How Many Lives Have You Lived?
By “Awake!” correspondent in India
PULLING aside his cotton garment, the Indian householder exposed a leg very badly disfigured in an advanced stage of elephantiasis. He then pointed to his leg, saying: “This is my karma from my previous life.”
By those words, the man revealed the popular belief among Hindus that their present life is a mere link in a long succession of rebirths. They believe that their present lot in life is the harvest of what they sowed in previous lives and that they are now sowing what they will reap in a future rebirth.
A Widespread Belief
The belief in reincarnation, however, is by no means limited to India. It exists “in almost all regions of the world,” wrote Hindu leader S. Radhakrishnan. Throughout the world—in Africa, Asia, North and South America, islands of the Pacific, and Europe—people believe that human souls migrate into sharks, alligators, tigers, bear cats, weasels, mice, and even insects such as wasps and dung beetles! Neither is reincarnation limited to animal forms. Barren women in Africa and India invoke trees believed to be inhabited by souls of the dead. Similar customs also existed in ancient Europe.
But how did belief in reincarnation, or transmigration of the soul, get started? Why do people believe in it? And how has this teaching affected people’s lives?
Identifying the Source
If the human soul were to migrate from one life form to another, it would need to be deathless. Thus, the theory of reincarnation is based on the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and its origin must be traced only to those peoples or nations that held such a belief. On this basis, some think that it originated in ancient Egypt. Others, however, hold that it got started in old Babylonia, where history’s first mystery religion began. To create prestige for its dubious religion, the Babylonian priesthood advanced the doctrine of transmigration of the soul. They could thus claim that their religious heroes were reincarnations of notable, though long dead, ancestors.
It was in India, however, that the belief came to full flower. The Hindu gurus were grappling with the universal problems of evil and of suffering among humans. ‘How can these be harmonized with the concept of a righteous Creator?’ they would ask. They tried to resolve the conflict between God’s righteousness with the unforeseen calamities and inequalities in the world. The result was their “law of karma”—the law of cause and effect. They worked out a detailed ‘balance sheet’ whereby merits and demerits in one life are rewarded or punished in the next.
“Karma” simply means “action.” A Hindu is said to have “good karma” if he conforms to social and religious norms, or “bad karma” if he does not. His action, or “karma,” would determine his future in each successive rebirth. The ultimate goal, however, is to be liberated from this cycle of transmigration and be united with the Universal Spirit. This, it is believed, is achieved by striving for socially acceptable behavior and special Hindu knowledge.
Fruitage of Reincarnation
The philosophy of life of one who believes in reincarnation is typified by the observation of Indian philosopher S. N. Dasgupta: “An action in this life cannot ordinarily be expected to ward off any of the evils of this life which one is predestined to undergo in accordance with the karma of a previous birth.” The result is a fatalistic outlook on life in general and on social evils and injustices in particular.
The law of karma has also helped to preserve the caste system of Hindu society. How so? Since this belief teaches that one’s present station in life is the result of one’s karma, or action, in previous existences, it is considered unchangeable in the present life. But Swami Nikhilananda explains: “By discharging the duties determined by his caste, a man becomes qualified for birth in a higher caste in a future life.” Therefore an individual belonging to a lower caste is fearful of rebelling against the rules and customs of his caste. Additionally, there is fear of punishment and ostracism, since anyone breaking or transgressing any of the rules and customs of his social class may be punished or even be disowned by his kinsmen. Due to such fears, millions are locked into the poverty-stricken class of “untouchables,” or outcasts, with no civil rights or privileges. While efforts of modern legislators have met with some success in limiting mistreatment of the so-called untouchables, deeply entrenched religious customs die hard in such a tradition-bound society.
Reincarnation—Is It Credible?
But why are there suffering and inequalities among humans? Is reincarnation the only explanation or even a credible one? Consider the man with elephantiasis mentioned at the beginning. Because he had no knowledge of the cause of this disease, he thought that his suffering was due to his karma. But if he did not happen to live in an area infested with mosquitoes that can infect people with elephantiasis, or if he knew something about the mosquitoes and had taken preventive measures, would he not have been spared the dreadful disease? So his suffering is due, not to his karma, but to “time and unforeseen occurrence.”—Ecclesiastes 9:11.
In recent times Mohandas Gandhi and other leaders tried to counter the effects of the karma-rebirth idea by declaring: “Untouchability is a crime against God and man.” The efforts of Gandhi and other like-minded persons brought a measure of improvement to the lives of the “untouchables.” Does this not show that life as an “untouchable” is not due to one’s karma and thus unchangeable? Really, it shows that such an oppressive way of life is the result of an inherited social system that can be improved or even changed. Thus, the fate of a baby “untouchable” is really man-made, not divinely ordained.
What about the greed and corruption in the commercial world? An unscrupulous businessman chooses to bribe or to blackmail. But does he have to do it? Is not his lawlessness the result of wrong use of his free will? So the idea of “karma-rebirth” is not needed to explain why humans suffer. Reasoning people discern that accidents, heredity, and misuse of free will are logical causes of many of life’s evils and inequalities.—Romans 5:12; Ecclesiastes 7:29.
Reincarnation—Is It True?
The doctrine of reincarnation has as its foundation the belief in the immortality of the soul. If earthly souls are not immortal, then the rebirth theory drops in ruins. But where can we turn for accurate knowledge on this issue? While nearly all the major religious writings teach the immortality of the soul in one form or another, the Bible does not.
Regarding what the human soul is, the Bible says: “Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) Thus man—the living, breathing being—is a soul. He does not have one, separate and distinct within him, ready to leave the body at death.
As to what happens at death, Genesis 3:19 tells us: “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” Hence, at death humans “return,” not to a new life or a rebirth, but “to dust.” The Bible clearly teaches that the human soul dies. It does not transmigrate. “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die,” the Bible emphatically states.—Ezekiel 18:4, 20.
Hope for the Dead
Since the soul dies, what hope is there for the dead? Rather than leaving sinful humans to work out their own destiny by undergoing countless rebirths, filled with suffering and pain, the Bible answers: “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts 24:15.
In his infinite wisdom and love, the Creator remembers the life pattern of dead ones. He does not do this as a basis to judge and punish them, as the law of karma would have us believe. Rather, he does so in order to resurrect people, bringing them back from the dead with the same personalities and characteristics that they had before they died. Those who are resurrected to life on earth will then be judged on the basis of their life course after their resurrection. Then, as humans, they will have the prospect of life again—in a restored earthly paradise, concerning which the Bible assures us: “Death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4.
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Gandhi declared: “Untouchability is a crime against God and man”
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What did this man do to deserve this?