Incarnation

==Buddhism==
{{see also|Rebirth (Buddhism)}}
Buddhism is a [[nontheistic religion]]: it denies the concept of a [[creator deity]] or any incarnation of a creator deity. However, Buddhism does teach the [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]] doctrine and asserts that living beings are reborn, endlessly, [[reincarnation|reincarnating]] as [[Deva (Buddhism)|devas]] (gods), demi-gods, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts or hellish beings,<ref>{{Citation | last =Trainor | first =Kevin | year =2004 | title =Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide | publisher =Oxford University Press | isbn =978-0-19-517398-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PrloTKuAjwC|pages=61–64}}</ref> in a cycle of ''[[Saṃsāra (Buddhism)|samsara]]'' that stops only for those who reach [[Nirvana (Buddhism)|nirvana]] (''nibbana'').<ref name="Harvey2012p46">{{cite book|author=Peter Harvey|title=An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sg9LV_rEgC|year=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-85942-4|pages=32–33, 38–39, 46–49}}</ref><ref name="buswelllopezp708">{{cite book|author1=Robert E. Buswell Jr.|author2=Donald S. Lopez Jr.|title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXN2AAAAQBAJ|year=2013|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-4805-8|pages=708–709}}</ref><ref name="Craig1998">{{cite book|author=Edward Craig|title=Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8FWa85vgoTQC|year=1998|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-18715-2|page=402}}</ref>

In [[Tibetan Buddhism]], an enlightened spiritual teacher ([[lama]]) is believed to reincarnate, and is called a ''[[tulku]]''. According to Tulku Thond, there are three main types of tulkus.  They are the emanations of buddhas, the manifestations of highly accomplished adepts, and rebirths of highly virtuous teachers or spiritual friends.  There are also authentic secondary types, which include unrecognized tulkus, blessed tulkus, and tulkus fallen from the path.<ref name="TThondup_Incarnation">Tulku Thondup (2011) Incarnation: The History and Mysticism of the Tulku Tradition of Tibet. Boston: Shambhala.</ref>