[Buddha-l] reincarnation versus rebirth

[Dan Lusthaus]

> > Actually, to be born in an incarnate (physical) form only applies to two
> realms--human and animal. The other four realms aren't physical forms, so
> how can rebirth there be reincarnation?
>

Au contraire -- all beings born in the kama loka (which includes hell
beings, pretas, animals, asuras and most devas) have physical bodies, as do
all those born in the rupa-loka (other types of devas). The only ones whose
physicality is questionable are those born in arupya-dhatu; habitats and
lifeforms in that realm were added to the cosmology quite late in the
development of Buddhist cosmology -- and there were debates about the status
of the beings there (e.g., can they hear if they don't have physical ears?
Buddhist counterpart to counting the number of angels on the head of a pin.)

Dan Lusthaus