reincarnation
Again, like karma, it is a word/sound to which we attach meaning. It either adds meaning to our lives or is of no consequence. Reincarnation is a yogic idea shared by many religions. It is the belief that we have lived previous lives in different times and what keeps us being incarnated is our karma that still has to be acted out, debts that we owe to other conscious beings.
Ever wondered how three siblings can turn out so differently while been brought up with the same parents? Or heard stories of children who have been able to identify families, toys and houses where they lived previously, with absolute conviction?
When we act we create karma which is either added to our warehouse of karma in the causal plane, or is added to our present life. We will always be reincarnated until the storehouse of karma (sanchita karma) is exhausted, which is quite a dilemma as we are constantly creating new karma every day. The mystics say that the only way to eliminate karma is through meditation, or acting without motivation from the ego, in other words, acting purely on behalf of the Divine, being selfless in all actions and not being swayed by the extremes of opposites.
Reincarnation can be glamourised into us thinking we were a shaman, priestess or king in a previous life. We love to explain our current lives, to give excuses for our actions in this life by imagining what previous lives could’ve been. But what would reality be like if we remembered everything that happened to us in thousands of incarnations, and how relatives, friends and lovers have shared so many different roles to each other. I think it is a blessing. The mystics say that previous incarnations are revealed in meditation only when we are ready to understand their implications.
So, why worry about reincarnation, be entertained by its philosophy, but always bring your awareness to the present moment and do the best you can with your present state of awareness. All the lessons you need to empower your self and to grow will come to you in divine timing.
