Can you be a Buddhist if you don't believe in reincarnation?
Upvote:0
Rebirth is one of the key concepts in Buddhism. If you don't believe in Rebirth you don't believe in Samsara (ciclic existence) and probably don't believe in PariNibbana as well. My answer would be: No! It is the same as calling yourself a "Christian" not believing in God or in the ressurection of Jesus.
In Buddhism there are lower fetters that prevent a person from achieving greater results, doubt is one of them. So if you want to progress in the Buddhist path you should believe in Buddha's enlightment and investigate the teachings in meditation when possible.
If believing in Rebirth is too much for you, try to focus in doing good things, keeping morality and meditating, you can also observe the 5 precepts, that will bring you good things even if you don't consider yourself a Buddhist.
Upvote:0
Yes of course.
I doubt you can call your belief Buddhist, but maybe in zen (which I have heard informs us to only believe in rebirth if it comes up in practice).
It less like not believing in the resurrection of Christ than not believing in the trinity. This is because IMVHO anyway the Buddha's life did not include parinirvana. It included nirvana, whereas Christs life was not ended.
Anyway that's not to say that you can call yourself Buddhist and be really obnoxious about it lol. But then that doesn't have much to do with religion, it's just general life advice :-)
Upvote:2
I think to call yourself a Buddhist or practice the buddhist teaching you should at least believe in cause and effect.Maybe not in past lives but in the here and now.When you can see cause and effect clearly in the present then you'll infer that the same principle applies after death.
Things you do in this life will have some effect after.(Future rebirth)
There must be something you did before that caused you to be here now in this life.(Past Birth)
Note: Rebirth is not the same as reincarnation.Please search this site for more info.
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