IS IT DOWN HERE
THAT WE WANT TO BE BORN AGAIN?

In the previous issue of Heijaste a philo­sophic question was raised: Is there any truth in reincarnation?

Let us for a while assume the position of a fellow reader who gives an affirmative answer to that question. He tries desperately to find something in The URANTIA Book that would sustain the doctrine of reincarnation, viz. the doctrine which asserts that man is born again and again into this world. Many of us find it strange and odd that some of our fellows seem to be spell bound by such a tenet. And we ask: Why should there be any truth in it? What makes this doctrine so enthralling while reality is much more en­thralling? Could the explanation be the fact that parapsychological and occult literature describes a few as­tonishing cases which seem to support this doctrine; cases that do not appear to find any direct explana­tion in our book? We who do reject the doctrine of reincarnation put our trust in the teach­ings of The URANTIA Book and remain reassured that a solution will one day be found to those phenomena which today appear inexplicable. We regard the doctrines of reincarnation, the karma law and the trans­migration of the soul as untrue ideas as such, but we admit that they hold a seed of truth.

Any man with survival status will un­deni­ably be "born again": firstly, he or she may, while still on earth, be born again in spirit, and secondly, he or she will some time after death be resurrected on the mansion worlds. Even the karma law is truthful in its asser­tion that causation prevails in the universe. The doctrine of the transmigration of the soul, which claims that the human soul will after death inhabit another living being, is as such fully untrue, yet, our soul will after death truly be invested in a new body, a morontia body, and as we progress in our universe career, we shall occupy a great number of successive bodies, each body being ever more of spirit.

So I am now going to assume the role of a firm believer in and a vindicator of the doc­trine of reincarnation.

Even if I am a little bit afraid that the passages in The URANTIA Book which refer to reincarnation and to the tenet of trans­mig­ration, will reveal a negative view on such doctrines, to the effect that they will be con­sidered untruthful, I'll attack the prob­lem, and the first observation I make is that these passages are quite few in number:

About the orange race it is told that it was especially given to belief in transmigra­tion and reincarnation. Some later-day races believed that man died three to seven times, which was a residual of the teach­ings of Adam about the mansion worlds. (86.7.7)

About Spornagia, who are soul-less and non-personal, it is said that they are the only creatures in all the universe of Nebadon who experience this or any other sort of reincar­nation. (46.4.6—7).

Could this passage offer a loophole through which reincarnation slips in? Word creature is used in this context where it is said that spornagia are the only "crea­tures", yet man is no "creature", which sounds al­most like "beast". Man is man, and "crea­ture" cannot be a designation for man. But Holy Gosh! In reading more of the book I ob­serve that this word, creature, has been used 560 times, and 557 of these cases refer to per­sonal beings, and almost in­variably to human beings. No sup­port from those quar­ters!

Fetishism may impinge on the idea of reincarnation, whenever the fetish of any tribe is an animal and a ghost is permanently resident therein. (88.1.4)

As to Hinduism, we are told that its undue concentration on self led to a fear of the perpetuation of self in an endless round of reincarnations as man, beast or weeds. About the belief in transmigrations, it is stated that this idea was a stultifyig doctrine which robbed mortals of their hope of finding de­liverance and spiritual advancement. (94.2.3)

A statement on the Brahmanic priesthood says that they rejected the teachings of per­sonal religion through the personal faith experience with the one God and became contaminated with the flood of debasing cults, with their doctrines of anthropomorphisms and reincar­nations. (94.2.6)

About Gautama Buddha we are told i.a. that he made a valiant fight against the time-honoured belief in transmigration of the soul. (94.7.3)

About Ganid, the Indian, we are told that he, as a result of Jesus' instructions, never again entertained belief in the transmigration of the souls of men into the bodies of ani­mals. (130.2.8)

A statement is made about Plato, Philo, and many of the Essenes to the effect that they did not reject the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have shown in a previous existence. [T]hus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins com­mitted in preceding lives. [164.3.4]

The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their souls had not had previous existences. [164.3.5]

These excerpts clearly give no support to the doctrine of reincarnations. I have to con­fess that the very opposite is the case: they speak against such a belief.

