Reincarnation is the concept that the soul is eternal and undergoes a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It’s a journey of spiritual evolution where the soul retains knowledge from each life, striving for ultimate enlightenment. The key to understanding reincarnation lies in recognizing that you are not your body; you are the soul inhabiting it.
The Illusion of Self and the Nature of Reality
According to some sources, every experience had by any “individual” is, in a sense, false. This perspective suggests there is only one “real” individual, and that is God, encompassing all individuals. The sense of being separate from others is the primary illusion. Eternity involves all things having been all other things at different times. This process is continuous.
Karma: The Driving Force
Karma is a central concept in reincarnation, acting as a cosmic accounting system that dictates the nature of one’s future lives. At the time of death, what your mind is focused on is what you will obtain. However, what you have done in this life and others will “detail” that desire with certain amounts of enjoyment and suffering. The mind chooses the path, karma chooses how pleasurable or not the path will be.
The circumstances of one’s birth, including suffering and hardships, are often attributed to past karma. For example, an African child starving to death might be interpreted as suffering so quickly that he’s going to be a DemiGod for the next millennia. Conversely, some believe that sacrificing a human liberates the soul, preventing reincarnation in that form.
The Spectrum of Consciousness
Not all life forms are equal in their capacity for spiritual growth. Plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals lack self-awareness and do not accrue karma. These souls have acted so grievously that they are “punished” into lives that cannot introspect and thus are not accruing karma. In contrast, beings higher than humans are meant for enjoying this realm in luxury. Human forms are a nexus of karma meant for escaping the cycle. A “Human” means any body and mind that can think on the nature of self, and form things such as morals or religion. This includes all primates, elephants, and cetaceans on this Earth, and many many other species outside of Earth in this.
The Path to Liberation
The ultimate goal of reincarnation is to escape the cycle of samsara and attain moksha, a state of liberation. This involves gaining spiritual knowledge, transcending the distractions of the senses and emotions, and realizing the true nature of the self. Reaching this understanding allows the soul to go to Vishnu when we die, and we will escape the cycle of samsara.
Navigating the Cycle
For those seeking a better life in their next incarnation, the key lies in cultivating sattvic habits and actions, which lead to positive karmic consequences. Realizing the only “better” is getting out of the cycle. However, some individuals express a desire to enjoy the pleasures of the world before pursuing moksha.
The Nature of the Soul
Living things are not “imbued with a soul.” The living entity IS the soul. You do not HAVE a soul. You ARE a soul. This is the important conclusion in understanding you are not your body. In the physical world, the soul goes back to the physical realm into a new body. Probably at the moment of birth or conception. However, there is a distinction between the body and the soul.
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