Anata also Anatman

[The Madame X]

Here is a site offering some insight to the doctrine
http://www.butte.cc.ca.us/~wmwu/inclass ... n_soul.htm

You may also want to read:
Reincarnation Five Keys to Past Lives Safe and Effective Techniques for Recalling Previous Existences by Brennan, J. H.

“ The Soul and the Second Body
Anata means ‘no soul’ and classic Buddhism teaches that while individuals are trapped in the recurring wheel of birth Death and rebirth, they do not in fact possess souls.
…Buddhists deny a permanent individual spirit altogether…. The mind and the personality is created anew each time [a new life is formed], as are the subtle bodies. There is, as the Buddha taught, no soul which passes from body to body. Instead there is a vast and complex pre-existent entity (yourself) which creates the situation leading to the reincarnation chain. [a new chain is created as a link to a physical body with which to experience the prime material, death severs this chain, thusly to experience the physical plane again a new chain must be created.]
At a certain point in the process, the Essential You may decide to permit the filtering down of past life memories in order that the learning process may proceed more efficiently.”
This doctrine states that the traumatic process of death and birth affect recollection of past life memories.

I do however find this theory interesting and worthy of further exploration, as it seems to have fallen thru the cracks of time.

[redlotus88]

The idea of impermanence-or nothing in life is permanent, is an important concept to Buddhists. Here is a moment, the moment is gone. We are taught that attatchment-or a desire to have something leads to suffering, and the cycle is endless. No soul leaves us when we die according to Buddhism, just qi (energy). Some Buddhists who have embraced other philosophies and religons believe in the concept of a soul.

[Jezabel]

[Necromancer9]

[Jezabel]

[Syngin]

I'm afraid that past life recall is from my point of view detrimental to most peoples psyche. In my experience most of those I know who went delving into a previous life have had a very hard time dealing with it, since often they seem to come to an end in similar fashions everytime. I honestly believe that we are given the information as it is needed. There I things that I know as if I was standing there at the time of the event. I did not dream them I didn't read them and they often conflict with what is known about the subject at the time. These things are just something I "know". Like I know the sun will rise in the morning.

As far as bhuddist way of aproaching life. The idea is you must be selfless is that you must be giving to all creatures but not expecting anything in return. This sight does have a tendency to leave you in confussion on the subject and theosophy of practice.

A book that might better help you come to and understanding is actually a required reading for most martial artist. It is call Backwards Down the Path. It explains such concepts as how that which is sturdy and solid is weaker than that which bends to a stronger force. Reason that which is solid is destroyed that which bends bounces back to it's original form and remains unbroken. Anyway it would make the above concept that as Jez said is as clear as mud very clear like a cool mountain stream.

[Ghost]

[ArtimusAusir]

Thank you Madame for bumping this thread up for me. I find this teaching to be quite interesting. I am a self taught student of differing religious beliefs. I knew of the Bhuddist teaching of the interconnectedness of all things, but had not heard the teaching of Anata.

However, while I do believe all things are interconnected to some degree or another, I firmly believe we all possess unique individual souls. Mind you, those souls all originate from the same source, once the soul is born, for lack of a better term, it remains unique unto itself. As it takes on physical life, the soul gathers memories of its lifetime and every successive lifetime after its first. As the soul reincarnates it stores those memories from lifetimes past in our subconcious to be recalled either as necessity dictates or as we begin to unlock those memories via meditation or other means.

I can see and understand how Anata would seem inviting to some, but not for myself.

[The Madame X]

I think in order to retain a continuity of an intact soul it must undergo a specific process which may not happen spontaneously, at least not for everyone.
Keeping an intact soul essence thru various lifetimes should be the ultimate goal, but i do believe that to be rare.

[ArtimusAusir]

I wholeheartedly agree Madame. I would say very few souls stay completely intact from lifetime to lifetime. I also believe that from lifetime to lifetime, our soul primarily allows us to remember those past life experiences that are pertinent to the particular life we may be living at that time, but like with most everything, there are exceptions, things that are such an integral part of ourselves that it remains clear to us either consciously or subconsciously throughout our soul's incarnations.