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On Hinduism
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15. Reincarnation
Yes, God does incarnate. Hindus believe in incarnation (called avatars or descent). The incarnation of a deity in human or animal form is to counteract some particular evil in the world to establish balance.
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यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भव- ति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थान- मधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्- ॥४-७॥
परित्राणाय- साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्- ।
धर्मसंस्था- पनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥४-८॥
Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita tells his best friend Arjun (chapter 4.17):
Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata
Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham
Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhabami yuge yuge
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness [dharma] and rise of unrighteousness then I send forth Myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to age (I descend myself).
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Lord Vishnu (lord of sustenance or protector of humanity) had 10 popular incarnations (or appearances): Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (half man, half lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (Rama with the axe), Rama (hero of the Ramayana epic, in Treta yuga/time period), Krishna (author of Bhagwad Gita, in Dvapar yuga/time period), Buddha (established Buddhism), and Kalki (the incarnation yet to come). The number of Vishnu’s avatars is sometimes extended or their identities changed, according to local preferences.
Actually, we are all God incarnate. Only in our case, we don’t remember our essential divinity.
Other reading material: https://www.britannica.com/topic/avatar-Hinduism
Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: Does God Incarnate
Contributor: Nilesh Chaudhary
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15. Reincarnation
Hindus believe that the soul is immortal passing through the process wherein the soul reincarnates into different physical bodies through cycles of birth and death. Guided by the Laws of Karma, the soul continues on its path of spiritual evolution. The ultimate aim of Hindus is for the soul to attain freedom from this continuous cycle of birth and rebirth and discover its divine origin.
Imagine a single tennis game where the person who has the serve, also has been given an ability to serve an Ace 100% of the time. What are the rules for success where the coin toss can determine game outcomes? Would you believe there is any merit in learning to play the game well? What if you just play one game, a single event? Would you think the game is fair?
If you answer is NO, then you have just made an argument in favor of reincarnation. You just have to conclude that for the world to be non-random, there have to be multiple games played, and the success in one game improves the beginning odds in the next game.
If you disagree, then you have just concluded that all life is random, and there is very little advantage in learning to live better.
Despite the dogma against it in the western world, there are still scientific studies done on remembering past lives. The Medical school at University of Virginia maintains a site and has written several scientific papers journaling reported pre-birth experiences that are very analogous to the detailed descriptions in the Hindu Tradition. Just read with an open mind.
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Other reading material: HAF: Do Hindus believe in reincarnation? Division of Perceptual Studies | University of Virginia School
Back When I Was Older : Invisibilia
Relevant videos: Swami Nikhilanand What is Reincarnation?, What happens when we die?, Can I be born as a plant or animal?
Contribution: Gaurav Rastogi
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15. Reincarnation
Hinduism does not teach ideas such as eternal Heaven or Hell. It sees life as a process of evolution where we grow spiritually over many lives.
Behavior in a past life, combined with dharma (the duty you are born with) for this life, creates the lives we live in the present.
With each incarnation we get new lessons, based on what lessons we passed and failed in the last life. If you were an abusive person in a past life, your karma dictates you will be on the receiving end of abuse in this or future lives. Forgiving your abuser where appropriate, and asking for forgiveness for yourself, frees you from the karma.
When a Soul persists in not learning lessons, abusing, not forgiving; a vicious cycle of birth and death is created until the soul evolves and attains moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death).
Other reading material: The Momentum of Karma
Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: What is Good Action, Why I become Hindu, Transcending Karma, The Deeper Meaning of Dharma,
Contributor: Swamini VishwaPratibha
URL of this page: https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/c-how-much-has-ones-past-life-had-an-impact-on-the-current-life/
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15. Reincarnation
Hindus consider all living beings to have an atman (soul). The atman reincarnates, and subsequent births are determined by past karma. Karma rooted in higher consciousness leads to births in species of higher consciousness (humans). Karma of lower consciousness birth the atman in species of lower consciousness. Yes, you can be an ant in the next life.
There is a story of Jada Bharatan from Sriman Bhagavatam. Bharat was a king who performed many pious rituals for the betterment of his people and kingdom. In old age, wanting to retire, he chose a lonely place around a pond. There he stayed several years, doing penance for his Moksha. He found a fawn that had been attacked by a tiger and hurt badly. He rescued it and started caring for it. He grew an attachment for it, looking for its welfare. At the time of his death, he was very worried for this fawn. Therefore he was born as a fawn in his left life.
Inference : This is the concept of “Antima Smriti” – what you think of at the time of death is what you are born as in the next life. In this story, it is clear that human beings, even the most pious, can be born in a lower life form.
Other reading material:
Relevant videos:
Contributor: Team
URL of this page: hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/can-i-be-an-ant-in-the-next-life/
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15. Reincarnation
Do you remember what you had for breakfast a week ago? We don’t carry all memories even to the next day, so how will we carry all memories from this lifetime to the next, or from the past to this life? However, there are some examples of a few people who remembered something from their past life.
Actually, not remembering your past life is a blessing, is it not? Won’t we be totally miserable if we remembered all of our past 1000 lives?
We do carry some subtle memories even after we leave our physical body. For example, we have inherent liking and disliking for certain things. One might inherently like mountains and another person might find more solace at a beach. We also have inherent personalities. One sibling is an extrovert and the other an introvert–how do you explain that?
Other reading material:
Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q&A: Why Don’t We Remember Our Past Lives? , HG Chanchalapathi Dasa, Iskon
Contributor: Swati Sudandhi
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15. Reincarnation