What is reincarnation?
Forensic evidence of reincarnation.
Why is life up and down?
Death is just around the corner.
Is there life after death?
Description of life on the hellish planets.
What is karma?
What is right and what is wrong?
What is reincarnation?
The soul is eternal but the body is temporary. Thus when the body is finished (death), the soul must continue to exist in another body.
If a person kills and soon after dies himself. How can he be punished unless he takes birth again? If a sinner is sent to hell forever then how can God be merciful unless he is given another chance?
Once you had the body of a baby and now an adult. The baby body is gone but you still exist. This is reincarnation, changing bodies.
Just as you change bodies in this life, you will also change bodies after this life. Is this hard to accept?
Reincarnation is the passing of the soul from one body to the next. Life is truly a circle of birth, death and re-birth. We never die; we merely change our physical form. There are 8.4 million different forms of bodies; we have been through them all. Being Human is the highest form of Life on this planet.
So why do we keep coming back to life? We are re-born to exhume our Karma. We build our Karma during our life and we must come back to face the reactions to all our actions.
So you still don’t believe in reincarnation?
Well, if you do not believe in reincarnation, then it means that you believe that we are only born once, right? If we are only born once, then surely everyone should be born equal. By believing in God, we accept that God must be fair, and thus everyone would be born equal if we only have one chance of life. Well, is everyone born equal?
- Why are some born healthy and some diseased?
- Why are some born more fortunate than others?
- Why are some born not so good looking and some good looking?
- Why do some children suffer from birth and die at very young age?
- Why are some born poor and some rich?
Now that you accept everyone is not born equal. So how does God decide on the above matters for us? Well, God’s decisions are based on knowing our history, our previous lives. God is very fair, God does not make us happy for no reason, and God does not make us suffer for no reason. Based on our Karmic actions, some people are happy because they have good Karma and are now facing good reactions to their good actions taken in their past. Some people suffer because they have bad Karma and are now facing bad reactions to their bad actions taken in their past.
A person is born again and again to reap the fruits of his or her own actions. This cycle of birth and death continues until the person attains moksha or freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Moksha can only be achieved through Krishna consciousness.
Sanatan Dharma is the only religion, which preaches the reincarnation and Karma theories. There is scientific evidence to prove the reincarnation and Karma theories.
“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. As the embodied soul continuously passes, in the body from childhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” Lord Krishna (Bg. 2.12-13)
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” Lord Krishna (Bg. 2.22)
“When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages. When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.” Lord Krishna (Bg. 14.14-15)
Forensic evidence of reincarnation.
Is there a scientific basis for reincarnation? Indian forensic scientist Vikram Raj Singh Chauhan is trying to prove reincarnation is real. He has presented his findings at the National Conference of Forensic Scientists in India.
Chauhan has discovered a six-year-old boy named Taranjijt Singh who says he remembers his previous life. According to his parents, he’s been talking about this since he was two years old and used to run away from home. The boy knew the village he lived in during his former life, as well as his and his father’s names. He knew the name of the school he attended as well. On September 10, 1992, he was riding his bike home when he was hit by a motor scooter. He received head injuries and died the next day.
His present father, Ranjit Singh, says as the boy became more and more insistent, so he and his wife went to the village where he claimed to have lived in the past. At first, they couldn’t find anyone who resembled the descriptions of his former parents. Then someone told him to go to another nearby village, where they met a teacher at the local school who confirmed the story of the motor scooter accident. They found out where the boy had lived and went there to meet the parents.
When they told the family their story, Ranjit Singh mentioned that his son claimed the books he was carrying when the accident occurred had gotten blood on them. He also described how much money he had in his wallet. When the woman heard this, she began to cry and said she had saved the blood-stain books and the money in memory of her dead child. Taranjit Singh’s parents and siblings from his former life soon came to his new home to meet him. The boy recognized a wedding picture his former parents brought with him.
At first, Vikram Chauhan refused to believe this story but he eventually became curious and decided to investigate. He visited both villages and found the boy and both sets of parents repeated the same story. He spoke to a shopkeeper who told him that the boy had owed him the money that was in his wallet when he was hit, and was probably bringing it to him to pay for a notebook he’d gotten on credit.
Chauhan took samples of both boys’ handwriting and compared them. He found they were identical. It’s a basic tenet of forensic science that no two handwriting styles can be identical, because each person’s handwriting has specific characteristics. Experts can usually spot even expertly forged handwriting. A person’s handwriting style is dictated by individual personality traits. Chauhan’s theory is that if the soul is transferred from one person to another, then the mind – and thus the handwriting – will remain the same. A number of other forensic experts examined the handwriting samples and agreed they were identical.
