[sleeplessworld]

All the religious systems that incoporates reincarnation, that I am aware of, does include the concept of evil in some way.

It seems your post contradicts itself? First quote "... that you are reincarnated and move up or down the ladder of greatness ... depending on how you lived, then there is no such thing as "evil"." Second quote: "... balance - each act you do (consider good/evil on a scale from 1-10 with 1 being evil)".

So the system with no evil uses a scale based on good/evil? Also, what are the bad things you can do in a life-action-value system, where there is no evil? Seems to be cruel if your karma gets subtracted because one does a 'less good' but still good thing? And would such a system or the karma subtraction not constitute evil in itself?

[lelanthran]

> So the system with no evil uses a scale based on good/evil?

I don't see the contradiction, because I asked the reader to consider it in simplistic terms - terms they already understand.

The system doesn't use a scale of good and evil, its simply "you get what you deserve".

Whether the reader thinks that fox hunting[1] is good/evil/neutral is irrelevant if they are reincarnated as a fox in their next life!

So, yeah, you and I could, and would, classify some stuff on the scale of good/evil that you (and I) use, but because the scale is irrelevant, what purpose does the scale serve in a reincarnation-based belief system?

If any act, $FOO, that a being does is done back to them (under the reincarnation belief system), does it matter if $FOO is "Killed for pleasure, not food" or "sacrificed much for some other beings benefit"?

I guess what I am saying is, if the concept of evil and good is literally irrelevant to the workings of the belief system, then that belief system simply doesn't have the concept of evil (or good).

[1] Using an example from a thread below. You can pick your own example.

[sleeplessworld]

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps what this really shows is that a reincarnation system, where you can be reincarnated as an animal or thing that has no mental concept of good or evil, does not make sense. Because such a system cannot bring enlightenment, as your karma situation is basically unknowable - unless you would have an overview of the system and the chain of reincarnations, which does not seem to happen. And therefore whether your situation was a result of good or evil becomes irrelevant. But in a reincarnation system, where we only have reincarnation as humans, with a purpose of progress, the concept of good and evil can make sense (?). Even whether we completely understand the system or not.

"... if the concept of evil and good is literally irrelevant to the workings of the belief system, then that belief system simply doesn't have the concept of evil (or good)." In a real sense yes, but the actors in the system may still be under the belief that good and evil exists. That actually may touch a sore point in some religions, that claims to have explanatory powers and maybe also salvation powers. But at the same time, it seems not to allow learning about and approaching a subject or concept such as good and evil, from a point of incomplete understanding.

I think the whole thing ie. this entire interesting debate, shows that our understanding is incomplete. The concepts or beliefs we have in this area does not hold under analysis and scrutiny. And yet there seems to be something there that ignites curiosity.