How has pop culture turned Buddhist ideologies of rebirth into mere trends

By: M.Bernardez

Manifestation, Karma, the law of attraction are all terms we seem to be throwing around aimlessly with no contextual knowledge of their origins or their substance. Misinformation is one thing that we, as a society, seem to be always trapped in; with that being said, these heavier topics take origins from ancient ethics of Buddhism, particularly the ideas of rebirth and karmas implications with life cycles are very much misinterpreted by today's mainstream media. 

Essentially, apps such as Tik Tok have had an insane growth within Gen Z and Millennials, and just as expected, when a group of young adolescents join into one app, naturally, interests and new hobbies are shared amongst each other. However, the predicament arises when these complex topics are watered down into digestible and consumable, yet still very much inaccurate information. For instance, let's say Stacey, who lives in a suburban neighbourhood, has found a new interest in spirituality and rebirth. When asked why she likes it or the origins of such topics, Stacey might respond with, "I just like aligning my chakras and don't want bad karma (smiley face)". The problem is if we continue to legitimize for more "Stacey's" across the globe, we are enabling an erasure, in this case, of South Asian culture into something purely trendy that people can consume in frivolous manners. "Stacey's" can still take interest in ideas of Buddhism and Rebirth; however, the dilemma is simply when elimination is made of its origin or content. 

            In a more profound sense, Buddhist ethics state that Karma determines where a person will be reborn and their status in their next life on a larger scale. Being born in one of the heavenly realms can be the result of good Karma. Bad Karma can result in animal rebirth or torment in a hell realm. According to the rebirth theory, all sentient creation is endowed with consciousness, which transmigrates to a new birth at the time of death. The accumulated Karmas that have yet to mature and fructify regulate this transmigration. Even that is still a somewhat watered-down version of the content, though even the acknowledgment of the origins to South Asian religions, while always striving to learn more, is an effort that is greatly necessary when dealing with the consumption of other cultures.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/7433998.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40613-015-0016-2