Introspector9

Buddha talked about taking the Middle Path, but I have doubts about that; or at least, I would like to frame this in a different way. Life is a matter of dealing with paired opposites. Thinking accurately is a matter of mixing two opposites – reason and quality. Quality of life is finding the right balance between responsibility and freedom. That would be sort of a middle path, but not every pair of opposites fits. This is why I am seeking a new framework for dealing with opposites. Buddha’s framework is a good one, but I think it can be improved upon.
Life and death is a very serious pair of opposites. I like the reincarnation frame around this pair. It takes some of the sting out of death, and gives us hope for future life. I feel like we can live better lives here on earth with the reincarnation frame rather than the heaven-and-hell frame. People will take better care of Mother Earth if they believe that they are coming back to her. People might be less inclined to fight wars if they thought their enemies were coming back to face them again in a new life. These are just a couple of examples. I believe there are many good reasons to believe in reincarnation. A third framework would be “life begins at birth and ends at death.” I don’t like that way that feels. It is not pretty. Whatever the actual truth is, we do not know. You faith-based people believe in heaven and hell. You reality-based people suffer with your hard “truth” that death is final. We reason-and-quality people will likely believe in reincarnation.