“I have some scientific basis to claim rebirth is possible”, says Chauhan, “but I wish to do more research on the subject and am closely monitoring the development of the child.” Singh’s former parents wanted him to move back with them, but his current family still claims him, even though they are poor. Chauhan says, “In his present birth, Taranjit has never gone to school as he belongs to a poor family, but yet when I told him to write the English and Punjabi alphabet, he wrote them correctly.”
The above is just one of thousands of cases on reincarnation.
Why is life up and down?
One day we are really happy, another day we are really upset. Why? Why aren’t we happy all the time or sad all the time?
The answer is ‘Due to the Law of Karma’.
When we are happy, we are reaping the benefits of our good actions, which we took in the past. When we suffer, we are being punished for the bad actions, which we took in the past. It’s common sense really. You get what you deserve. No one is happy all the time or sad all the time, because everyone takes some good actions and some bad actions every day, the result of our good and bad actions will be happiness and suffering in the future which will be in proportion to our actions. Thus life is full of ups and downs.
Death is just around the corner.
“One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again.”(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.27)
But for some reason, you are unwilling to accept this fact?
We may think that while death may come to others, we will some how continue to live forever. We will hear about others dying, but it never comes to our mind that we could be next. The whole situation is like that of a slaughterhouse where one animal is being slaughtered and another one is busy munching grass and doesn’t realize that it will be next. This is ignorance.
“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one, who attains to my abode, O son of Kunté, never takes birth again.”(Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.16)
Material life is full of calamities. The less intelligent persons try to adjust to those calamities, as they have no information on the abode of the Lord, which is full of bliss and without a trace of calamity. The intelligent persons try to give up attachment for this material world.
We may think that our life is very comfortable as we have money, big house, nice cars, beautiful partner etc.. But what is the value of this so-called comfortable life, if one day we are going to lose everything and be slaughtered by nature? What to speak of our next life, which may be in the animal kingdom?
The animals in the slaughterhouse live very comfortably, but they are only waiting to be hacked to death. The same goes for us too.
The animals cannot escape the wrath of the butcher, and we cannot escape the wrath of nature. But we have a choice of either going through the whole drama of material life (birth, old age, disease, death) again, again, and again, or become free from material life (no death, no marital problems, no taxes, no disease, no poverty, no wars, no terrorism, no anxiety and so on).
The souls in the plants and animals are on a fixed cycle of transmigration from one body to the next in the plant and animal kingdoms. They will have to go through 8 million births before they get a human birth.
The humans have been through the 8 million births in the plant and animal kingdoms. But if a human being misuses or fails to utilize the higher consciousness, then he (the soul) will once again have to go through the 8 millions births in the plant and animal kingdoms. Only a complete fool would waste this rare human birth.
Only by engaging in Bhakti Yoga (devotional service onto Lord Krishna) can a human being become free from material life and go to the kingdom of God, called Goluka Vrindavan, the abode of Lord Krishna. Where there is no old age, no disease, no taxes, no wars, no terrorism, no depression.
Where we will be in 50 years time is a serious thought to consider now, because we won’t be here.
Is there life after death?
What will happen to me after death?
The non-Vedic religions preach that this is the only life and after this life, we wait in our grave for the day of judgment and on that day we are either sent to hell or heaven forever. This means that for the sinners there is no second chance, as they will go to hell forever. They also preach that those who don’t follow their religion will go to hell forever.
This philosophy raises some serious questions:
- What happens to those who die in fires? Are they gone forever through no fault of their own?
- What happens to those who are cremated? Are they gone forever?
- If this is the only life, then why is everyone born in different conditions? Some are born rich, some poor, some healthy, some diseased, some die at an early age, some live longer, some suffer more than others, and so on.
- Out of the billions who have been dead and buried, has anyone risen (resurrected) from their grave yet?
- When will the dead rise from their grave (be resurrected)?
The good news is that there is a religion, which preaches that God is merciful to all and thus know-one, is sent to hell forever. Everyone gets not one but unlimited chances.
According to the Vedic scriptures, the oldest known to mankind. There is hell, heaven, and something beyond them, the spiritual universe called Vaikuntha. Hell and heaven are temporary but the spiritual universe is permanent.
What happens to the sinners?
After this life the sinners will take birth on one of the hellish planets and after their punishment is over they will again return to this or other Earthly planets in a suitable body (human or animal) and conditions of life (rich, poor, diseased, healthy etc..).
