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..?
Thankyou in advance
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..?
Thankyou in advance