Reincarnation
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Reincarnation is the name of the idea that people are born in another body after they die. Many Hindus, Jainists, Celtic pagans, Buddhists, and people who follow some African religions believe in reincarnation. Carnate means “of flesh”, and reincarnate means to “reenter the flesh".
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[change] Reincarnation in Hinduism
Hindus believe in reincarnation, the process where the soul repeatedly takes on a physical body through being born on Earth. All Hindus believe in reincarnation. Ancient scriptures of Hinduism teach that the soul, or immortal “self”, takes birth time and time again. Through this process it has experiences, learns lessons, and evolves spiritually. Finally, it graduates from physical birth.
[change] Cycle of being born again
Life and death are realities for all human beings. Like the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, physical death is a most natural transition for the soul. The soul survives and continues its long journey until it is one with God. Hindus believe that the soul never dies, but inhabits one body after another during its evolutionary journey guided by karma. Karma (literally: action) is the sum of one's actions, and the force that determines one's next reincarnation.
Hinduism teaches that life’s ultimate goal is not money, clothes, power, food or any other need. According to the Hindu sage Adi Shankaracharya - the world as we ordinarily understand it is like a dream: fleeting and illusory. The soul’s real purpose on this Earth is to know, to love, and to serve God. This helps the soul evolve from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Therefore, each reincarnating soul chooses a home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of learning and maturation. Each life on Earth is similar to a class in school. Maturation of the soul on Earth means fulfilling its worldly desires, which can only be experienced through a body.[1]
At death the soul leaves the physical body. But the soul does not die. It lives on in a subtle body called the astral body. The astral body exists in a nonphysical dimension called the astral plane. Here the soul continues to have experiences until it is born again in another physical body as a baby.[2]
[change] Graduation from the cycle of being born again
After many lifetimes of following dharma (right way of living), the soul is fully matured in love, wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no longer a need for physical birth, for all lessons have been learned, all karmas fulfilled. When all desire has vanished, the person will not be born again anymore.[3] The soul has gone beyond the level in understanding offered by living on Earth. Similarly, after graduation from elementary school we never have to go back to the fifth grade. The soul achieves enlightenment and moksha, freedom.
When a soul is released, it is freed from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. It will no longer be pulled back to be born in a physical body. Evolution continues in the more refined spiritual worlds. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains that this Hindu view of the soul’s evolution answers many otherwise puzzling questions, removing the fear of death while giving assurance that each soul is evolving toward the same spiritual destiny. Hindus believe that karma and reincarnation are leading every single soul to release from the cycle of rebirth.
See also: resurrection
[change] References
- ↑ See Bhagavad Gita XVI.8-20
- ↑ Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, "Ten Questions people ask About Hinduism …and ten terrific answers!" (p. 4) [1]
- ↑ Rinehart, Robin, ed., Contemporary Hinduism19-21 (2004) ISBN 1-57607-905-8
