Does Reincarnation Exist
Reincarnation, a common theme in religions, is the idea that the soul or mind of a person can be “reborn” or “transmigration” in another form. This concept is deeply rooted in the human imagination and it is an integral part of religious belief. Many have considered the process of reincarnation as real because of its seeming likeness to the Christian concept of salvation. In addition, the idea of reincarnation can also be found in many non-religious works such as real lives accounts. This is a recent post about the reincarnation of a boy posted on Yahoo.
Although the scientific community-at-large has never been able to scientifically prove the existence of reincarnation, there have been several well-documented cases over the years in which people who appeared to be “reincarnated” claimed to be living in the same house as their dead relatives, or even in the same physical body. These cases raise questions about the possibility of reincarnation. Is reincarnation real? And if so, how does it work? Can we access the hidden memories of past lives? Is it possible to find our lost loved ones through the medium of reincarnation?
It is important to note that reincarnation is not a modern scientific concept; it is an ancient Eastern religion and technique used for thousands of years. However, modern science has only recently become aware of this phenomenon. Because science has not been able to scientifically demonstrate the phenomenon of reincarnation, people who practice reincarnation beliefs face significant social and professional difficulties.
Some scientists think there is a way to experience reincarnation – though most agree that such knowledge is impossible. Is this because scientists do not actually know the way the human mind works? Or is there something else, something more physical than a physical body, that is responsible for the existence of parallel versions of ourselves? Scientists are still trying to figure out the exact nature of parallel lives, and it may be years before they can understand the concept fully.
Buddhism
Reincarnation is the theory that “through birth, life and death, we all have the same seed or soul which will one day return to our planet and begin another life over again”, according to the teachings of Buddhist monk Dhyan Giten. Reincarnation is a part of traditional Buddhism, and the teacher lineage of Buddha is said to be the vehicle through which this knowledge can be passed from one being to the next. The term for this belief in reincarnation is dharaniyaya. The Buddha’s teachings on the transmigration of the soul are often quoted as an example of his teachings on suffering and rebirth.
According to the teachings of the Buddha, the reincarnation process is believed to be purely inevitable and there is no stopping it once death has occurred. Each individual will be reborn again and again until the liberation from samsara as the ultimate goal in traditional practice. After each lifetime, the soul or consciousness of that individual returns to earth to begin another life. The destiny of that individual, whether is good or bad is then determined based on the merits and karma accumulated in the previous life. Reincarnation is considered to be a natural phenomenon and there is nothing we can do to prevent or stop it from occurring unless we are free from the wheel of samsara.
Hinduism
Reincarnation is the belief that souls of the departed live on in the form of ghosts and messenger known as “Raksha” within the house. These souls keep watch over the affairs and are the ones who guide the living ones in life’s path. This is one of the three main schools of thought in reincarnation that believe in the soul being a part of the living entities at birth, or being reincarnated from one life to another. The other school of thought suggests reincarnation is just an illogical concept created by the weaker mind to explain why there is a pain in this world when there is no pain in its counterpart. The weaker mind that follows this concept concludes that this “Reincarnation” should be treated with contempt.
Those who believe in reincarnation are usually categorized as “Maharana” or” Karma conscious” people. Karma is a Hindu term for consequences arising from wrong acts or bad actions in the past. So those who practice reincarnation beliefs are trying to get a handle on the intricate workings of karma and its effects on present and future lives. Those who practice reincarnation beliefs feel that the present life is just a passageway to the next life.
Many followers of reincarnation are driven to perform activities in order to “recycle” past lives. For example, an individual who wants to help his family but is unable to complete his duties to do so, might look into past lives and perform some acts that would help him be present in his family’s need later on. This is similar to what happens during the different seasons of the year in the world, as different events affect our lives in different ways. In fact, some scientists claim that there is proof that all living things, including plants and animals, have memory. Whether these beliefs hold true or not remains to be seen.
Christianity
It is believed by some Christians that Adam and Eve were put on this earth to learn what it would be like as God’s children, to have families and go through life-changing experiences. Through time though, all through the ages, this belief has been eroded and Christianity no longer talks about reincarnation.
There are many theories out there about what really happened to mankind when they lived on earth, but what is definitely known is that the Bible does hold several accounts of soul journeys and of course, reincarnation. Many of the most well-known books on the subject do discuss reincarnation, and these usually come from Christian or Jewish faiths. The arguments against reincarnation have been plentiful, from the idea that the soul cannot simply go back to a previous life, to the idea that God is unfair because He wants certain people to be born over others.
In general, there are two concepts. First, there is a belief that the soul will be judged after death, based on how the person lived their life when alive. Depending on that judgment, they will go into the light (heaven) or be punished in hell. (Second Death). The latter, belief in “The Judgment Day” where every dead and living will resurrect and be answerable for their worldly deeds. No matter how you look at it, the fact remains that people do believe in reincarnation and that there have been numerous accounts of it throughout history.
Islam
The whole concept of reincarnation is an enigma to the people of Islam. Since all the actions of a Muslim are religiously mandated, there is no room for deviation.
Most Muslims would say that their religion does not have anything to do with reincarnation beliefs or anything that concerns the idea of time travelling. They believe that it is a Western concept that came to Islam later and that there is no way they can relate to it. This is also the reason why most scholars of Islam state that the concept of reincarnation beliefs should never be discussed or thought about in Islam, as it is considered to be a Western concept. There is nothing to contradict this except for those who are so weak and misguided as to argue that there are interpretations for the actions of the Muslims. The scholars of Islam do not hold any theory that the actions of their beloved Prophet (P.B. Muhammad) were foretold or predicted by anyone other than him.
According to most Muslims, all matters that pertain to religion, ethics, humanity, philosophy, and social conditioning are to be treated as purely philosophical discussions and they have absolutely nothing to do with real-life action. They hold that there is nothing to relate between the actions of the followers of Islam and their activities in the here and now, whether or not they believe in reincarnation. If someone says that he believes in reincarnation and this is going to affect his actions in his personal life, then he is guilty of disbelief. Muslims who do hold such beliefs are doing so at their own peril because they are not aware of the consequences of their actions.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the many reincarnation beliefs that have been explained and discussed. You can choose to follow one of these ideas if you think they apply to your life. You can explore them further, especially if you want to figure out more about your own past and what it means to you today. Just keep in mind that these ideas should not replace logical reasoning, which is always the first step in investigating any subject.
