Query: Reincarnation in Hinduism... what is the role of Reincarnation in
Hinduism?
Vijay
Kumar: Reincarnation as we know in Hinduism is the basic essence of the
cosmic system ... the system of God Almighty. Even in the English dictionary the meaning of the word
reincarnation is wrongly given ... those who have written the dictionary probably do not understand what
reincarnation means. Dictionary meaning says, "rebirth of soul in successful bodies" ... For a soul there is
never a rebirth and there is nothing like the term successful bodies.
I am explaining the concept from the beginning ... from
the beginning of the cosmos ... the origin of the whole cosmic system ... with the Big Bang itself.
Even before we discuss the concept of the Big Bang ... we need to understand the basic cosmic
structure. In the cosmic system there is no value attached to the materialistic world ... everything contained in
the cosmos is but atoms and molecules ... there is only gaseous formation as far as the Cosmos is concerned. It is
only when the energy known as atman the soul within manifests a body ... do we come across the materialistic world
... the world we can perceive and feel through our senses and the mind.
When we talk of the cosmic system ... we talk of a system much beyond the
comprehension of all the five senses. Let us take a bolder in our hands. From the materialistic point of view
it is a solid mass ... yet, in the cosmic system it is but a cluster of atoms and molecules ... nothing else!
If something is not clear you can ask a student of physics or chemistry to explain further.
We all know that the cosmic system is without a boundary ... the creation
of the cosmos happens with a Big Bang... and what does this Big Bang mean. Big Bang means
that total energy contained in the Cosmos ... the whole total sum of energy which would be created if the
whole Cosmos were to collapse (the time of the pralaya in Hinduism) ... then this massive energy is unable to
contain itself and it again explodes with a Big Bang.
This massive source of energy is what we call God Almighty ... this is
the sum total of all purified atmans souls present in the Cosmos at any stage of time. As per Bhagavad Gita
in Hinduism ... the size of this energy is but the size of half a thumb ... does this mean that the combined
power of all Atmans souls in the purified from is but the size of half a thumb ... yes, and this is what we
call God Almighty.
Now, the Big Bang having occurred ... all atmans souls get scattered all
over the Cosmos ... it also conquers with the famous saying that "God is everywhere" ... as all Atmans are
but a minuscule form of Parmatman (God Almighty) ... we can safely say God is everywhere. Parmatman (God
Almighty) stands for Param Atman (the super soul, God Almighty Creator himself).
Now the beginning of the cosmos has started ... it takes but billions of
years for an environment conducive enough to be created so that the Atmans souls can manifest a body. and why
do this Atmans souls need to manifest a body ... it is because these atmans souls cannot purify itself. It
needs a body to perform the Karma and remove the dross within. All dross having removed, atman the soul
within comes back to its pristine form. Having liberated forever from the cycle of birth and death we now say
that so-and-so gained enlightenment ... Moksha ... Salvation or Self Realization.
At the time of the Big Bang what actually happens is that all Atmans are in their pristine pure form. As they
travel towards the outer periphery of the fast expanding Cosmos ... it gets mired with impurity. It comes back to
its pristine pure form only after having traveled a journey of 8.4 million manifestations (a total cosmic travel of
96.4 million years). Every atman the soul within starts the journey as an amoeba (single cell formation) and
subsequently evolves into an insect, then a tree, an animal and finally a human being.
Every human being we see on earth has already traveled a cosmic journey
of above 85 million years and completed above 7.5 million manifestations. The figures are staggering and
surprising yet true. It is not as a human being we have traveled the journey. It is atman the soul within on
its cosmic journey. It reincarnates again and again until the final goal … the 8.4 millionth manifestation
arrives. atman the soul within is always alive and existing ... as for the dictionary meaning how can it have
birth ... it only manifests a body in one life after another. The garb of a human being is but for the
present life.
I shall further explain this concept- When I was in school I used to get
a new blazer every three years. When I had the new blazer ... I thanked God as the old blazer was given away
to the servant's children. I always looked forward to the year when I shall get a new blazer ... every atman
the soul within when it reaches the end part of the manifested life ... an ailing body of an old man or a
lady ... we weep for one of us to whom we were emotionally attached is passing away ... from the angle of
atman the soul within it is very happy ... it is going to get a new blazer (a new body) in the next
life.
How distinct the comparison is ... Yet true. We always live in two worlds. One is the physical manifested life ...
the life we Human Beings live and other is the life of atman the soul within which is a non breakable cosmic
journey ... a continuous process of changing a body one after another ... reincarnation continues without
interruption from one life to another!
