Samāra or rebirth or reincarnation in Buddhism is based on the law of cause and effect (karma). According to Buddhist belief of reincarnation, one is born to the next life in a higher or lower form according to good or bad deeds done in current life.
In those days people do not know of the existence of sperm and egg and the technical details of conception. They assume that it is a very simple matter. Some liquid from the man goes into the woman and out pops the baby.
But now we know. Each ejacuation can produce millions of sperm. Usually only one will succeed in penetrating the egg. When a spermatozoon penetrates a mature egg, conception or fertilization takes place. Different spermatozoon will produce a different baby. So are there millions of soul, one in each sperm, waiting to be reborn? Is the successful spermatozoon successful because of its good karma, or because of the condition in the fallopian tube favours it? The mind boggles at the number of complexities we have to grapple with, both the karmic and scientific logic, in order for the Buddhist reincarnation to be implemented.
What will happen to the souls of those unsuccessful sperm? Or is the soul assigned only when the conception is successful? Or is the soul assigned at the point of birth? What happen if one day science can prove that reincarnation is false? While reincarnation may never be scientifically proven, the chancy way in which a spermatozoon fertilize an egg makes reincarnation unlikely. If the basic foundation of Buddhism is so shaky, I really do not want to build my faith on it. I am so glad that I am not a Buddhist. My faith rests on a sure foundation, which is Christ the Rock.
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