What is Reincarnation Anyway?
- Samantha Oliver
- Apr 6
- 3 min read
At its most basic, reincarnation is the belief and concept that at the point of death, our soul (or whichever term you prefer to use in lieu of "soul"; our awareness, if you will) continues to exist independently of our body. Instead of dying with the body, reincarnation argues instead that our awareness simply continues in another body. Depending on your belief system, this may be a body and life of your choosing; one may be chosen for you based on your actions in your previous life; or maybe a combination of the two.
Reincarnation as a belief is central to many Eastern traditions. In Buddhism, reincarnation is thought to be an endless process of rebirth. Unlike some other traditions, Buddhism does not consider this process of rebirth to be with the same continuing soul; it instead argues the concept of "Annata". Annata is the idea that whilst we do reincarnate, there is no permanent soul or awareness that travels through all of these lifetimes.
However, rather than arguing that the soul simply does not exist, Annata emphasises detachment from existence and recognising that all things are impermanent. The precise definition of Annata is still debated today amongst Buddhist scholars, with some (such as Richard Gombrich) arguing that the definition of Annata meaning "no soul" is a mis-translation. He argues that it instead means "is not Atman" ("Atman" being the term for a true immortal soul) and does not state that an eternal soul does not exist.
According to this argument (which is also made by Alexander Wynne) it simply means that the path to attaining enlightenment is not by searching for self-knowledge with the current self, as that is not the immortal self. In fact, Wynne argues that early Buddhist texts do not deny the existence of a self at all, arguing that the "five aggregates" (form, sensations, perceptions, mental activity, and consciousness) that are described as being the not-self do not describe human beings, but aspects of being human (i.e. what we experience in our lives and how we experience the world). Therefore, whilst most Buddhists today would likely argue that there is not a self (or soul) that continues through each life experience, there is debate around how accurate this may be.
Hinduism has a different view of reincarnation and the soul, and instead argues that there is a soul that is reincarnated in each lifetime. Hindus believe--much like Buddhists--that life and death is part of a grand cycle that continues on and on; a wheel of life, death, and rebirth. For Hindus, this cycle culminates in "Moksha", which is liberation from reincarnation and the end of the cycle of rebirth.
Hindus believe that the body is a temporary, whilst the soul is immortal. At death, the soul leaves this life and prepares to enter a new one, and takes the karma that it accumulated in life into the next life. This karma then dictates the circumstances of the next life.
Karma is the ethical mechanism of Hinduism, as it means that the actions that you undertake in life have a direct effect on the circumstances and "destiny" of your next life. Therefore, if you live a life of cruelty and are harmful to others, then--according to Hinduism--you will experience the same harm and cruelty in your next (or a future) life than if you had led a life of charity and kindness. In that regard, it is similar to the Christian notion of sin effecting whether you can get into heaven, except karma influences your next Earthly life, instead of a celestial one. Karma is not a divine punishment or reward, but a cause-and-effect of your actions in life. Having karma is not a bad thing; everyone has it.
Hindus believe that the soul does not reside in the physical body, but in an astral body in another realm called the "Devaloka" or "Second World". Therefore, when the physical body dies, the soul can continue to live on inside this astral body and can continue to grow. The process of death and rebirth is called "Samsara" and its purpose is to guide the soul towards maturation and "perfection", at which point it can leave the cycle of death and rebirth. This is the goal of Hinduism.
This article has only discussed two beliefs in reincarnation, but there are many more out there. Different religions and philosophies all have their own ideas about reincarnation, but with all of these different beliefs, reincarnation always boils down to the basic fact that it is the cycle of death and rebirth, and that it is something that we all experience.
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