Spiny Norman wrote:There is no way of knowing for sure, but I find it difficult to believe that the Buddha would have made stuff up in order to reach a wider audience.clw_uk wrote: I don't know the Buddhas intent, by that I mean I do not know if he meant to use it as a skilfull means to help others aim at wholesome actions (which helps to then lead them to his own teachings) or if he taught it as being an empirical fact, that he either believed or knew about.
Maybe it's true, I don't know
However the aim for me is nibbana, so if there is rebirth or not I would practice the same
Subjectively, If somehow I knew there was rebirth or not, I would still practice Dhamma
I think thats Buddhisms biggest strength, that it has real value regardless of metaphysics
I take Buddhism as a set of tools to help me be free from unnecessary pain, not as a set of doctrines to believe in as such