blog




  • Essay / The concept of reincarnation in Hinduism

    The idea that you have lived many past lives and will die and be reborn in another life is one of the most mind-blowing beliefs in practicing Hinduism . This process is known as Samsara to Hindus. This makes a person wonder when this belief began, as well as how it has evolved over time. Additionally, it is questionable how this belief changes among Buddhists and other religions that have a similar belief. It can also be explored how rebirth compares to other religions which have different views of the afterlife or which do not believe in an afterlife. Rebirth in Hinduism can very well be explained through its history and stories, the way it has been practiced and its implications over time, and the comparisons it has with the beliefs of other religions . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe origins of the concept of rebirth are unknown, but the earliest texts about them date back to around 800 BCE. These were passages from the Brhadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanisads. In these passages, a sacrificial process has been described, and in this process, there is a funeral fire that carries a person's remains into the clouds. These remains would return to the earth in the rain and become food for humans. Finally, the person's remains would be transformed into new life through the sperm of the person who ate the food. There are other very ancient stories that speak of rebirth, one of them being an account of the reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya. During these stories, they each have three births, one through yuga, and then a different type of rebirth in the fourth yuga. In the first yuga, they were born as twins who sought solace in material objects or people and always challenged the Supreme. The two boys tried to make themselves immortal so that they could rule the world, but they were stopped by Vishnu and Lord Brahma. In their second incarnation, they are born as brother demons who feast on humans. Moreover, one of them kidnapped Rama's wife. Eventually, they were killed by Lord Rama, who is an incarnation of Vishnu during the time of Treta. In the third incarnation, they were born cousins ​​and each was elevated to the rank of king. Both were killed by Krishna, the first because they were verbally attacking Krishna on the grounds that they were not honorable, and the second for trying to challenge Krishna for killing the first. The moral of the stories is that Jaya and Vijaya were killed by the manifestations of Krishna in their three lives, but they did not know that Krishna was the Supreme Lord. They had become hateful towards Krishna and chanted his name over and over again in past lives which led to their liberation. This caused them to experience one final rebirth before being brought back to become the Eternal Guardians. This last rebirth takes place in the current yuga. The two brothers are Brahmin brothers addicted to wine and women. The only brother (Madhai) hurt a Brahmin sent by Krishna, and the Brahmin forgave him. The other brother (Jagai) was moved by the Brahmin's compassion and did not let Madhai hurt the Brahmin anymore. The two brothers were about to be killed by Sri Chaitanya, the manifestation of Krishna, but the injured Brahmin showed Krishna that this was a mission of love. The two brothers were welcomed as Sri Chaitanya's own, but only with a reformation of their behavior. These two brothers were able to achieve first or divine love. This is thehighest possible feeling of liberation from oneself and the perfection of reincarnation. These accounts and stories help show what reincarnation looks like throughout the ages, showing how spiritual growth, praising the Supreme, and practicing the Dharma can lead to higher rebirth. This being the case, it shows that the individual is still responsible to continue these efforts and continue this growth, otherwise there can be problems. It can almost be a demotion to a lower life. It is important that in every life, the individual fulfills his dharma without getting lost in material goods or feelings. Now let's move on to the practice of reincarnation and its implications over time. In Hindu tradition, as mentioned earlier, the eldest son must open his parent's skull during the funeral, which releases unresolved desires which are carried by smoke into the atmosphere. With this practice, the remaining bodies mingle with King Soma until they are freed by Indra's lightning. This causes them to go deep into the soul and let them be picked up by the plants. Once animals and humans eat these plants, the food turns into sperm which continues life. Interestingly enough, this process can take several seasons. Thus, on the birthday of a parent or teacher, Brahmins are paid to perform Sraddha rituals intended to guide the ancestor in his journey to a new life. The way rebirth is understood in Hinduism is that life has three distinct characteristics: subtle, born of a mother and father, and acts of will. Subtle influences and acts of will are believed to carry over into the next life, but the body born to man and woman remains behind. The two that take place define the