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Cycle of Rebirth

The cycle of rebirth or reincarnation is a concept that is central to Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and other Indian religions. The Sanskrit term for this process is samsara, which means “wandering.” Other cognate phrases include the “transmigration of the soul” and “the cycle of successive existence;” it is also called “the karmic cycle.” The notion of the cycle of rebirth was fundamental to ancient Greek philosophy, such as the philosophy of Plato and Pythagoras. It is premised on the understanding that death is not the final end—it signals the end of that particular life—but the end of one life leads to the beginning of another life. Death is a moment in the cycle of change. Life is construed as a series of rebirths that occur cyclically.

There are a number of overlapping ideas in Buddhism and Hinduism but also some notable differences. There are two fundamental differences that separate orthodox Hinduism and Buddhism. First, Hinduism believes in the idea of a single divine eternal reality, which is termed Brahman. Gods and goddesses in the Hindu tradition are manifestations of this eternal Brahman. Buddhism rejects the idea of an eternal God. It is a God-less religion and believes only in the eternal flow and flux of life in which everything is connected. The second main difference is that Hindus believe in the notion of an immortal soul, which leaves the body on physical death only to enter a new body in a new life. This soul, known as the atman, defines the self of the person. The cycle of rebirth then consists of the continuity of the soul migrating from body to body in each new life. Buddhism rejects the notion of the soul and with it the duality of a soul entering a body. Nothing is real or permanent in Buddhism except the endless cycle of existence.

Hinduism

The process of rebirth or reincarnation in Hinduism involves every living being undergoing an indefinite or an indeterminate series of existences that cease when the individual atman becomes indistinguishable from Brahman (eternal reality). The factor that determines the course of the next life is karma, which means “deeds or actions.” According to the law of karma, one's actions in this life will have future consequences in the next life. This is one of the justifications for the caste system: Social status is determined by karmic deeds carried forward. The pain and suffering that one endures in one's life is not regarded as divinely ordained but is the result of one's karma in a previous life. Karma is used to explain the inequalities that exist between people's lives. It is a form of cosmic justice.

Reincarnation in Hinduism concerns the journey of the soul. When a person dies, it is just the physical body that perishes. The soul is immortal and indestructible and separates itself from the body. The Rig Veda describes how after death the soul of the dead is carried up to Agni, the God of fire, where it joins the souls of the ancestors. The amount of time that the soul spends with the other souls varies, and the soul continues its journey by entering a womb, ready to start a new life in the earthly realm. The following extract from the Bhagavad Gita conveys this idea: “Worn-out garments are shed by the body; wornout bodies are shed by the dweller within the body. New bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments” (2.22). One continues in different lives until the attainment of moksha, which means “liberation.” This happens when one overcomes ignorance (avidya), which is the state of those who cannot make a distinction between the limitations of earthly life and the ultimate reality. On achieving moksha, one experiences an identification of the individual self or soul with eternal reality. Hinduism offers many paths that you can take to break samsara. You can adhere to the duties of your caste, devote your life to your god or goddess, or renounce life and choose the path of the hermit. Moksha is the union of the individual soul with eternal reality, Brahman-Atman, and is the state of bliss.

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