Saturday, October 10, 2009

John Loori, Zen abbot and photographer,...

...died on Friday at age 78 in upstate New York. In a poorly-written obituary in the New York Times, it says that:

He is to be buried in the cemetery of his Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper, where each year a “Hungry Ghost” ceremony honors the dead. In 49 days, according to Buddhist belief, he will be reincarnated. The funeral will be held then, Ms. Goddard said.

Reincarnated? Really? How do they know that? In all of recorded history, has there ever been any evidence of reincarnation? And why 49 days? Why not 48, or 50?

Why do people believe such things? Wouldn't it be enough just to say something like "he died, led a good life, and will be missed by all those who knew and loved him?" Why construct all the rest of that?

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