What happens to the good?
After this life the pious will take birth on one of the heavenly planets and when their pious credit is over, they will again return to this or other Earthly planets in a suitable body (human) and conditions of life (rich, poor, diseased, healthy etc..).
What happens to those who are very good?
After this life those who are God conscious will take birth in the spiritual universe, Vaikuntha, and will never return to the material world unless they really want to. There is no death, no disease, no anxiety, no taxes, no killing (no meat), no sex, no speculation, and no intoxications in the spiritual universe.
We are not this Body
The main teaching of the Bhagavad-Gita is that we are not this body, but the soul, which is eternal.
“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.20)
Living beings are souls covered in a particular material body. Being material, the body is by nature temporary, and must at some point deteriorate and die. The soul on the other hand is spiritual in nature, which can never be destroyed. Material life is temporary, full of ignorance, and suffering. The soul is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.
What goes up will come down. Similarly, anything that has a beginning will also have an end. Thus the body, which has a beginning, will inevitably have an end, but the soul, which has no beginning, will continue to exist after the body is slain.
“One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.27)
Lord Krishna describes death in the Bhagavad-Gita as being nothing more than a change of dress:
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.22)
This body is nothing but a vehicle, and the soul is the passenger. When this vehicle is no longer suitable for the soul, due to old age and decay, the soul is given a new vehicle. Thus death is simply the transition from one vehicle to the next.
“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 2.13)
What determines the next body that one will get after this body?
Lord Krishna answers this question as follows:
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.6)
According to our consciousness at the time of death we receive a suitable body. What we remember at the time of death is not just a matter of the momentary thought that occurs. What we have done throughout our entire life will naturally come to our mind as we leave our body. Just prior to death, our entire life is flashed before our mind’s eye in a split second. One particular event will be very attractive to us, and we will focus on that. Based on that desire we will be given our next body, sometimes higher and sometimes lower.
If our mind focuses on an activity, which is very ignorant, we will receive a suitable body among the lower species of life – as a plant, a fish, a tree, or an animal.
If our mind focuses on an activity, which is passionate, we will be given a body within the human categories of life.
If our mind focuses on an activity, which is primarily within the mode of goodness, we will receive a body on one of the higher planets – Brahmaloka, Indraloka etc.
At death our mind will focus on an activity based on how we have lived our entire life. It is not possible to suddenly make our consciousness pure if we have spent our entire life engaged in sinful activities.
Lord Krishna describes this entire universe as temporary and full of suffering. No matter which body one has, these two qualities are there. But there is an alternative, a solution to this seemingly endless cycle. Lord Krishna says:
“And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.5)
If we are able to remember Lord Krishna at the time of death, we will become free from the external covering of the body and attain His eternal abode. This sounds very simple, but again it is not such an easy thing. Death is the ultimate test we must all face. What will be our consciousness at that moment? For those who are attached to the body due to identifying the body as the self, death is the most difficult occurrence.
For a self-realized person the situation is completely different. He understands he is not the body. He knows the body is just a vehicle, a machine, and as such he has no attachment to the external body. And because his consciousness is always fixed on the Lord, his destination is complete freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 8.15)
“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 15.6)
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 18.65)
Is There Any Evidence of Reincarnation?
There is over whelming evidence to support the reincarnation theory. Millions of humans around the world have had past life memories. There are numerous books and video documentaries with supporting evidence.
Description of life on the hellish planets.
What exactly is hell? The Vedic scriptures describe hell as planets where the sinners are taken after this life for their punishment.
The following are statements from the Srimad Bhagavatam canto 5.
There are thousands of hellish planets. Here are the names and details of life on some of these hellish planets. Each planet is meant for punishing the humans according to their sins.
What Punishment Awaits Animal Killers?
In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. After death, such a person is taken to hell by Yamarāja. And those living entities that were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. This hell is called Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake.
Punishment in the hell called Mahāraurava is compulsory for a person who maintains his own body by hurting others. In this hell, ruru animals known as kravyāda torment him and eat his flesh.
For the maintenance of their bodies and the satisfaction of their tongues, cruel persons cook poor animals and birds alive. Such persons are condemned even by man-eaters. In their next lives they are carried by the Yamadūtas to the hell known as Kumbhīpāka, where they are cooked in boiling oil.