Paper 112, Personality Survival, and paper 47, The Seven Mansion Worlds, dis­cuss, to the extent these issues can be clari­fied for us, the problem of our survival after death. These papers make use of terms such as 'personality', 'identity', 'self', 'in­dividuality', 'mind', 'memory', 'factors of personality', 'mind matrix', and 'soul'. In paper 47 they seem to say that the body and the mind disintegrate at death, but that a copy of the mortal mind will be made, and this transcript, the spirit factors of mind, memory and personality remain for ever as part of the Adjuster. The mind-matrix and the passive potentials of identity reside in the soul, which, upon death, remains in the possession of the Guar­dian Seraphim. And then there is this terse statement: And it is the reuniting of the morontia-soul trust of the seraphim and the spirit-mind trust of the Adjuster that reassembles creature personality and consti­tutes resurrection of a sleeping survivor. [47.3.3] [T]he real and conscious reassembly of actual and complete personality takes place in the resurrection halls of mansonia number one. [47.3.5]. Upon reading these statements, I cannot escape the impression that at least the self, individuality, soul and identity are not born again on this sphere.

But let us not give up. We still have the entity of personality, that entity which is so elusive to all attempts of definition! What if the truth is that personality is born again here? Umm, here seems to be a loophole for the doctrine of reincarnation to slip in. I just need to ignore what I just read about the reassembly of personality on mansonia num­ber one; after all there was a qualification there: they speak about the conscious re­assembly on the mansion worlds, and my cherished doc­trine presup­poses an un­con­scious reincar­nation!

They say about personality that this concept is difficult to define; it is one of the unsolved mysteries of the universes [5.6.2]. But in Paper 112 they say: While it would be presumptuous to attempt the definition of personality, it may be helpful to recount some of the things which are known about per­sonality [112.0.2], whereupon they present a 14 point list on the aspects and attributes of personality. This 14 point list does not in­clude any mentioning of the reincarnation of personality. Should reincarnation of per­sonality be true, it is beyond doubt that it would be a known fact to the author of this paper, the Solitary Messenger, and he had included it in his list. Unless he was scheming that a thing like that must be kept secret from mankind. But wouldn't any such scheming make this Solitary Messenger appear a whole lot dishonest? Well, let's go on.

Couldn't I defend the doctrine of reincar­nation by an assertion that reincarnation is needful for personality to develop adequately in order to be prepared for a transition to the next phase of existence? It is evident to me that one of the most essential things in The URANTIA Book is the emphasis given to the need for us to grow and learn.

But alas!, in Paper 112 they repeat three times that personality is changeless. Firstly, personality does not come into being through evolution or development, neither does it evolve or change; it is an unaltered at­tribute enabling us to be known even on Paradise: And throughout all of these successive ages and stages of evolutionary growth, there is one part of you that remains absolutely unal­tered, and that is personality—permanence in the presence of change. [112.0.1]. Personality is changeless in the presence of change. [112.0.9]. The Adjuster and the personality are changeless.. [112.0.15]. Personality is basically changeless; that which chan­ges—grows—is the moral character. [140.4.7]. Once personality is changeless, it cannot be true that it, because of the need for it to change, should be born here again and again. Hence, it seems that this idea fails to serve as a vindication for the idea of reincar­nation.

But I do not give up that easily. They seem, in Paper 112, to discuss the dimensions of finite personality, and these are length, vertical depth, and breadth. Considering the adverse circumstances on earth, it must be that these dimensions cannot evolve in the course of one single life-time. In other words, for them to evolve, more than one life-time is necessary. Paper 5, though, states that per­sonality is not a progressive achievement; there either is personality or there is no personality. (5.6.3). And in closer reading, does paper 112 after all speak anything about personality evolution? The dimensions of personality are inherent in personality; they do not evolve or eventuate; there is no need to be born again for them to evolve. Per­sonality has a perfected range of cosmic dimensional performance. The dimensions of finite personality are three... [112.1.5]. They say: "personality has" and "the dimen­sions are"; they do not say that the dimen­sions evolve. Again in Paper 47, a statement is made that no growth takes place between death and resurrection: On mansion world number one (or another in case of advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted by death.. You begin over there right where you leave off down here. [47.3.7]. In other words, further growth takes place over there, not down here. On morontia level all of those dimensions are greatly enhanced (112.1.11), while on morontia level we are also in other respects provided with supramaterial endow­ments: the seat of personality identity (in­dividuality) is transferred from the tran­sitional material-intellect system to the higher moron­tia-soul system, which, as associated with the Ad­juster, is created as a new vehicle for per­sonality manifestation. (112.5.4).

So, my reasoning did not do it.

