The topic of reincarnation always arouses quite understandable interest among people. Everyone has thought about it at least once in their life. It doesn't matter if he is a believer or an atheist. Who is he, why does he live and what will happen to him at the end of his life? Every modern person sooner or later begins to worry about this issue, because his attitude to reincarnation is associated with his worldview.
A significant number of people who believe in life after death do not quite clearly understand and do not understand what this phenomenon is. The riddle of rebirth has become an impulse for writers, scientists and philosophers to write various books, articles, scientific research. Indeed, this topic is so deep and vast that it is difficult for some people to understand and accept. The belief in the possibility of reincarnation of souls is confirmed by many real cases that happened in life with ordinary people. Also, the concept of reincarnation is present in many ancient religions and cultures, which we will consider below.
The concept and essence of reincarnation
The word "reincarnation" has a Latin origin and literally means "secondary entry into the blood and flesh", that is, the consciousness of a living being is reincarnated from an old body into a new one. Full qualitative renewal, transition to another state - this is reincarnation. This immortal consciousness is called Spirit or Soul in various philosophical traditions. But what is the role of reincarnation?
Reincarnation pursues the following goals: working off karma and the evolution of consciousness. Karma is a mechanism of reward for past actions of a person and depends on his thoughts, words, actions.
Souls undergo development in different worlds, so each new world makes changes in the process of their improvement. After death, the soul leaves the body shell and passes from one level of development to another. In order for a soul to gain experience, it has to live countless lives. Each incarnation (birth) has its own program, and depending on it, the soul lives many times, reborn in different eras, in different worlds and in a variety of conditions. Thus, developing and learning from life to life, consciousness can so rise spiritually that it will be able to break out of the cycle of rebirth. But if the soul does not develop spiritually, but degrades, then all this creates obstacles for the transition to a higher level.
Promotional video:
What is the reason for the low level of development? Almost every action of any individual is some kind of mistake and this leads him to the wrong path. A person can make mistakes in solving the tasks assigned to him, draw wrong conclusions. He does not know how to develop, because he does not know the true goals, and considers material wealth, fame and power to be the pinnacle of achievements in this world. So, is reincarnation true or myth? And what do the most ancient religions and cultures say about this?
Reincarnation - myth or reality?
The theory of reincarnation says that the immortal consciousness after the loss of the outer corporeal shell passes into another state, another body. According to Hinduism, consciousness (atman) is immortal, only the body dies and is born again. Atman is the higher "I", Soul, Brahman, the Absolute, from which everything else comes. The cycle of rebirth, driven by karma, is symbolically depicted as the wheel of samsara. And this is not accidental, since we are born and die, going round and round many times. Each of our actions and thoughts carries seeds that sprout, manifesting karma. After death, the soul is reborn again and again, from body to body, until it accumulates a certain experience.
Man will reap what he sowed until he possesses true knowledge. According to Hinduism, the self is too attached to material feelings and pleasures. If a person lives with the illusions and attachments of this mortal world, then he will “flounder” in samsara. This is how it is written in the Vedas (ancient scriptures): “As the body grows at the expense of food and water, so the individual“I”, feeding on its aspirations and desires, sensory connections, visual impressions and delusions, takes on the desired forms in accordance with its actions (Svetasvatara Unisipada, 5.11).
The philosophy of Hinduism teaches that pious deeds and love for God allow a person to grow spiritually from life to life until he attains moksha or liberation from samsara. The soul in its new birth, if it develops spiritually, is given the opportunity to cognize its essence. A purified and spiritually mature soul returns to God, where it regains its original nature. We can say that reincarnation itself in Hinduism acts as the Compassion and Love of God in relation to all living beings.
According to Buddhism, the mind does not die with the body. He was never created and therefore will never disappear. He always perceives everything and endlessly expresses himself in all sorts of ways. All beings live countless lives. The Buddhist concept of rebirth is a natural continuation of the doctrine of karma. Every time we do something selfishly, selfishly, we create karma, that is, we sow the seeds of the future. When we die, our body disintegrates, but the mind continues to be aware. At the same time, many different impressions, good and bad, are stored in the subconscious. Each phenomenon is due to an innumerable number of reasons and conditions, and the ordinary mind, operating with numbers and concepts, is not able to grasp them. After the death of the body, they will remain, then they will gradually mature and will have an impact on the future life.
In what conditions and worlds can one be reborn? In Buddhism, six worlds are described, located vertically on top of each other. At the bottom of the universe are the lower worlds: the world of hell, the world of hungry ghosts, the world of animals. The next is our human world. There are two more above the human world: the worlds of the asuras and the gods. All worlds are impermanent, they change, alternating each other. It is possible to be reborn from the world of the gods not only in the world of people, but also in the worlds that are even lower, and vice versa. The next life depends solely on our karma, which we deserve.
Rebirth stories are recorded in the Jatakas - stories about the previous existences of Buddha Shakyamuni at different times. They talk about moral principles, worldview and attitude to the world. Buddha is a sage who achieved enlightenment and preached the doctrine of spiritual awakening. This once again confirms the reality of reincarnation.
How does Christianity feel about the very idea of rebirth? The modern church does not recognize the phenomenon of reincarnation, since there is no direct mention of this in the Bible. In the distant past, many Christians and saints supported the doctrine of rebirth.
Origen spoke more specifically and clearly about life after death. Saint Jerome and other Christians spoke of him as the greatest teacher of the church. Origen preached that the soul lives before the birth of the physical body. The soul is immaterial, so it cannot die or disappear. He did not hide his discontent and bewilderment about the belief in the Day of Judgment and the subsequent resurrection from the dead.
In 543 the Second Council of Constantinople was held, at which Christians discussed, in particular, the issue of Origen's views. It is believed that there was a conspiracy to forge the signatures of most of those who did not support his views. Pope Vigili guessed that a foul play was being played, and therefore retired before the final decision was made. But after a while he issued a decree in which he anathematized the doctrine. This caused excitement and discontent among many bishops, and the Pope had to abolish it in 550. Three years later, Emperor Justinian finally rejected the concept of "ridiculous rebirth", forcing Christians to believe in an afterlife. Many views were not accepted, so the revelations related to reincarnation were forgotten.
Most world religions and philosophical movements agree that the reincarnation of the soul exists and it is real. Everyone has ever heard of this, but some people consider reincarnation to be just an esoteric fiction. Someone explains this fact by the fact that they are atheists and have nothing to do with religion. But is the phenomenon of reincarnation associated only with religions? It does not matter whether a person belongs to one of the religions or not, his idea of the continuation of the life of the soul after death is determined by the level of his knowledge and spirituality. What do you think about this? Is reincarnation a myth? Think about this question.
Author: Olga Soldatova