<p>Every time we see death or attend a funeral, we experience something like cemetery-induced reclusion which makes our mind and body numb. This makes us question about the very purpose of our life. We start thinking that if death is the be all and end all of it all, and it can kill anyone, anytime, then why should we bother about doing good deeds and fear punishment for our sins?<br /><br /></p>.<p>There are mainly two kinds of people who have two different beliefs in this regard. The first kind of people believe in rebirth of human beings and then there are the second kind who not only believe that human souls are reborn. However, there is very little knowledge about the third kind of people who believe that human souls take rebirth and always in the human body. Let us suppose humans are not reborn. In that case, what reason would be there to perform good deeds and desist from bad ones? Thus, our hopes of eternal prosperity and happiness, desire to earn merit by performing good deeds, fear of punishment in future births and feelings of eternal love and of patriotism, would not arise at all if rebirth were not a reality.<br /><br />According to Hindu mythology, a soul never dies; it is body which dies and immediately after death, soul changes body as we change clothes. We must not forget a fact that just as a seed is of no use unless it is sown and tended to grow up into a plant, the existence of the soul is purposeless after leaving a body unless it takes rebirth. Thus, denying rebirth militates against logic. As human beings, nearly all our interactions are with fellow humans. Thus, we create karmic accounts with humans, to settle which we have to take birth in human form again. The analogy of the seed also illustrates this point. Just as a mango seed brings forth a mango tree, which then produces mangoes, which again provide mango seeds, the human soul possesses human qualities, feelings and experiences, and is the seed of human life. Hence, it cannot function in any other living creature’s body.<br /><br />Though many of the facts mentioned above are known to people, scepticism about the existence of souls and facts like rebirth are widespread because of lack of experience of soul-consciousness. Such an experience requires spiritual effort for which one has to focus the mind and the intellect inward and then contemplate on it in silence. Slowly one begins to sense the existence of a sentient entity within, which is the soul. It is this experience of reality which removes the shroud of ignorance from all other facts of the subtle world of souls, which we usually dismiss in disbelief for lack of material proof. So, let us practise to remain in soul-consciousness and enjoy being an enlightened soul without any botheration.</p>
<p>Every time we see death or attend a funeral, we experience something like cemetery-induced reclusion which makes our mind and body numb. This makes us question about the very purpose of our life. We start thinking that if death is the be all and end all of it all, and it can kill anyone, anytime, then why should we bother about doing good deeds and fear punishment for our sins?<br /><br /></p>.<p>There are mainly two kinds of people who have two different beliefs in this regard. The first kind of people believe in rebirth of human beings and then there are the second kind who not only believe that human souls are reborn. However, there is very little knowledge about the third kind of people who believe that human souls take rebirth and always in the human body. Let us suppose humans are not reborn. In that case, what reason would be there to perform good deeds and desist from bad ones? Thus, our hopes of eternal prosperity and happiness, desire to earn merit by performing good deeds, fear of punishment in future births and feelings of eternal love and of patriotism, would not arise at all if rebirth were not a reality.<br /><br />According to Hindu mythology, a soul never dies; it is body which dies and immediately after death, soul changes body as we change clothes. We must not forget a fact that just as a seed is of no use unless it is sown and tended to grow up into a plant, the existence of the soul is purposeless after leaving a body unless it takes rebirth. Thus, denying rebirth militates against logic. As human beings, nearly all our interactions are with fellow humans. Thus, we create karmic accounts with humans, to settle which we have to take birth in human form again. The analogy of the seed also illustrates this point. Just as a mango seed brings forth a mango tree, which then produces mangoes, which again provide mango seeds, the human soul possesses human qualities, feelings and experiences, and is the seed of human life. Hence, it cannot function in any other living creature’s body.<br /><br />Though many of the facts mentioned above are known to people, scepticism about the existence of souls and facts like rebirth are widespread because of lack of experience of soul-consciousness. Such an experience requires spiritual effort for which one has to focus the mind and the intellect inward and then contemplate on it in silence. Slowly one begins to sense the existence of a sentient entity within, which is the soul. It is this experience of reality which removes the shroud of ignorance from all other facts of the subtle world of souls, which we usually dismiss in disbelief for lack of material proof. So, let us practise to remain in soul-consciousness and enjoy being an enlightened soul without any botheration.</p>
