Reincarnation: Myths, Mystery or Satya Sanatan

Abstract

Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical belief that after biological death, the soul or spirit begins a new life in a different body, which may be human, animal, or plant. The concept, known as "samsara" in Sanskrit, entails the soul's progression through multiple births on its journey towards "moksha" or liberation. The term "reincarnation" is derived from Latin, meaning "to take on the flesh again," reflecting the idea of the soul inhabiting a physical body anew. Discussions on this subject date back to around the 6th century BC in the philosophical traditions of both India and Greece. Various terms are used across ancient Indian scriptures, such as punarāvṛtti, punarājāti, punarjīvātu, punarbhava, āgati-gati, and in Buddhist Pali texts nibbattin, upapatti, and uppajjana (R. W. Neufeldt, 1986). Additionally, it is referred to by other terms including "rebirth," "metempsychosis" (from the Greek), " tr ansmigr a tion" (the English equiva l ent of metempsychosis), "disambiguation," "palingenesis," among others (Obeyesekere G, 2002).