If a human being kills or torments insignificant creatures. The Supreme Lord punishes such a person by putting him into the hell known as Andhakūpa, where he is attacked by all the birds and beasts, reptiles, mosquitoes, lice, worms, flies, and any other creatures he tormented during his life. They attack him from all sides, robbing him of the pleasure of sleep. Unable to rest, he constantly wanders about in the darkness. Thus in Andhakūpa his suffering is just like that of a creature in the lower species.
Those who hunt and kill animals unnecessarily, he is placed after death into the hell known as Prāṇarodha. There the assistants of Yamarāja make him their targets and pierce him with arrows.
What Is The Punishment For Sex Outside of Marriage?
A man or woman who indulges in sexual intercourse with an unworthy member of the opposite sex is punished after death by the assistants of Yamarāja in the hell known as Taptasūrmi. There such men and women are beaten with whips. The man is forced to embrace a red-hot iron form of a woman, and the woman is forced to embrace a similar form of a man. Such is the punishment for illicit sex.
What is the Punishment For Thieves?
A person who appropriates another’s legitimate wife, children or money is arrested at the time of death by the fierce Yamadūtas, who bind him with the rope of time and forcibly throw him into the hellish planet known as Tamisra. On this very dark planet, the sinful person is chastised by the Yamadūtas, who beat and rebuke him. He is starved, and he is given no water to drink. Thus the wrathful assistants of Yamarāja cause him severe suffering, and sometimes he faints from their chastisement.
What Punishment Awaits The Misers and Those Who Are Not Charitable?
A person is considered no better than a crow if after receiving some food, he does not divide it among guests, old men and children, but simply eats it himself, or if he eats it without performing the five kinds of sacrifice. After death he is put into the most abominable hell, known as Kṛmibhojana. In that hell is a lake 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles] wide and filled with worms. He becomes a worm in that lake and feeds on the other worms there, who also feed on him. Unless he atones for his actions before his death, such a sinful man remains in the hellish lake of Kṛmibhojana for as many years as there are yojanas in the width of the lake (thus 800,000 years).
What Punishment Awaits Those Who Lie?
A person who in this life bears false witness or lies while transacting business or giving charity is severely punished after death by the agents of Yamarāja. Such a sinful man is taken to the top of a mountain eight hundred miles high and thrown headfirst into the hell known as Avīcimat. This hell has no shelter and is made of strong stone resembling the waves of water. There is no water there, however, and thus it is called Avīcimat[waterless]. Although the sinful man is repeatedly thrown from the mountain and his body broken to tiny pieces, he still does not die but continuously suffers chastisement.
What Punishment Awaits Those Who Are Not Friendly or Compassionate?
A householder who receives guests or visitors with cruel glances, as if to burn them to ashes, is put into the hell called Paryāvartana, where he is gazed at by hard-eyed vultures, herons, crows and similar birds, which suddenly swoop down and pluck out his eyes with great force.
What is Karma?
Do you have the answers to the following questions?
- Why are some born healthy and some with severe health problems?
- Why do some people suffer more than others?
- Why do some people live a good life and some a miserable one?
- Why is life full of ups and downs? One day we are happy, another day we are sad
- Why do some people die from diseases like cancer and some naturally?
- Why are some people born more fortunate than others?
- Why is there a difference between each person’s lives?
- Why do some children suffer from birth and die at very young age?
Sanatan Dharma is the only religion which can answer all of the above questions, and with complete satisfaction.
A Christian woman went to a Christian preacher and asked him why her young son had died at a young age. The Christian preacher could not give her an answer. She found the answer to her satisfaction in the Bhagavad-Gita.
The answers to all the above questions is:
The Law of Karma
For every action you take there will be a reaction in the future. This is the law of Karma.
Whatever activity we do, good or bad, brings us good or bad reactions. For every action you take, you will face a reaction in the future, which could be a few seconds away or 20 years away or your next incarnation. If you take good actions, you will face good reactions. This may come in the form of good health, wealth or birth on higher planets etc. If you take bad actions, you will face bad reactions in the future. The bad reactions may come in the form of disease, poverty or birth on one of the hellish planets etc.
When we suffer, we are facing the bad reactions to our bad actions taken in the past.
Our actions include everything we do, including our physical deeds, our words and thoughts. There will be a reaction to all our actions.
Taking good actions builds our good karma (joy and happiness in the future).
Taking bad actions builds our bad karma (disease and suffering in the future).
Actions, which result in bad Karma: Eating meat, violence, ignorance, harshness, untruthfulness, lust, anger, greed, attachments, desires, gambling, ego, and alcohol.
