REINCARNATION

Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life's actions. This doctrine is a central tenet of the Indian religions and is a belief that was held by such historic figures as Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates. It is also a common belief of pagan religions such as Druidism, Spiritism, Theosophy, and Eckankar and is found in many tribal societies around the world, in places such as Siberia, West Africa, North America, and Australia.

Although the majority of sects within the Abrahamic religions of Judaism,

Christianity and Islam do not believe that individuals reincarnate, particular groups

within these religions do refer to reincarnation; these groups include the

mainstream historical and contemporary followers of Kabbalah, the Cathars, and

the Shia sects such as the Alawi Shias and the Druze and the Rosicrucians.

The historical relations between these sects and the beliefs about reincarnation that were characteristic of Neoplatonism, Orphism, Hermeticism, Manicheanism and Gnosticism of the Roman era, as well as the Indian religions has been the subject

of recent scholarly research.

In recent decades, many Europeans and North Americans have developed an

interest in reincarnation. Contemporary films, books, and popular songs frequently

mention reincarnation. In the last decades, academic researchers have begun to explore reincarnation and

published reports of children's memories of earlier lives in peer-reviewed journals

and books. Skeptics are generally incredulous about this and any other

claims of life after death.

Patrick Olivelle asserts that the origin of the concept of the cycle of birth and

death, the concept of samsara, and the concept of liberation in the Indian

tradition, were in part the creation of the non-Vedic Shramana tradition. Another possibility are the prehistoric Dravidian traditions of South India. Some scholars suggest that the idea is original to the

Buddha.

In Jainism, the soul and matter are considered eternal, uncreated and perpetual. There is a constant interplay

between the two, resulting in bewildering cosmic manifestations in material, psychic and emotional

spheres around us. This led to the theories of transmigration and rebirth. Changes but not total

annihilation of spirit and matter is the basic postulate of Jain philosophy. The life as we know now, after death

therefore moves on to another form of life based on the merits and demerits it accumulated in its current life.

The path to becoming a supreme soul is to practice non-violence and be truthful.

In Hinduism, the holy book Rigveda, the oldest extant Indo-Aryan text, numerous

references are made to rebirths, although it portrays reincarnation as "redeaths" .

One verse reads "Each death repeats the death of the primordial man , which was

also the first sacrifice" (RV 10:90).

SHORT QUIZ1.Reincarnation isa) Life after the deathb) Life before being bornc) new life in a new body

2. Who claims that the origin of the concept of the cycle of birth and death, the concept of samsara, and the concept of liberation in the Indian tradition, were partially the creation of a non-Vedic tradition?a) Buddhab) Patrick Olivellec) Shramana

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation

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