Karma and Rebirth

What is Karma?

The Buddha says: “Good begets good and bad begets bad. This is the law of the universe”. Karma (Pali: Kamma) is “Action”, that is, wholesome and unwholesome volition and their concomitant mental factors, causing rebirth and shaping the destiny of beings. Karma is a law in itself, operating in its own field without the intervention of any external, independent ruling agency. This law of Karma explains the problem of suffering, the mystery of fate and predestination of other religions, infant prodigies and, above all, the inequality of mankind. It refers to the fruits of action too. The action which will lead us to future retribution or reward in a current or future life time. Karma means that everything that we ourselves, di entirely, set into The Buddha ce past (cause) want to know thing that happens to us, without exception, we ourselves, directly or indirectly, partly or entirely, set into motion at some time in the past. The Buddha continues: “If you want to know the (cause), look at your present (effect). If you want to know the future (effect), look at your present (cause). The natural reward or retribution for a deed, brought about by the law of Karma".

What is Rebirth?

Literally, means re-linking, reunion, in short, the combination of the five aggregates namely, form, feeling, conception, impulse and consciousness is called birth. Form is the physical body and consciousness is the faculty of awareness. Form changes whereas consciousness transmigrates. Existence of these aggregates as a bundle is called life. Dissolution of these things is called death. And recombination of these aggregates is called rebirth. Rebirth means, becoming again and again. It happens spontaneously and naturally without the interference of gods or other powers. But generally speaking, rebirth is the concept of an individual dying and then reborn in to another body with some memories of the past.

What makes rebirth?

Rebirth (Skr. Patisandhi) is the result of Karma. It is Karma that conditions rebirth.Past Karma conditions the present birth, and present Karma in combination with past Karma conditions the future. The actuality of the present needs no proof as it is self-evident. That of the past is based on memory and report, and that of the future on forethought and inference. But (Patisandhi) is different from other views on this ground.

How does the Buddhist doctrine of Rebirth differ from other theories in this field?

This doctrine needs a more detailed explanation in its own right, which has been given in a book "Rebirth.” The doctrine of Rebirth, embodied in the Buddha's teaching, is fundamentally different from other views and interpretations, e.g. Christian agnostic, and materialistic interpretation. It is not the same as transmigration or reincarnation, which is the belief that a "soul”, created by God, return to earth in a new body of distinct entity. It is not the same as materialistic philosophy which refuses to accept of mental conditionality. Knowledge about Eternalism or Materialism can in no way help man to break the present fetters which bind him to existence and which are the sources of all his feelings of discontent which arise from his inability to completely satisfy his cravings. Patisandhi  is neither this nor that.

How do the West interpret this doctrine in its wholeness and how do the Buddhists support it?

In the West, the doctrine of Rebirth was blended with Theosophical theory and the modern idea of evolution. According to it, evolution is "God's Will” and man must obey it. They believe that one's place on the scale of evolution, once acquired, cannot be lost. The picture of an individual evolving towards perfection in an ever-ascending line proved very attractive, influencing some Western intellectuals, and also some European Buddhists, who assumed it impossible to fall back to a lower form of life, such as an animal. This concept, however destroys the notion of the cycle of rebirth, the ever-revolving wheel of life which is so essential to the Buddhist teaching of Rebirth. Indeed, from the Buddha's point of view, the Theosophical perspective may be detrimental to the minds of those striving towards enlightenment in the Buddhist doctrine. According to the Buddha's interpretation in Abhidhamma philosophy (higher teaching of the Buddha), there is no invariable evolution in a continuously upward direction. In the Wheel of Samsara, where there is no beginning or end, there are only ever-repeated ups and downs, except for those who take the definite path of deliverance.

How can we believe in rebirth?

It’s very easy. Some people can remember places, they've never visited, or know people they've never met, know songs they've never heard or even have skills and expertise not learned or practised. These often vivid experiences or memories can intrigue some people and encourage them to find out about the scientific and genuine doctrine of Rebirth, while others ignore them. The science of Rebirth is neither a philosophical debate for our intellectual entertainment, nor a phenomenon to provoke curiosity, but a means to observe our destiny and acquire self-knowledge. It is a wisdom not easily or cheaply obtained: it needs practise and belief. Those who wish to believe the doctrine of Rebirt embark upon an inner journey to illuminate the dark and hidden recesses of the mind. Austrian scientis Rudolf Steiner says: "Just as an age was once ready to receive the Copernican theory of the universe, so is our age ready for the ideas of reincarnation to be brought in to the general consciousness of humanity".

Moreover, children all over the world have described memories of previous lives. For more than forty years, researches have investigated their reports. More than 2,500 cases are registered in the files of the Division of Personality Studies at the University of Virginia. Some of the children have said they were deceased family members, and other described previous lives as strangers. In a typical case, a very young child begins to describe memories of another life. The child is persistent about this and often demands to be taken to his other family. The other family often goes there to find that the child's statements fit the life of a person who has died in the recent past.

Whether we believe in rebirth or not it does not make any difference because it's governed by the law of the universe and not any other powers. Similarly we can not deny the gravity of the earth which was discovered by Newton.

How's the process of rebirth when a person dies?

When a person is on the verge of death, exactly at the last moments of life, when all their faculties are scattered, and they depart from the world and family, when all powers and status are lost and nothing survives, only the good or bad deeds remain. In a single stand, they will be reborn into a higher or lower position with no intervention from any supernatural power. In fact, through rebirth all human beings reap the good or evil consequences of their actions. The duality of their deeds of body, their speech and thought in previous lives determines the circumstances of their rebirth. This knowledge needs separate study on rebirth with true investigation.

Is rebirth confined to Buddhism only?

No, although this belief forms a fundamental tent of Buddism, but it is not confined to Buddhism only. It is also found in other religions and even among some philosophers, scientists and free thinkers with some differences. Schopenhaur and Emanuel Kant, Plato, Pythagoras, the well-known Christian personalities, ancient Egypt and China, etc ... believed in the possibility of rebirth in other bodies.