A friend once asked me, if reincarnation is a true law, could I explain how the human population is growing? What contributes to the increase in population? His reasoning is simple, one man dies, then another is born. So there should not be an increase in population.
As much as I am quite tempted to, I shouldn't be explaining why there is a population increase with reincarnation. I am no expert in this. I have already said that reasoning is a bad way to experience God. If we rely on reasoning ALONE as basis of faith, then a single failed reasoning must bring down the entire foundation of that faith. That is how the reasoning world operates. The law is either totally right, or not. It can't be right some of the time, and wrong in some other time.
In my humble opinion, however, if you try but fail in using reason to explain your belief, it does not actually prove that your faith is wrong or God does not exist. You could still get out by admitting that reason ALONE is not enough to explain matters of faith and belief. Failing the reason test could simply be due to the divine laws and operations being beyond the current ability of the human race to comprehend. Simple logic suggests that if one could explain everything about the divine laws and operations, that one person is probably enlightened or be like a prophet already.
On the flip side, there is a clear danger in not adopting reason as a basis of faith. What if you have been wrong all along in your belief? Can you afford to pay the price of your folly?
Returning to the subject of reincarnation. Christians do not believe in reincarnation. Their belief is that upon death, the soul goes into a temporary resting place to await the judgment day when it will be called up to be judged by God. Reincarnation, however, suggests that a dying being must return to exist in one of six realms, except when in transition from one realm to the next, unless the being attains enlightenment whence it escapes from the cycle of reincarnation permanently. The Buddha is an example of an enlightened being.
Clearly, the Christian belief model exerts more urgency on the individual to attain spiritual awareness in order to rise to glory on the day of judgment and be seated next to the angels, saints and God.
On the other hand, the Buddhist reincarnation model provides for a longer path towards the Christian equivalent of the final judgment day glory in the form of a final enlightenment. At each life cycle, a Buddhist hopes to improve his spiritual state, building on the foundation started from the previous lives. Step by step, little by little and life after life. In this Buddhist belief, therefore, the individual relies less on a uniform religious body to attain his final goal. He does not really need to go to a temple in order to progress spiritually. This is something a Christian can't do without.
And so, Christians need to follow the practices and instructions of their churches for their salvations. For the Buddhists, some of the more advanced practitioners may even attain enlightenment without any teachers or temples.
Which religion is the best? Asking such a question suggests that more than one religion may be right. Many religionists may not agree with this position. For them only their belief is the right one, the others are somewhat incorrect or inappropriate.
According to the Dalai Lama, there is indeed a best religion. It is whichever one that gets you closer to God.
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