Theory of Reincarnation – A Cycle of Birth and Death

As the embodied soul continuously passes in the same body from boyhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death the soul passes into another body, this process is called reincarnation.
Reincarnation is based on the law of karma, which states that for every effect there is a cause behind. Therefore, for the situations of the current life (as an effect or destiny), our past live actions are responsible (as a cause or karma).
If there is no next life then this life is all we have, to eat, sleep, mate and defend. In that case, there are no consequences of our action good or bad actions. Then why certain good or bad things happen with bad or good people respectively. Why some are born as rich or poor, ugly or beautiful, healthy or physically challenged.
Due to our actions, we deserve something and due to our consciousness, we desire something. It is on the basis of what we desire and deserve, we get a new body as reincarnation. Therefore, it is the law of karma which governs reincarnation (rebirth).
Just as a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless material bodies.
We often observe the birth and death of many animals and humans. If this is the only life we have, then on what basis one gets an animal body and other a human body.

Several principles to establish the concept of reincarnation:

Vedic Evidence:

We know that the Vedic scriptures hold the highest and ultimate authority to establish any spiritual principle. There are many Vedic scriptures which confirms the idea of reincarnation, viz, Bhagavat Gita, Upanishads and other scriptures. Therefore, if the Vedic literature establishes the principle of reincarnation, then it has to be accepted without a second thought.

Law of Karma:

When we see the world around us in full of disparities – rich/poor, beautiful/ugly, intelligent/ignorant, fair/black, strong/weak, literate/illiterate, happy/sad; we think how could the destiny be so unfair to some. Why do some enjoy, while others suffer? There is only one principle which can solve this mystery, that is the law of karma, which states that for every action there is a reaction attached to it. The reaction may come immediately, or maybe later in this life, or may come after several births.

Past life Memory:

If we do not accept Vedas as the ultimate authority for establishing any spiritual principle, still there are few logical concepts which established the principle of reincarnation. There have been various scientific researches on the past-life memories of the people by many scientists and philosophers. One such researcher is Dr. Ian Stevenson, who has extensively investigated spontaneous reincarnation memories recounted by children. Wherein, the children recognize few people, relations and places from the previous lives at the early stages of life.

Past life Impression:

There were many people in the past with extraordinary skill without even learning or acquiring from somewhere. One of the examples is Edgar Cayce, who is also known as the sleeping prophet, was able to treat any disease in the sub-conscious state of mind. How did he acquire this amazing skill without even learning from anyone? Children who have abilities far greater than their age are a mystery to modern science. How does a child exhibit some qualities that were never taught to him or found in the parents? It is because he recollects the past impression and attributes which he cultivated in his previous lives.

Behaviour:

Even if one discards every idea of reincarnation, how will we answer the concept of phobia? We do not learn to develop a particular phobia; it is already there in us. Even the parents do not have such phobia but the child has. It is because of the past life deadly situation which got imprinted in our subconscious mind. It is because of the impressions of the past lives; a child starts drinking milk as soon as a mother feeds her baby. It is because of the past life tendencies that twins exhibit completely opposite behaviour from each other and even does not match with parents.

The relevance of Reincarnation in Our Life:

A wise man knows his actual position as a soul, firmly accepts that the soul is imperishable and eternal. Having firm faith in the concept of reincarnation lament neither for the living nor for the dead.
Concept of reincarnation helps to identify one’s constitutional position as a soul, which further assists in knowing the position of the Lord and the connection between the soul and the supreme.
Reincarnation gives us the opportunity to gradually evolve spiritually and break the law of karma and renounce all the desires to transcend the cycle of birth and death.
One becomes able to elevate himself from the level of gender, religion, nationality. Because he/she knows that I have born many times as male/female, Indian/American, Hindu/Christian, etc. Therefore, for that realized soul, these distinctions do not matter at all.

Thus, knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material body, senses, mind and intelligence, one endeavours for spiritual intelligence [Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this unbreakable cycle of reincarnation.