough discomfort that we should not lose our impetus or motivation. Not quite as "luxurious" as the existence of the gods or demi-gods.
In Buddhism, your rebirth is largely determined not so much by your "worth" or altruism, as by your characteristic or dominant delusion in your former existence.
Though karma is the law of cause and effect, and positive karma brings about the chance of a more favorable rebirth -- enlightenment is essentially the transcendence of karma itself.
When we perceive the world directly, we no longer bring the "world" about through thought. No longer are there greater or lesser beings, or any other such dichotomous distinctions. In relative reality "night" is what helps us define what is "day." Though ultimately, things just "are."

The importance of many Buddhist death rituals is that it is often believed the deceased may remain in the bardo (in-between state) for some time, in which it may retain attachment to its former former form or possessions. In order to not startle or disconcert the "spirit" during its greatest opportunity for spontaneous liberation, or transition to a favorable rebirth, the person may, under allowing circumstances, not be laid to final rest for several days or even weeks. Though cremation is common in Buddhist and Hindu societies, bodies can be respectfully processed in other manners as well.
Really it often depends more on preference or practicality than what particular spiritual path you follow, though most cultures have certain standards or recommendations.

[Fr_Chuck]

While I respect your opinion, I am currently study religions that included Buddhist and this is not what the major college I am attending is teaching about it.