What is the Concept of Reincarnation?

What is the Concept of Reincarnation?

In Hinduism, reincarnation means that on the physical death of the body, the soul transmigrates to or is born again in another body with a separate identity in a different time and location. Belief in the reincarnation of the soul in one or more successive existences which may be human, animal or vegetable is characteristic of Asian religions especially Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.

Some people claim to have met people who claim to have lived other lives or Past Experiences. We cannot believe in it on the plea that some people claim to have had such an experience, as these may be result of:

* Human desire to get a lot of attention and fame.

* Mere delusions of the aberrant psyche.

* People under hypnosis.

* People hearing the whispers of ghost, even without their knowledge. In such an altered state of consciousness they would be more susceptible to such whispers and suggestions and then interpret them as their own memories.

* Mixed fainted memories of their own childhood and illusionary imaginations.

Cause of various people's belief in the Concept:

This belief is caught in the minds of various people because of their extreme love and attachment to this temporary world, which they have to leave after their death. The idea of the rebirth of the soul in other bodies at various times sounds extremely alluring to them because of following:

* Having no faith in the Hereafter, people are afraid of being reduced to insignificance after death.

* Those of poor faith, on the other hand, feel uneasy about the thought of being sent to hell since they are aware, or at least, consider it a probability, that God's justice entails their punishment.

Logic opposes the idea of reincarnation:

* Consider the human body growing through its various developmental stages of infancy, toddler stage, young child, adolescent, young adult, middle age and finally old age. The individual soul develops simultaneously with the body by administering its various physical, emotional and intellectual functions thereby developing from a state of spiritual immaturity and inexperience to an advanced spiritual state of actualization of its potentials. Just like it is inconceivable for the senile body to regress to an infantile state, likewise it is impossible for the fully actualized soul of an individual to revert to a rudimentary state of administering another body in its infant state.

* It encourage evil - it encourages and perpetuates evil eternally as one may think, "anyway I am going to get another life, may be with lower human form, so what, no problem, lets enjoy the present".

* No Justice - You cease to exist at death; the person punished in the next life is not you but a new entity entirely. The fact that physical body of someone else is punished for your sins is hardly "just."

* Due to the punishment for this soul, other innocent souls in his family and around suffer, which is again injustice to them caused by this soul.

* It encourage upper cast people to torture lower cast people (as per their beliefs the soul that had done sins in its past life is born in lower state and deserves such punishment)

* Some argue that God has planned this idea to make souls perfect by re-incarnating them and punishing for their sins. Present situation of world shows us clearly that "Path to Perfection" what claimed to be achieved by the concept is not working.

* One cannot strive to improve to a better standard without knowing the previous standard one failed to attain. Soul does not remember its sins done in previous life thereby the concept helps in no way in the "improvement process or Perfection" in the next life.

The Concept of Re-birth (Punarjanma) - Anti-Vedic

Concept of re-birth is widely prevalent in present Hindu community; however Vedas (oldest Hindu scriptures , most sacred to hindus) itself rejects strongly the very idea of such concept. First let's see what some of the prominent scholars say about this idea:

Scholar Rahul Sankratyayan: "In Indian literature "Chatogya" was the first who spoken about the concept of the re-birth. Perhaps those initial preachers of this concept had not imagined that how dangerous this concept will prove itself in the time to come." (Darshan Digdarshan page 403)

Shri Rahul has forwarded shloka from Chadogya-Upanishad (5/10/7): "The soul leave one body and enters another body, this is supported by Akshpad". Shri Rahul could not find any reference to the concept of re-birth in any scripture before Chadogya-Upanishad . It is well known that Upanishads were written long after the Vedas and Vedas contains no description of re-birth.

Dr. Farida Chauhan writes that "We find in Vedas mention of re-birth but of only one birth after this life and not the thousands of births." (Punarjanma and Vedas, Page 93)

Shri Satyaprakash Vidhyalankar writes: "There is no concept of re-birth in Vedas and I can bet on that." (Avagaman, Page 104)

There are many similar quotes available from various other scholars. Question is now that how then this concept creep got into Hindu community? Different people have different views on this. Some scholar says that it is the gift of people who were anti-Vedic and atheist while others hold writers of Chadogya-Upanishads as the culprit.

However, based on other facts we are compelled to believe that concept of re-birth was prevalent even before the age of Vedas. This is the reason this concept is mentioned and rejected in Vedas. In following shloka it is obvious that concept of 5 births were prevalent at that time. However this concept has been rejected in these shloka clearly:

"Sa Brajbhaddasuha Bheem Ugra Sahas Cheta Shatneeya Rabhva; Chamreesho Na Shasva Panchjanyo Marutvanno Bhavtivandra Uti" (Rigved 1/14/100/12) Partial meaning -> "........he is not the one who gives the dead bodies five lives, So O Hindus...."

Similarly, at many places in Vedas it is clear that concept of re-birth was prevalent before Vedas but was rejected by Vedas as given in this shloka: "Punah Punah Jayamana Purani Samanam Varnmabhi Shubhmana; Shvadhaniv Kratnurjeev Amimana Bhartasay Devi Jaryantayau" (Rigved 1/14/12/10) Partial meaning -> "......They mention pleasantly the concept of re-birth, as done in ancient time...So you defeat them who belive in this and are like sinners...."

Vedas are strong supporters of life after death. But this life will not be given again and again but will be given certainly. (Rig Veda 1-9-44-6) However, this life which will be given after death is called "Divya Janam (Eternal Life)" in Vedas. This is called so because no death will come after getting that life. (Rig 1-11-58-6)

Thus we see that Vedas mention two lives only, this life and another life after the death (Divya Janam). The life will not be given 3, 4 or thousand times or 84 lack times in 84 lack bodies. The Vedas are very clear about this and leave no room for doubt. They clearly declare that birth will only be two times and the concept of re-birth is Completely False, purely non-Vedic and anti-Vedic.

What Quran says about it?

The soul of man does not move to another body, rather it and the body experience torment or blessing, until mankind will be gathered to their Lord, on the Day of Final Judgement. We have only one life on this earth. After death we will be raised up again on the Day of Judgment. There is no return to this life before the Day of Judgment:

"They will not taste any death there - except for the first one. He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favour from your Lord. That is the Great Victory." (Quran 59:56-57)

 

Source: http://www.turntoislam.com/

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