Expanding population in a reincarnation paradigm

How does reincarnation account for an increasing population? I do not know enough about the subject to answer this myself, and do not want to read through various materials to find the answer.

I'm sure you could come up with lots of reasons. Shakya and I never got to this question, its one I also share.

Originally posted by Regret
How does reincarnation account for an increasing population? I do not know enough about the subject to answer this myself, and do not want to read through various materials to find the answer.

The wave analogy is the best way to understand this.

http://www.guernsey.net/~moorman/ETERNITY.html

The Wave Analogy

Imagine that you are a wave, a single wave on the surface of the vast ocean. The ocean represents the universe. You have a separate identity in that you have movement and form and an apparent life of your own. You may be a small ripple or you may be a giant tidal wave with terrible power at your disposal. There are many other waves each having its own characteristics - these represent all the other living beings in the universe. You are not the ocean and yet you only exist because of it. You are made of it and you cannot really distinguish the difference between the water making you up and the water forming the vast ocean itself. You cannot exist without the ocean and the ocean cannot exist without you because it is impossible to distinguish where you end and the ocean begins. Finally, after travelling over the surface of the ocean for a while, all the energies and conditions essential for your existence gradually decay away and you are unable to continue. This is not a tragedy. You simply merge back into the ocean from which you came. The ocean never loses you. Eventually, the effects you had on the ocean and a combination of thousands of other causes will produce the conditions for you to reappear on the surface. You will be a wave again. Not the same one of course…but not a different one either. This is the wonderful mystery of the eternity of life.

How can you explain they’re being more or less waves on the ocean?

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
The wave analogy is the best way to understand this.

http://www.guernsey.net/~moorman/ETERNITY.html

The Wave Analogy

Imagine that you are a wave, a single wave on the surface of the vast ocean. The ocean represents the universe. You have a separate identity in that you have movement and form and an apparent life of your own. You may be a small ripple or you may be a giant tidal wave with terrible power at your disposal. There are many other waves each having its own characteristics - these represent all the other living beings in the universe. You are not the ocean and yet you only exist because of it. You are made of it and you cannot really distinguish the difference between the water making you up and the water forming the vast ocean itself. You cannot exist without the ocean and the ocean cannot exist without you because it is impossible to distinguish where you end and the ocean begins. Finally, after travelling over the surface of the ocean for a while, all the energies and conditions essential for your existence gradually decay away and you are unable to continue. This is not a tragedy. You simply merge back into the ocean from which you came. The ocean never loses you. Eventually, the effects you had on the ocean and a combination of thousands of other causes will produce the conditions for you to reappear on the surface. You will be a wave again. Not the same one of course…but not a different one either. This is the wonderful mystery of the eternity of life.

How can you explain they’re being more or less waves on the ocean?

So then, by this analogy, does the population fluctuate and go from a large number to a small from time to time throughout eternity? Also, is there any pattern or law governing the series and size of the waves?

Originally posted by Regret
So then, by this analogy, does the population fluctuate and go from a large number to a small from time to time throughout eternity? Also, is there any pattern or law governing the series and size of the waves?

It is just an analogy. 😆 I don't know the answers to your questions.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
It is just an analogy. 😆 I don't know the answers to your questions.

Originally posted by Regret
Alright. I am just curious about it, from my perspective it seems that it could be a fatal flaw in the concept. No offense intended.

No offense taken. I personally believe in Simultaneous Incarnation. Imagine side laded out before you, and all lives being lived at one time. Now your question is made irrelevant. 😄

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
No offense taken. I personally believe in Simultaneous Incarnation. Imagine side laded out before you, and all lives being lived at one time. Now your question is made irrelevant. 😄

Originally posted by Regret
I do not understand this Simultaneous Incarnation. Is this a time irrelevant concept then? As in you are constantly existent in every possible incarnation?

To understand Simultaneous Incarnation you have to realize that you are not who is reincarnating. You have one life, and then you die. There is a greater you that lives many lives all at the same time. You could call this you, your true soul, but I call it my entity.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
To understand Simultaneous Incarnation you have to realize that you are not who is reincarnating. You have one life, and then you die. There is a greater you that lives many lives all at the same time. You could call this you, your true soul, but I call it my entity.

Basically, critics of reincarnation would seem to think there's a finite number of souls (or essences/entities/etc.) to go around. That wouldn't necessarily be the case in most schools of thought that endorse reincarnation.

It's not really an issue if you believe in reincarnation (at least for me)....it's not much of a stretch to believe that not everyone who could potentially be reincarnated is currently here on earth.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
It is just an analogy. 😆 I don't know the answers to your questions.

So I shouldn't mention that a wave is a bad analogy?

Shaky's right to an extent though. He doesn't know. Neither do I. Or anyone, really.

We can offer theories and analogies, but if you believe in reincarnation, you believe in it. If you don't, fine too. I have my theory on the expanding population problem with reincarnation (outlined in my first post). But it's just that...a theory. I can't offer it as fact (and I don't). But there's empirical evidence I can point to that suggests the strong possibility of reincarnation, so I believe in it, but I certainly can't know everything about it, including this.

I think anyone, eventually, has to accept that there's things about the universe (both spiritual and also tangible) that they don't fully understand. But knowing everything isn't the important part. It's doing what you can with what you do know.

In the ancient hinduism which is from where all this reincarnation thing came from I remember that I have read that the number of monads(souls) is the same.

But a friend of mine that knows about these things said that its related to the time between incarnations. So, more population means that people stay less time desincarnated, and vice-versa.

And according to hinduism, u can reincarnate not only to human form, but other animal forms. So i guess with the advent of a new mass extinction and population growth in people goes hand in hand , with respect to souls.

Isn't there an order to reincarnation forms in Hindu belief? Like lowly creatures, and then up until human, then going from dark to light until you become low cast Indian through high level Hindi priest then back to Brahman, all dependant on your actions in each life?

essentially yes.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
Shaky's right to an extent though. He doesn't know. Neither do I. Or anyone, really.

We can offer theories and analogies, but if you believe in reincarnation, you believe in it. If you don't, fine too.

You should offer fact, but most religoious people forget that aspect of life.

Regardless, you should at least hava a working model that coud theoretically be true.

Originally posted by Regret
I think I understand the concept. I do not believe I could accept such a thing though.

It is good that we can agree to disagree. 😄

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
It is good that we can agree to disagree. 😄