When the fertilised egg splits, which half gets the soul??

[JuniperWoolf]

Neither. They're soulless. Ever met identical twins? Something not quite right with them.

Truth.

[Darcy88]

Truth.

That's what I'm talking about! Creepy.

[YesNo]

That's what I'm talking about! Creepy.

I don't see anything creepy about the two children.

[Paulclem]

The Buddhist view is that there is no soul, but that a being's mind energy directs itself to its next reincanation according to its karma. So there's no problem with twins or identical twins. In fact if a couple of beings in one life develop a very close bond - husband wife, brother sister, friends - whatever - then the wish to be very close could account for the twin state. There's also no problem with test tube babies according to HH The Dalai Lama who was asked this at a teaching once. The being who will be born is attracted at conception, as are beings attracted to the usual method.

The question of a soul is not an issue in Buddhism because one has not been found within or without a person, (using meditation techniques).

[mazHur]

I am 'attracted' to a blonde in Italy. Will I be able to get her if all depended on mind??

[Paulclem]

I am 'attracted' to a blonde in Italy. Will I be able to get her if all depended on mind??

From your profile avatar, probably not.

Attracted in the karmic sense, not a self directed attraction because there is no self.

[mazHur]

From your profile avatar, probably not.

Attracted in the karmic sense, not a self directed attraction because there is no self.

Oh, come on, Paul! You said it's the 'energy of the mind' that works behind such things....my mind's energy is in full tide...augur something good, gentleman!

[Paulclem]

Oh, come on, Paul! You said it's the 'energy of the mind' that works behind such things....my mind's energy is in full tide...augur something good, gentleman!

The spirit might be willing, but it takes 2.

[YesNo]

The Buddhist view is that there is no soul, but that a being's mind energy directs itself to its next reincanation according to its karma. So there's no problem with twins or identical twins. In fact if a couple of beings in one life develop a very close bond - husband wife, brother sister, friends - whatever - then the wish to be very close could account for the twin state. There's also no problem with test tube babies according to HH The Dalai Lama who was asked this at a teaching once. The being who will be born is attracted at conception, as are beings attracted to the usual method.

The question of a soul is not an issue in Buddhism because one has not been found within or without a person, (using meditation techniques).

This prompted a lot of questions for me.

What meditation techniques does one use to search for answers like this? And how does one know that the search for whatever one is looking for is exhaustive enough to say something doesn't exist? (I was thinking of the search for the Higgs particle when I asked myself that. To my knowledge it hasn't been found yet and so the problem of claiming that an exhaustive search was done by the scientists looking for it might become important. They would need to know when to stop looking.)

Also I realize I don't have a clear understanding of what a "soul" is. I would have thought that "soul" and a "being" with "mind energy" might be nearly the same thing. But if they aren't, what is the soul and how is it different from a being with mind energy?

[Paulclem]

This prompted a lot of questions for me.

What meditation techniques does one use to search for answers like this? And how does one know that the search for whatever one is looking for is exhaustive enough to say something doesn't exist? (I was thinking of the search for the Higgs particle when I asked myself that. To my knowledge it hasn't been found yet and so the problem of claiming that an exhaustive search was done by the scientists looking for it might become important. They would need to know when to stop looking.)

Also I realize I don't have a clear understanding of what a "soul" is. I would have thought that "soul" and a "being" with "mind energy" might be nearly the same thing. But if they aren't, what is the soul and how is it different from a being with mind energy?

As you know, Buddhism is about self awareness and examining the mind and body. Using the definition of soul as that eternal part created by the creator God, you would be looking for some indication that a part of you would not dissolve at death. The Buddha could not find this, and so rejected eternalism. The charge of nihilism is thus levelled - just recently actually on this site - at Buddhism, but the Buddha postulated that although nothing substatial survives death, still the karmic energy causes the next life. He thus defined The Middle way as between eternalism with a soul, and nihilism - complete extinction.

Rather than search for a soul, some Buddhist meditation sequences try to find an I. The I is that self image we have of ourselves which is also a feeling. The best exampe of the I is what you feel when you become self conscious about something - particulrly in a social situation. It takes a while to perceive, but it is a part image and part feeling, and very difficult to pin down. The purpose of the meditation is to investigate whether the I actually exists. The findings suggest there isn't even an I - a self - let alone a soul.

I don't know of any meditations which look at matter specifically, but I've been taught ones where you try to perceive a moment of mind - a very small portion of time - 66 in a finger snap apparently. These are called, confusingly, dharmas. The idea of being able to perceive such a small moment seems odd, but I think one of the effects of more advanced meditation is the ability to focus and hone awareness so the you don't slow time, but heighten your mind. (I'm surmising here I must add).

In terms of finding particles, again I'm not aware of one in particular, but The Buddha - in answer to a mathematical question -

"According to Lalitavistara Sutra when Buddha is challenged to express numbers greater than a hundred crore (koti) "

came up with the answer in this blog where the blogger is referring to a passage in Marcus De Sautoy:

http://arvindkumar-ias.blogspot.com/...dic-maths.html

Sautoy's commentary noted that the numbers corresponded to particle sizes, though this is in the book not the blog.

I've just found a commentary that refers to it here.

http://iteror.org/big/Source/buddhis...tara-ch12.html

I wonder what The Buddha would think of the search. His advice about such postulations about first causes was to emphasise the need for personal development.

Thanks for asking YesNo. It prompted me to find those texts which I am currently intereted in.

[mazHur]

The spirit might be willing, but it takes 2.

Hmm....you have a point there!!

[Paulclem]

Hmm....you have a point there!!

No worries. I'm even more unlikely with my less than desirable looks.

[mazHur]

No worries. I'm even more unlikely with my less than desirable looks.

I didn\t know soul too has to be beautiful like the looks? Does the soul having less than desirable looks is not a soul??? Why does the soul need 2 to enjoin?? Anyway, a soul can stir another soul thousands of miles away without being couched together in one womb?? Did the fate of Romeo and Juliet suffer at the hand of a common soul?? How and why?

[KCurtis]

I didn\t know soul too has to be beautiful like the looks? Does the soul having less than desirable looks is not a soul??? Why does the soul need 2 to enjoin?? Anyway, a soul can stir another soul thousands of miles away without being couched together in one womb?? Did the fate of Romeo and Juliet suffer at the hand of a common soul?? How and why?

Are you really serious? I think I'll read a different thread.

[mazHur]

Are you really serious? I think I'll read a different thread.

Yes, those are boggling questions. If you can answer them, well and good, or else I will wait for someone who comes up with better knowledge about soul and its transmission, etc.


BTW I thought soul was like 'light' contained in little 'beads' resembling stars or a nebula but I am not sure about this theory of soul. Have any idea?