Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods. - Japanese Proverb

Reincarnation - what should you know about it?

Gyan Rajhans P. Eng.

Reincarnation is known in Sanskrit as punar-janma, which literally means re-birth. This is becoming a popular subject of conversations (sometimes in jest) in the western society, like “see you in the next life” or “I must have known you in the past life.”

Necessity of Reincarnation 

The Hindu scriptures have advocated since time immemorial that the soul is immortal and keeps reentering a body time and time again in order to evolve from immaturity to spiritual illumination and to reap good and bad consequences of the deeds of the previous births. Thus, the theory of karma (see “Karma and Free Will” in June 2006 issue and “The Karma Doctrine” in February 2004 issue) and reincarnation occupies a very significant place in Hindu philosophy. It serves as the most satisfactory answers to the numerous complex questions that arise out of the seemingly unjustified sufferings and inequality among human beings. For example, why some are born poor or rich; why some are born handicapped; can we do wrong and get away with it? 

If you look at my previous two articles on karma as quoted above and also listed below, you will realize; God does not give us karma, we create our own. “Bad karma (destiny)” is because we have done something bad in the past to someone and now someone is doing something bad to us. Likewise, good karma means that we have done something good in the past and now others are doing something good to us. This corresponds to the popular phrase in the western society, “what goes around comes around”. Your karma (deeds) might have been done in the immediate past or the remote past. You may remember it or not. It survives in the form of a seed with you. It takes times for the karmic seed to sprout and come to fruition at a point in time. How and when are not precisely known, but it is a fact that no one can escape from his/her karma. 

In the spiritual world every action may not produce its reaction as quickly as in the physical world. Sometimes even a lifespan may not be sufficient to bring about the appropriate result of an effort, but sometime or another it is bound to occur according to the law of karma. In such cases, it becomes necessary for the individual to take another birth to bear the consequences of his/her deeds of the previous births. For example, if one did an act of kindness just before he or she died, when would he/she reap the benefit of the good karma. Obviously, it will be returned to him/her as an act of kindness in the next life. Thus, the theory of karma leads to the theory of reincarnation. A person is born again and again to reap the fruits of his/her own actions.

How does it work?

Moral consequences of all actions are stored in nature’s computer. If a person lives a good life on earth, he/she will be born into a better life in the next incarnation. A person who leads an immoral life will be born as a poor human in an agonizing environment in the next incarnation. Thus, we are all the time making our own karma and determining the character of our next birth. We may be handicapped to our past deeds but we are definitely the master of our future.

Can you be reborn as an animal?

Here, another myth regarding karma and reincarnation can be eliminated. This is my logical interpretation, and hence stand corrected. I believe that once the soul has attained a human body in the process of its normal evolution from the lower to higher form of life, it will always assume a human body in subsequent incarnations regardless of its qualities of the past karmas. In other words, it is not possible for a human being to be reborn as an animal. I have no problem accepting the fact that the person could have been an animal in the past life. But once by God’s grace or whatever the reason may be, if the soul attains a human body, it will keep on assuming human bodies in the following births. Why? How else is he/she going to enjoy the fruits of good karma or feel the pains of bad karma in future incarnations? Animals cannot differentiate between good and bad feelings in the same manner as human beings. Moreover, if he/she is reborn as an animal, his/her karmic cycle will stop and he/she will never achieve his/her final goal, that is liberation from the cycle of birth and death, commonly referred to as moksha or nirvana in Hinduism and salvation in other religions. 

According to the Hindu scriptures, liberation is the birthright of every individual. It is the individual who is responsible for his/her own salvation. No savior or redeemer can achieve this task for him/her. The concept of moksha or liberation in Hindu religion is of great moral and ethical significance, as it provides an incentive for righteous living in the world.

[Gyan Rajhans, an internationally recognized heath & safety professional has been broadcasting the only non-commercial Vedic religion radio program in North America since 1981 & worldwide web cast on www.bhajanawali.com since 1999. Mr. Rajhans has published extensively on religious and spiritual matters. Some articles are available on the Bhajanawali web site. He has translated Sri Mad Bhagvad Gita in English for the younger generation. Mr Rajhans has been conferred various titles, including that of Rishi by Hindu Prarthana Samaj of Toronto Hindu Ratna by Hindu Federation of Toronto. He received Canadian Journalists' and Writers' Club (CEJWC) award  for 2005 in the Internet category - Opinion - for his Spirituality columns in South Asian Outlook e-Monthly.]

Previous Columns:

Other Columns

Attitude - A positive Asset in Us  - Sandhya Pathania

    Stand Up for Your Life  - Sandhya Pathania

   Our Thoughts Our Experiences  - Sandhya Pathania

   The Message of the Bhagavad Gita - Swami Chidanand Saraswati

Exploring the Intuitive Power - Sandhya Pathania

Going Beyond Images - SK Vasudeva

Your Happiness, Your Life - SK Vasudeva 

Spiritual thoughts from Taoism - Sandhya Pathania

Demystifying the Sovereign Secret of the Soul - SK Vasudeva 

Hinduism – A Brief Sketch - Swami Vivekananda Part I  II  III