The Reality of Reincarnation

The whole question rests on whether the soul exists or not. This obviously cannot be decided either by the theologian or by the material scientist who assume that matter as the sole reality without undertaking what it takes to search for the soul. The persons truly qualified to speak about it are the Yogis and mystics. Though one can rationally argue about the existence of the soul based on indirect evidence, the real proof of the pudding is in eating it.

Well, mystic experience the world over does affirm that there is a greater and deeper Reality than what our mind and senses can normally perceive. Most confirm that this reality has an individual element to it which is called as the Soul and which survives the death of the body. This is now being increasingly recognised by modern science as well through the records of Near Death and Out of Body experience as well as through Past Life Regression as well as Past Life memories. Leaving aside the nitty gritty of these claims and counter claims there is a growing acceptance that something does survive the destruction of the physical frame.

Once we admit this then the question naturally arises what is its purpose, if any. The soul taking birth in a field of ignorance cannot be merely to subject it to a crude mathematical tribunal of justice for reward and punishment. Nor does it make sense to give it a single random life chosen by some arbitrary Creator to be redeemed or condemned to an eternal damnation. These things are obvious fancies of later followers of a Religion who built a whole belief system when the Yoga was lost. These belief systems served political purposes by converting the natives to the aggressor’s beliefs so as to avoid later revolt. We see this belief in a single life given to the soul in Semitic religions where the Yoga was lost soon after the Founder. But in India, because of the evolutionary nature of Sanatana Dharma the Yoga was always preserved and an inner spiritual continuity and the many-sided branching out of the spiritual aspiration maintained by lineages of Masters, Guru’s, Yogis, Saints and Avatars who repeatedly affirmed the presence of the Soul as well as in reincarnation. All Sanatana – based spiritual lines – Vedanta, Tantra, Sikhism, even Buddhism and Jainism – speak of reincarnation as real. The purpose attributed may vary, the understanding may differ slightly based on the angle of vision but the fact of the Soul and its reincarnation is an accepted fact. Surely it is a myth for those who have never tried to look beyond the tip of their nose or who have limited beliefs about creation. But the existence of the soul and the truth of reincarnation is not a question of believing or not believing. It is a science in its own right and all who undertake the journey do arrive at its doors and if they dare and persevere, find it.

Logically too if the purpose of the soul is to recover its divine status from where it fell, then rebirth becomes a logical necessity to ensure continuity of an evolving spiritual seed in us that must arrive at its divine fullness. For more details it is best to read that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have written on the subject.