rm must be always a source of joy for the Taoist. It is truly a reason to rejoice because despite whatever is lost, life always endures. Taoists believe birth is not a beginning and death is not an end. There is an existence without limit. There is continuity without a starting point. Applying reincarnation theory to Taoism is the belief that the soul never dies, a person's soul is eternal. It is possible to see death in contrast to life; both are unreal and changing. One's soul does not leave the world into the unknown, for it can never go away. Therefore there is no fear to come with death. In the writings of The Tao Te Ching, tao is described as having existed before heaven and earth. Tao is formless; it stands alone without change and reaches everywhere without harm. The Taoist is told to use the light that is inside to revert to the natural clearness of sight. By divesting oneself of all external distractions and desires, one can achieve tao. In ancient days, a Taoist that had transcended birth and death and achieved tao was said to have cut the Thread of Life. The soul, or spirit, is Taoism does not die at death. The soul is not reborn, it migrates to another life. This process, the Taoist version of reincarnation, is repeated until tao is achieved. The followers of the Buddha believe life goes on through a repetition of reincarnations or rebirths. The eternal hope for all followers of Buddha is that through reincarnation one comes back into successively better lives until one achieves the goal of being free from pain and suffering and not having to come back again. This wheel of rebirth, known as samsara, goes on forever or until one achieves Nirvana. The Buddhist definition of Nirvana can be summarized as the highest state of spiritual bliss, absolute immortality through absorption of the soul into itself, while preserving individuality. Birth is not the beginning and death is not the end. This cycle of life has no beginning and...
