Reincarnation

Peace · #1 (**permalink**) 22-Aug-2006, 17:27 PM

Hi, I hope you're all well..

I am not a sikh, but am interested in learning more about sikhism.. I have a few questions regarding the concept of reincarnation, I'm hoping some of you would be kind enough to answer them for me.

Before I begin, I must apologise for my questioning style. It may come across as a little disputatious/argumentative, but it is not so. I hope none of you will take any offence.

1) From the little/basic knowledge I have about it, reincarnation is a continuous cycle of rebirth into different creatures (and plants?) based on karma and deeds of one's previous life. So do Hindus, Buddhist, Sikhs (and others who believe in reincarnation) therefore believe that animals have the intelligence to distinguish between good and bad? and have the ability to carry out good and bad deeds? and the power to think rationally? And have morals and principles?

From my own personal beliefs, animals don't have that ability, so I wonder.. how then does an animal elevate to a higher social being (ie: a human) in their 'next lives' if they cannot physically prove themsleves to be worthy?

2) How come we don't remember our 'previous lives'? Doesn't that then defeat the whole point of reincarnation? What's the point of being punished/rewarded if we don't know that we are being punished/rewarded?

3) What exactly is a soul? To my understanding, the soul is some kind of spiritual/immaterial entity, which has a consciousness of some sort.. and therefore emotion, thought, and personality. It essentially makes up our personalities, right? So it is intelligent? Why then, if animals take on human spirits, aren't those animals intelligent?

Because yeah perhaps animals do have souls.. but their souls are not as intelligent as human souls.. and when an animal takes on the soul of a human, surely then they're taking on intellectual characteristics of humans..?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/14163-reincarnation.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14163

Thankyou in advance

drkhalsa · #2 (**permalink**) 22-Aug-2006, 22:59 PM

Dear Peace

Welcome to this forum

You are asking About reincarnation and also you have some preformed ideas about it

I will try to explain With the understanding I have as per God /Allah's will.

Reincarnation is is contues cycle of change and it goes on all the time in all the ,matterof the cosmos starting from energy to Matter everything changes form with the time and the same materials are taken up by other forms .The most common expresion is frm Physics law of energy that it cant be created or destroyed but changes form and infact it applies to everything .

Quote:

herefore believe that animals have the intelligence to distinguish between good and bad? and have the ability to carry out good and bad deeds? and the power to think rationally? And have morals and principles?

I Sikhism the only Doer in the Cosmos is GOD / AKAL ? ALLAH Itself no body else is doer whether the doing is being done by Animal or plant or human

In Holy Quran it says like this

YOU WILL NOT WILL UNLESS GOD WILLS ( 76:39)

GOD HAS CREATED YOU AND WHAT YOU DO ( 37: 96)

The whole Cosmos is same in essense or you can call it as Counciousness that prevades each and every atom of universe whether it is part of animal plant or human .So what is special about Human for then? It is the only form in which this universal counciousness expresses its most beautifully in Enlightened Human Being and also denotes the Peak destination.

So there is no question of why , how as Counciousness/Allah /God does as it wills changing form at its own will.

Jatinder Singh

kds1980 · #3 (**permalink**) 23-Aug-2006, 00:04 AM

Quote:

2) How come we don't remember our 'previous lives'? Doesn't that then defeat the whole point of reincarnation? What's the point of being punished/rewarded if we don't know that we are being punished/rewarded?

could you please tell me what exactly you were doing 3years 5 months 4 days ago.even in this life we forgot many things.

vijaydeep Singh · #4 (**permalink**) 23-Aug-2006, 21:05 PM

Gurfateh

Das can say one thing over here.

Even what our body composes get recylced.

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14163
Say Carbon and nitrojen content of Das's finger typeing on the keyborad could be at one point of time was part of Body of say Salahudeen,the great.

Some worm ate his body in grave,That worm died,decomposed,Carbon went into wheat andn itrojen also went by decay.Das ate that and nonw that is part of das's body.

Body,Sprit and Soul all are God.Rebirth is by will of God and not be deeds of any as all deeds are governed by God.If God wants we rembered from the time our spirit was made and when it will merge back to soul,which is God only.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14163

There only one God and that is soul,Then with Mind and soul in that we have micro body or spirit,which in turns may or may not live in body.but all is composed of god so truth is God and rest is relaitive.

Anoop · #5 (**permalink**) 24-Aug-2006, 17:18 PM

so, basically life is god exploring god self..and only god exists