Actions, which build good Karma: Vegetarianism, non-violence, generosity, charity, self-control, truthfulness, simplicity, forgiveness, religiousness, and cleanliness. Free from attachments, desires and ego.
Your destiny is in your own hands. You are held responsible for all your actions.
The reason why some people suffer more than others is that they sinned more than others in their past and thus they are now facing the bad reactions to the bad actions taken in their past.
The reason why some good people suffer all their life is because although they are now good. They still suffer because they are now facing the bad reactions to the bad actions taken in their previous lives. But because they are now taking good actions they will face good reactions (be happy) in their next life.
The reason why some really rotten people enjoy a good life despite being rotten, is that they are now facing the good reactions to the good actions they took in their previous lives. However, because they are taking bad actions now (being rotten), they will face bad reactions in the future (suffer).
God does not make one happy for no reason nor does God make one suffer for no reason. Karma is a very just law.
If a person takes good actions in life and thus builds good karma, he or she will be born into a better life in the next incarnation. A sinner who leads an immoral life may be born as a poor person or as an animal in the next incarnation. A person is born again and again to reap the fruits of his or her own actions. This cycle of birth and death continues until the person attains moksha or freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Moksha can be achieved through Krishna consciousness.
Karma and the Human Law and Order System.
Why do we have the police, judges, courts and jails? We have a system of Law and Order in each and every country, which makes us responsible for our actions. If we break the Law, we are arrested, taken to court and the Judge decides on the punishment we receive, which will be in proportion to the crime committed, then sent to jail, punishment for our crimes.
Without the Law and Order system that we have, without the police enforcing the law, life would be pure hell. People would go round killing, looting, stealing, raping and vandalizing property. Simply because people, would not be held responsible for their actions.
Without the Law and Order system there would be no peace and justice in the world.
We have the human Law and Order System in every country and the citizens of each country are held responsible for the actions they take; those who break the law are punished.
Just as we have the Human Law and Order system. God has a Law and Order system, the Law of Karma. We are held responsible for all our actions. The differences between the human system and God’s system are:
- With Karma, we are responsible for all our actions, including words and thoughts.
- With Karma, there is no escape; you will face reactions to each and every action you take in the future, that is guaranteed. With the human system, some people do get away with murder and other crimes.
- With Karma, we are punished for our bad actions and rewarded for good actions, in the human system we are punished if we are caught breaking the law, but we are not rewarded for abiding by the laws.
If you accept that we cannot live peacefully and be treated fairly without the human system of Law and Order, then you must accept that God also has a Law and Order system, the Law of Karma.
Sanatan Dharma is the only religion, which preaches the Law of Karma as this knowledge comes from God and man.
What is right and what is wrong?
- Killing is wrong, humans or animals. Thus no meat eating, no eggs, no leather goods like sofa, car seats etc. Leather is made from cows.
- Sex before marriage is wrong, sex outside marriage is wrong.
- Taking intoxications is wrong. Thus no drugs, no alcohol, and no smoking.
- Gambling is wrong. This means no betting on horses. No playing cards/games for money.
- Having disrespect for others is wrong. Everyone (regardless of religion, color, fat, thin, good looking, ugly looking, old etc.) should be greatly respected. The eldest should be given the greatest respect.
- Not being compassionate is wrong. Being compassionate is one of the most important human qualities. The first chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita is all about how compassionate Arjuna was to even those who wanted to kill him. Lord Krishna only gives divine knowledge (BG) to such compassionate people.
- Not being considerate of others is wrong. One should always be considerate of others at all times. Always consider the welfare, well-being, and safety of others before yours.
- Not being charitable is wrong. One should give a portion of all income in charity to competent temples and the poor on a regular basis (whenever the income is received). Giving charity to unworthy people or to in-competent temples is a waste.
Competent temples are those that give knowledge (preach) on a daily or weekly basis and have qualified Brahmans who are based on qualifications and not because of birth. The Bhagavad-Gita clearly states that one can only become a Brahman by qualifications and not by birth.
In-competent temples are those that give no knowledge (no preaching) and have Brahmans who are based on birth and not qualifications. (Reference ‘Courtesy of Bhagavad-Gita.ws’).
The Divine Qualities
- Non-violence
- Truthfulness
- Simplicity
- Charity
- Self-control
- Austerity
- Cleanliness
- Forgivenes
The Demonic Qualities
- Violence
- Untruthful
- Materialism
- Pride
- Arrogance
- Conceit
- Lust
- Anger
- Greed
- Harshness
- Ignorance
- Ego
Hare Krishna