personality, which is then covered by the emotional state of each situation the person has been in during their life, which governs human behavior. These emotional states that govern human behavior are known as bhavas. They are intended to help the person see how their personality comes from past influences and allow them to prepare for future influences and know how to deal with them. This process is intended to help the individual gain knowledge on the path to freedom. This view of reincarnation is now the same for all followers, just as it is different for some people today. A 20th-century Hindu yoga teacher named Paramahamsa Yogananda talks about the process he believes occurs during reincarnation. According to him, when a man leaves the world in ignorance, he wakes up in an astral world, which means he is connected to the stars. Meanwhile, Paramahamsa believes that the body is there to eliminate past habits. Once the time of cosmic law comes, the individual will disintegrate with the astral body to be reborn again in the physical world. In the astral body, karmic problems can be resolved by the individual. This individual's ego also takes time in an astral body, and once it is ready for a physical body, it is reborn under parents who are similar in most karmic elements to the individual's soul (Chapple). Many Hindus believe that humans are not finite beings because they carry within them a lot of history and experiences from their past lives. If an individual is able to become aware of the range of past lives they have had, it will enable them to put aside and move out of the dramas that trap the mind in the current life. All of this leads to certain implications about the idea of ​​rebirth. . If aIndividual is able to see his past lives and learn from them, he will be able to use them to guide him in his current and future life so that he can complete his dharma and have good karma for his next life. life. Another implication is that if an individual is able to remember their life as an animal, this shows a sign of greatness for their bond and kinship with other species. It is said that the remembrance of these past lives is only possible through the complete renunciation of all objects, possessions or material ties clinging to past lives and their current life. This will allow the individual to accept what he/she had/has and what he/she didn't/doesn't have instead of regretting or being jealous. Finally, examine how the idea of ​​reincarnation in Hinduism compares to other ideas of reincarnation, primarily in Buddhism. , Jainism and Sikhism. When it comes to the Jainist tradition with reincarnation, they too believe that karma from past lives is a major factor in deciding where a person is reborn in their current life and future lives. Followers of Jainism believe that God has no say or judgment over people's lives or where they are reborn. This means that the only factor that comes into play is the karma of past lives and the current life. This is a difference from Hinduism, as Hindus believe that gods like Vishnu express judgment, which explains why there is such devotional practice in some sections of Hinduism. Since Hinduism is a "yes" religion, there are definite possibilities that some followers of Hinduism believe in reincarnation with the same mindset as those of Jainism. Another difference between Hinduism and Jainism is that followers of Jainism believe that there are four levels of rebirth. The lowest level is Triyanka Gati, which consists of rebirth as animals, plants and microorganisms. The next level is Naraki Gati, which is rebirth as an infernal being. The third level of rebirth is Manusya Gati, who is reborn as a human, and the last stage is Deva Gati, which is rebirth as a demigod. They believe that violent acts, killing creatures, or harming someone leads to rebirth in hell. Acts of deception and fraud would cause an individual to be reborn into the animal or plant world. Then, acts of kindness and compassion lead to rebirth as human beings, with austerities and fulfillment of vows leading to rebirth in heaven as a demigod. In Buddhism, reincarnation is considered as consciousness that appears, exists. , and ceases to exist before the next state of mind of consciousness appears. This is different from Hinduism, where reincarnation is considered birth, death and rebirth. With Buddhism, we see these states of mind die and be reborn. Another difference in Buddhism is the belief that there is no atman that connects lives, known as anatta. Additionally, Buddhists believe in anicca, meaning that all things are subject to dissolution. This includes the human person and his personality. As with Hinduism, there are variations of opinion regarding rebirth in Buddhism. Tibetans who practice Buddhism believe in an intermediate state, called "bardo", which lasts up to forty-nine days between the individual's two lives on earth. This time between lives is meant to be a time of awakening of the spirit. The Theravada school of Buddhism believes that there is no intermediate state and that rebirth takes place immediately after death in the previous life. The Tibetan school believes in a seed planted in the ground which turns into food,8080148