ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ajātivāda

Well, ajātivāda is a very big word that means something very interesting. Have you ever heard of the word "birth"? Yes? Well, ajātivāda is a belief that says that everything in the world, including you and me, were never really born.

So, you might be thinking, "if I wasn't born, then how did I get here?" That is a very good question. Ajātivāda believes that everything and everybody has always existed, forever and ever. It's kind of like saying that your favorite toy has always been there, it just looked different before it became your favorite toy.

Ajātivāda also believes that everything in the world is always changing, like how plants grow from tiny seeds and animals grow from small babies. But even though things change, they were always there in some way, like how a butterfly was always a butterfly even when it was a caterpillar.

Overall, ajātivāda is a big idea that says that everything in the world has always been here and always will be, even if it changes. It's like saying that the world is a big, never-ending story that keeps writing itself.
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