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> One last bit, as the characterization of Buddhism as a sort of misanthropic death cult is stronger than I realized.   
> 
> There's a very famous Sutta, the "Kisa Gotami" Sutta where a woman comes to the Buddha with the body of her only son.  She was so distraught that the villagers believed her to be fully mad.  
> 
> She lays the body of her young son at the Buddha's feet and asks the Buddha to bring him back to life.  The Buddha tells her, "We can do this, but only if you find a white mustard seed from a home that has never lost someone.  
> 
> She then goes through the entire village on her hunt.  By the time she has investigated the last house in the village, she realizes that death touches everyone.  
> 
> She comes back to the Buddha, still saddened, and when the Buddha asks her how her search went, she kneels and weeps:  "I understand now that death comeas for everyone."  The Buddha gives her some small teaching, and then hugs her, [i][b]both weeping.[/b][/i]  
> 
> I had no idea that the idea of Buddhism being about an uncaring nihilism was so pervasive.  If the Buddha could weep at the loss of a mother's only child, and he was the most accomplished teacher of his age, then how can Buddhism be a death cult that suggests that the only escape for suffering is death?  
> 
> I'm still waiting for my monk friend to call me back, but I believe I have a tentative answer to the reincarnation question.  I will wait until the dust settles on these small points however.  My apologies for taking up this much of your time!