But let me go on with my reasonings so to solve this problem once and for all. What if, after all, personality is born again down here. Personality is, as we noted earlier, an unsolved mystery. Among other things, they tell us about personality that it is a gift from God the Father. Personality presupposes mind (or spirit), and it is associated with self-con­sciousness, but mindedness is not the same as personality. The Foreword recounts about personality that it is neither body, mind, nor spirit. (Fw.V.11). Personality is quality and value in cosmic reality (5.6.3). Personality is devoid of identity (independent existence, individuality), but it unifies all activities and imparts the qualities of identity and creativity. (112.0.7; 112.1.19). It is noted further that personality is "unique, absolutely unique." (112.0.12). About selfhood, individuality, a statement is made that in the human organism the summation of its parts constitutes self­hood—individuality—but it has nothing what­ever to do with personality, which is the unifier of all these factors as related to cosmic realities. (112.1.18). Man's personality is eternal but with regard to identity, separate existence, it is a conditioned eternal reality; man must choose whether or not he or she wants to be an eternal reality and identity; should man choose not to be an eternal iden­tity, personality does, even in such a case, attain Deity by becoming a part of the Supreme Being. (112.5.2).

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Once we at death are divested of our mind and identity, which constitute the prere­quisites of personality, I have no choice but to admit that the idea of a personality reincar­nation finds no corroboration even here! This becomes ever more evident if we remember that the Adjuster and the personality are changeless, but that their relationship, in the soul, is nothing but change, never ending evolu­tion and development. There is even a state­ment which says that should this change, viz. growth, cease, the soul would cease. (112.0.15). Of the soul also a statement is made that it is our morontia self. (112.5.12). And the soul is the prerequisite of our sur­vival: Personality identity survives in and by the survival of the soul. [16.9.3]. Hence, I may conclude that my personality does not survive without the survival of my soul. At death, thus the functioning of the human personality is disrupted. (112.5.14). The soul is the child of the human personality and the divine Adjuster. (112.5.12). The soul is fully unconscious during the period from death to repersonalization and is in the keep­ing of the seraphic destiny guardian; there is no per­sonal consciousness during this season of waiting (112.5.13); there is no exhibition of personality or communication with other personalities. (112.3.7). Between the time of planetary death or translation and resurrec­tion on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing aside from experiencing the fact of survival. [47.3.7]

The surviving soul, the prerequisite of the perpetuation of personality-identity, is in the custody of the guardian seraphim. The Thought Adjuster, again, returns temporarily to Divinington, their Paradise satellite, and never does a Thought Adjuster return to earth as the being of former indwelling. (112.3.7). But during this journey of a few moments to Divinington the Universal Cen­sors are able to gain possession of an epitome of the human life as it is embodied in the Adjuster's duplicate transcription of the spiri­tual values and morontia meanings of the indwelt mind. The Censors are able to ap­propriate the Adjuster's version of the de­ceased human's survival character and spiri­tual qualities, and all this data, together with the seraphic records, is available for presen­tation at the time of the adjudication of the individual concerned. [112.4.2]. On the basis of this data, a decision is reached whether this personality will be immediately resurrected on the man­sonian morontia worlds or only later, at a dispensational resurrection, or whether he or she will not be resurrected at all. (112.4.2). But mercy and grace are do­minant in the universe of universes: if, through no fault of your own, the accidents of time and the handicaps of material existence prevent your mastering these levels on your native planet, if your intentions and desires are of survival value, there are issued the decrees of probation extension. You will be afforded additional time in which to prove yourself. If ever there is doubt as to the advisability of advancing a human identity to the mansion worlds, the universe governments invariably rule in the personal interests of that in­dividual; they unhesitatingly advance such a soul to the status of a transitional being, while they continue their observations of the emerging morontia intent and spiritual pur­pose... This does not mean that human beings are to enjoy a second opportunity in the face of the rejection of a first, not at all... [112.5.6—7; 112.5.9]. This passage of text does not lend itself to a misinterpretation: this merciful measure of granting a human being the right to make up his mind later, means that he will be resurrected on the mansion worlds, it does not mean that he would be born again on earth.

I have no choice but to admit that even this idea of earthly circumstances jeopardizing the survival of some and necessitating a second, a third and possibly more lives fails to prove the needfulness of reincarnations.

Paper 112 states also that the where­abouts of mortal personality during the time intervening between death and sur­vival is not known. (112.5.15). Thus, should it through some incomprehensible means be possible for a personality devoid of identity to be born again, the Solitary Messenger, who is the supplier of the piece of information above, would certainly know about such a repersonalization, which means that he would know of the whereabouts of the personality, unless we presume that the Solitary Mes­senger is withholding the truth from us. I regret, but I have to make the confession that once again a justification for the idea of reincarnation has been turned down.

There is no way out from the fact that resurrection or repersonalization, takes place on the mansion worlds, not on the native planet. [A]nd it is the reunion of the Ad­juster and the soul that reassembles the sur­viving personality, that reconsciousizes you at the time of the morontia awakening. [112. 3.5]. The details of this process are revealed in Paper 112, passages 112.5.16—19.