Who knows what garb is taken by atman the soul within in the next life
for depending upon the residual Karma it is possible that atman the soul within that has already manifested a
human body can be reverted back to the animal kingdom. Suppose one migrates from the animal kingdom to the
form of a human being at number 70. and if we are born at number 72 based on the residual Karma of past lives
(which gets transferred from one life to the another through chromosomes) then if we commit sins in this life
which accumulates minus three for us then in the next life we be born at number 69 and for a human being to
be born we need number 70. Hence atman the soul within shall have to manifest an animal body.
Now I shall explain how Atmans souls attach impurities and why they need
a body to purify themselves. Why is it not possible for them to purify without the help of a body. Suppose in
a lump of hundred KG of silver ore we have one KG of pure silver then for extracting one KG of pure silver
from the silver ore we need to separate out 99% impurities. One KG of silver is always present in the silver
ore no matter in how many pieces we break the silver ore.
Further, to separate one KG of silver from the hundred KG lump of silver ore we need to process it through the
mining machinery (similarly as an Atman, the soul within needs a body). One KG of pure silver is atman the soul
within in its purified form. The lump of hundred KG of silver ore is an atman the soul within in its impure
state.
As we process the silver ore for separating out one KG of silver ...
comes a stage when one KG of pure silver is present in 85 KG of lump of silver ore ... 15 KG of impurities
having removed. In the case of atman the soul within the manifestation as various kinds of insect is over.
Next atman the soul within can manifest as a tree. Subsequently one KG of pure silver is present in 50 KG of
silver ore, then in 15 KG of silver ore and finally one KG of silver is present in 10 KG of silver ore. The
stage has come when atman the soul within has already manifested the bodies of an insect, a tree and an
animal ... now it can only manifest as a human being.
Now, one KG of pure silver requires to be separated from nine KG of
impurities. Our atman the soul within now reincarnates as a human being again and again until all the nine KG
of impurities are removed. What we now finally have is one KG of pure silver ... atman the soul within having
reached the last leg of its cosmic journey has achieved Salvation Moksha ... free forever from cycle of Birth
and Death it gains Liberation forever from the various manifestations. The need to reincarnate again and
again is over. One has become Buddha, Mahavira. Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed.
Every single atman the soul within has to complete cosmic journey ... there is no escape until we cut short the
Karma (that is remove all the dross ... the 99 KG impurities) and finally emerge as a pure Atman (one KG of pure
silver). The process of reincarnation continues for every being (Jiva) present in the Cosmos ... none can escape
the cycle of Karma for without practicing Karma ... atman the soul within cannot purify itself. It is only the
residual Karma which carries on from one life to the another and this is possible only through the process of
reincarnation ... Reincarnation meaning that our atman the soul within has to manifest a body again and again until
it liberates free forever from cycle of Birth and Death.
Reincarnation is not a theory ... no it is not a concept ... it is the
truth of our own self ... it is a burning proof of the existence of an atman the soul within without which
there would never have been a form of an insect, plant, animal and finally a human being. If we are all there
... it confirms the presence of the process of reincarnation. This process is also proved otherwise ... no
human body can survive without an atman the soul within ... yet an atman the soul within can survive without
a body. For life to go on ... the process of reincarnation ... the manifestation of a body by an atman soul
is a must. Without it ... the Cosmos itself cannot survive nor exist.
In the process of reincarnation there comes a time when matching parents
for a manifestation to occur is not present. atman the soul within is unable to get a body in the absence of
matching parents. If I am on number 69 (taking a scale of one is to hundred) then I need to have matching
parents with number 69 so that a child can be born to them.
On the cosmic scale there are 8.4 million times of manifestations. A long
journey ... yet, many times it happens that matching parents are not available ... it is this period when
atman the soul within either resides in Swarga Heaven or Naraka hell depending upon the residual Karma. It is
only when matching parents are available this Atman shall manifest a body. and, only after manifesting a body
can the soul get liberated from cycle of Birth and Death.
In Hinduism, it is absolutely clear that Salvation, Moksha, Liberation,
enlightenment or Self Realization is only possible after manifesting the garb of a human being. One can never
gain Salvation Moksha either as an insect, a tree or an animal ... both while remaining in Swarga Heaven or
Naraka hell. Swarga Heaven and Naraka hell are interim stages for atman the soul within until it gets a form
... a matching body. Anyone desirous of gaining the kingdom of Heaven is absolutely mistaken ... one must
always seek getting Liberation (Salvation) forever from cycle of Birth and Death and become a man god like
Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus Christ or prophet Mohammed.
I do hope you get the concept described above. Further queries are
welcome. Do not hesitate to put forward any query you may have.
Always there to clarify your queries (send your query),
Essay by:
Vijay Kumar "Atma Jnani" ... The Man who Realized God in 1993!
Full text of query: Hi. I am writing a research paper of 4000 words this summer. The topic
concerns reincarnation in Hinduism. As I am sure you know, 4000 words is a lot and I wanted to see if you
could give me some more information as to what is the role of reincarnation in Hinduism. Once again, I
greatly appreciate it.
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