"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it" -- Mother Teresa

Friday, April 17, 2009

Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?


(pic above shows Dharmawheel is a symbol representing Dharma,the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightement)

Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?



A: Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally we graduate from physical birth.



Longer answer: Carnate means "of flesh," and reincarnate means to "reenter the flesh." Yes, Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Life and death are realities for all of us. Hinduism believes that the soul is immortal, that it never dies, but inhabits one body after another on the Earth during its evolutionary journey. Like the caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly, physical death is a most natural transition for the soul, which survives and, guided by karma, continues its long pilgrimage until it is one with God.


I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain enlightenment and moksha, liberation. This means I will still exist, but will no longer be pulled back to be born in a physical body.


Even modern science is discovering reincarnation. There have been many cases of individuals" remembering their past lives. These have been researched by scientists, psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the past decades and documented in good books and videos. Young children speak of vivid past-life memories, which fade as they grow older, as the veils of individuality shroud the soul's intuitive understanding. Great mystics speak of their past lives as well. So do our ancient scriptures, the Vedas, reveal the reality of reincarnation. Reincarnation is believed in by the Jains and the Sikhs, by the Indians of the Americas, and by the Buddhists, certain Jewish sects, the Pagans and the many indigenous faiths. Even Christianity originally taught reincarnation, but formally renounced it in the twelfth century. It is, in fact, one of the widest held articles of faith on planet Earth.


Elaboration: 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 the nonphysical dimension called the astral plane, which is also the world we are in during our dreams at night when we sleep. Here we continue to have experiences until we are reborn again in another physical body as a baby. Each reincarnating soul chooses a home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of learning and maturation. After many lifetimes of following dharma, 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. That soul is then liberated, freed from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Evolution then continues in the more refined spiritual worlds. Similarly, after we graduate from elementary school we never have to go back to the fifth grade. We have gone beyond that level in understanding. Thus, life's ultimate goal is not money, not clothes, not sex, not power, not food or any other of the instinctive needs. These are natural pursuits, but our real purpose on this Earth is to know, to love and to serve God and the Gods. That leads to the rare and priceless objects of life: enlightenment and liberation. This Hindu view of the soul's evolution answers many otherwise bewildering questions, removing the fear of death while giving assurance that each soul is evolving toward the same spiritual destiny, for the Hindu believes that karma and reincarnation are leading every single soul to God Realization.









6 comments:

  1. At death the soul leaves the physical body. But the soul does not die.

    --> agree... =)

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  2. yes i believe in re-incarnation . according to facebook quiz , im a reincarnation of adolf hitler

    oh yeah !!

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  3. My take.

    What are we? - Hydrocarbon life-forms.
    So? - We contain energy.
    Ummm..? - Yes, energy, which is returned to the gene pool after death.
    What do you mean to say - I mean to say: Look at the law of Conservation of Matter/Energy.
    Eh? - Yes.
    Ok. So what? - So... U know that Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can be changed from one form to another.
    Where are you getting at? - Well, I am likening this *energy* to the *soul/aatma*
    Duh!?! - Why not? We die and we return to Nature. Mother Nature. And knowing Science, the *energy* comes back. In another form.
    Hmmm... - Thank you.

    Ready to take on any question.

    Peace. Have a nice day.

    ---
    Oh btw, nice post Nithya.

    And I thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your time, and hope to see you often.

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  4. Hi Nitz,

    Interesting info....

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  5. Viji : 10x dear

    Gobi : Hahaha..you never fail to make me laugh lah man :)

    Kartz : 10x for dropping by..Good info anyway

    Veni : 10x dear

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well.... Better pick up the copy of Many Lives Many Masters where the psychiatrist Dr Brian Weiss uses something called Past Life Regression Therapy to heal problems.. A great book...

    And yes.... I do believe in reincarnation....

    ReplyDelete