Reincarnation and beyond
To understand the science of reincarnation,the first step is to know the difference between a living body and a dead body. What is the difference? The difference is that when someone dies ,the spirit soul or the living force leaves the body. And therefore the body is called “ dead" . So ,there are two things: one ,this body; and the other, the living force within the body. That is the difference between the science of Krishna consciousness ,which is spiritual and ordinary material science. As such, in the beginning it is very very difficult for an ordinary man to appreciate krishna consciousness movement. One must understand that he is a soul or something other than body .
Then a question arises when will we understand that? The answer is simple you can understand at any moment,but it requires a little intelligence. For example, as a child grows, he becomes a boy ,the boy becomes a young man, the young man becomes an adult and the adult becomes an old man. Throughout all this time , although his body is changing from a child to an old man, he still feels himself to be the same person,with the same identity. Just see: the body is changing,but the occupier of the body, the soul,is remaining the same. So we should logically conclude that when our present body dies, we get another body. This is called transmigration of the soul .
When people die it is just a physical body that dies.
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
“ For the soul, there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been,does he ever cease to be. He is unborn,eternal,ever- existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain”
Then another question arises If the soul is undying, does everybody’s soul go to be with God when they die?
If one is qualified—if he qualifies himself in this life to go back home, back to Godhead—then he can go. If he does not qualify himself, then he gets another material body. And there are 8,400,000 different bodily forms. According to his desires and karma, the laws of nature give him a suitable body. It is just like when a man contracts some disease and then develops that disease. Is that difficult to understand?Suppose somebody has contracted smallpox. So, after seven days he develops the symptoms. What is that period called? It is called incubation period.
If you have contracted some disease it will develop, by nature’s law. Similarly, during this life you associate with various modes of material nature, and that association will decide what kind of body you are going to get in the next life. That is strictly under the laws of nature. Everyone is controlled by the laws of nature—they’re completely dependent—but out of ignorance people think that they are free. They’re not free; they’re imagining that they’re free, but they are completely under the laws of nature. So, your next birth will be decided according to your activities—sinful or pious, as the case may be.
People will say it is belief but itis law. For instance, there is a government. You may believe or not believe, but if you break the law you’ll be punished by the government. Similarly, whether you believe or don’t believe, there is a God. If you don’t believe in God and you independently do whatever you like, then you’ll be punished by the laws of nature.
The meaning of life is to enjoy. But now you are on a false platform of life, and therefore you are suffering instead of enjoying. Everywhere we see the struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling, but what is their enjoyment in the end? They are simply suffering and dying. Therefore, although life means enjoyment, at the present moment your life is not enjoyment. But if you come to the real, spiritual platform of life, then you’ll enjoy.
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Source : The science of self realization by AC Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada
