Freakonomics

You might wonder what a book based on economics and statistics is doing in a Spiritual blog. The answer is that although Freakonomics uses these tools, it's really a book about people and what makes them tick.

Resulting from a collaboration between brilliant but off the wall economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics addresses questions such as what real estate agents and the Ku Klux Klan have in common, why most drug dealers live with their mothers, and how your name affects your likelihood of success. Often revealing surprising answers.

Full of fascinating and insightful analysis, for me the most thought-provoking and controversial piece was the explanation given for America's faling crime rate. The reason given was the legalization of abortion some years earlier and the fact that mny o those most likely to be the criminals of today never got the chance to be born.

Surely there has to be a better way of crime prevention than the pre-birth execution of potential criminals? Surely this knowledge means we can identify those most likely to turn to crime and offer them the chance of a more purposeful existence?

For all students of humanity, and that ought to be all of us, Freakonomics is a must-read.

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You Have Been Here Before: Reincarnation - A Review

You Have Been Here Before: Reincarnation by Seiyu Kiriyama is a fascinating book examining reincarnation from a Buddhist perspective.

Kiriyama is founder of the Agon Shu Buddhist Association, a prolific author, and a clairvoyant able to review the past lives of those who consult him.

Reincarnation is the idea that one soul lives many lives in different bodies and different circumstances. It has long been accepted in the East and is becoming increasingly widespread in the West. Where this book differs from most account of reincarnation is that it uses it as a possible explanation for many of the seemingly inexplicable difficulties faced in the here and now.

The book consists of four distinct parts.

The first part presents some fascinating accounts of those who have come to Kiriyama for assistance and been helped by his assessment of their past lives. Often they are troubled by the spirits of ancestors who passed in difficult circumstances and who are helped by Kiriyama releasing them from their discontent.

The second part discusses the reasons for reincarnation, using further fascinating case studies. The bottom line, in keeping with the Buddhist tradition, is that we continue to reincarnate until we are able to shed our earthly baggage.

The third part is somewhat tangential in presenting a lengthy discussion of the mind-body problem under the heading of “what” it is that reincarnates.

The final part begins with the remarkable description of a boy who reincarnated in the early 19th century with the ability to recall details of his previous existing inaccurate and verifiable detail. It goes on to a somewhat depressing view of the afterworld drawn from the Tibetan Book of The Dead which describes numerous departed souls in despair or falling into an abyss as a result of their failings. Some of their number attempt to return to their former existence but find only torment in their disembodied state forcing them to seek other bodies to enter. On a brighter note it does mention that some more advanced souls may reincarnate several more times to complete their journey to Buddha-hood.

In contrast to the more conventional Western view of life as experience the Buddhist approach places greater emphasis upon judgment and punishment for things done wrong. I believe that both approaches meet with those souls that feel they have unfinished business and choose to reincarnate in order to complete it. But this is not necessarily the only, or even the main driver, for reincarnation.

For those interested in reincarnation this book offers an unconventional approach that provides valuable food for thought. For those trying to understand their current circumstances it might provide insight. As with all such material it should be subjected to one’s own inner judgment, but it definitely offers some useful pointers along one’s unique development.

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