All along this process there seems to remain no opportunity or no need for any reincarnation. Should such a rebirth be possible, one might ask: Is it a punish­ment or a reward?

I have already made the observation that the Thought Adjuster, after the death of its mortal subject, returns to Divinington, and we are explicitly told that this Adjuster never returns to the same planet (112.3.4). Hence, it cannot return to indwell the mind of the same personality. I must therefore conclude that a reborn personality, if such per­sonalities existed, should each time, with each new reincarnation, be endowed with a new Ad­juster, and this Adjuster would then, with the personality, develop a new soul again. Final­ly, with this same personality would be as­sociated as many Adjusters and as many souls as there have been rebirths. When at last, after all these numerous rebirths, this per­sonality would be reassembled in the resurrec­tion halls of mansonia, which one of the many souls and the many Adjusters would be pre­sent? With which of the Adjusters would finally the fusion take place? Which one of the Adjusters would gain personality through this human being? I have to admit that these are confusing questions! Even­ the angels of heaven would be unable to unravel that mess!

But I am persistent, I am not going to reject the doctrine of reincarnation easily; I invoke what The URANTIA Book has to say about the seven psychic circles (110.6). It must be quite evident that an attainment of these circles is impossible during one single life-time on earth, it must be that many lives are needed for such an achievement? These cir­cles depict the various stages in the reali­zation of the individual potentials in human per­sonality (from the seventh to the first circle); i.e. they depict cosmic levels. They can be mastered, either entirely or partially, even when still on earth. The attainment of these cosmic circles will become a part of the ascenders' experience on the mansion worlds if they fail of such achievement before natural death. [110.6.16]. So, a knock-out again! One needs no rebirth in order to attain these circ­les; one may attain them in morontia should one have failed to do so down here.

But now I recall that the book recounts about people whose destiny is not that of a fusion with their Adjusters—the Adjusters indwelling them only for a short period. It must be that mercy would then require that these people are given a chance to live an­other life on earth. In paper 40, which discus­ses the Ascending Sons of God, there is, however, a statement on these mortals, who are just temporarily Adjuster-indwelt, that they fuse with the Spirit, while it is of course expected that they will survive their short first life in the flesh: When such sleep­ing survivors are repersonalized on the man­sion worlds, the place of the departed Ad­juster is filled by an individualization of the spirit of the Divine Minister, the represen­tative of the Infinite Spirit in the local uni­verse concerned. This spirit infusion consti­tutes these surviving creatures Spirit-fused mortals. [40.9.3]. So again a statement that they are repersonalized on the mansion worlds; again no corrobo­ration for any pre-history of "many, many lives."

But hello, hello! Here it finally is, in paper 112, sequence 5.11, which discusses a transaction on the borderland of the physical and morontia realms, a transaction that we are incapable of fully comprehending. This "trans­­action" has to be the rebirth! On the other hand, I must frankly say that The URANTIA Book revelation is quite clear in its view that there is no and that there cannot be any rebirth or reincarnation. This incompre­hen­sible transaction must then be something other than a rebirth; what difficulty could there be for us to comprehend a re­birth?

But nevertheless, if I, irrespective of all the evidence that speaks against it, if I still want to find this enthralling doctrine of re­birth true and claim that the authors of The URANTIA Book do not want to reveal this truth and fact in fear of giving reason for people to regard the book as occult or Sa­tanic; such a label and libel would prevent Christians from accepting it. On the other hand again, one might look upon the situation so that The URANTIA Book does make an account on a rebirth, a reincarnation much more intriguing and gracious: on the spiritual resurrection and life after death, first in morontia, then in absonity, and finally in co-absoluteness and perfection. In the light of all this revelation, the time-honoured doctrine on reincarnation, transmigration of the soul and the karma law, turn pale indeed. Also, I feel a little bit funny in thinking that the revelators and authors of The URANTIA Book, who otherwise have not balked at revealing even sickening facts and striking truths, would suddenly have become shy in facing such a paling doc­trine. It does not sound true.

Neither does it sound true that the authors and revelators of the book would not have full confidence in the power of truth and in its attractiveness, something they would do should they hide the truth just because those who entertain error would not accept it. As to Satan, I venture to say that he would hardly have any objections against such a rationing of truth, nor would he protest against the distortion of truth by any doctrines of reincar­nation and transmigration.

I have no choice but to state that the tenet of reincarnation is fully untrue. My sole consolation is that I have not been told not to doubt the teachings and information contained in The URANTIA Book. Jesus loved even honest doubters. [139.8.6]

Seppo Kanerva, Finland.

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