reincarnation in hindouism

[alishan]

hi

1. i have red that in the concept of reincarnation in hindouism the spirit can go in hell or paradise and then come back in earth to re-birth (reincarnation)

how many time stay in paradise or hell (about weeks or a very long time like thousand or billion years)

for example a person die tomorow he will go to paradise or hell tomorow and in one month he will be re birth , or will it be in one thousand years or more?

2. can a man re birth as an devas (god or angel)? can a deva re birth in a man?

thanks

 

[Jainarayan]

The concept of Heaven and Hell in Hinduism is not like Christianity or Islam. In Hinduism they are more like waiting rooms until you get your new body. Heaven, Svarga, means you've accumulated some good karma and may come back as a higher life form. Going to Naraka (Hell) is more like Purgatory. You may have to purge your sins, and may reincarnate higher or lower. As for time there, I don't know if the scriptures address it. I don't know the answers to the other questions.

 

[Vinayaka]

hi

1. i have red that in the concept of reincarnation in hindouism the spirit can go in hell or paradise and then come back in earth to re-birth (reincarnation)

how many time stay in paradise or hell (about weeks or a very long time like thousand or billion years)

for example a person die tomorow he will go to paradise or hell tomorow and in one month he will be re birth , or will it be in one thousand years or more?

2. can a man re birth as an devas (god or angel)? can a deva re birth in a man?

thanks

A lot of times it depends on karma. older more experienced souls will normally take a longer time between births because intuitively they know that they want to choose a good family and place to go back to. Often people who know this will pray, even at death, to b e reborn somewhere were religion is in abundance, just for the opportunity to live in a peaceful place.

This is all dependent on karma. If the person was a nasty person, and that action needs to be returned to them, then they will have less choice ion the matter.

On the other hand, young souls who don't even believe in reincarnation, get confused. So they might 'jump' right back in, in a matter of days, even minutes, especially into the same families if there is a lot of attachment.

The whole thing is quite complex. BTW, these are just my opinions, and not representative of Hinduism all together.

 

[kaisersose]

hi

how many time stay in paradise or hell (about weeks or a very long time like thousand or billion years)

for example a person die tomorow he will go to paradise or hell tomorow and in one month he will be re birth , or will it be in one thousand years or more?

2. can a man re birth as an devas (god or angel)? can a deva re birth in a man?

thanks

I don't think anyone knows the answers to these questions.

My argument is, without memory, which is tied to the body, there is absolutely no meaning to reincarnation. Even if one admits the existence of an abstract soul that is the common factor between body X1 and body X2, there is no way X2 can relate to X1 as the memory of X1 does not exist in X2.

If I were to see a video of my previous life, I cannot identify myself with that person. As I have no memories of him, he is someone else or in other words, he is not me. As I cannot make the identification, there is no meaning to the concept of reincarnation - and hence, liberation!

 

[alishan]

yes thanks

my question keypoint is the time to reincarnate can be like million years in the paradise of vishnou, shiva.. or in hell?

does the scripture speak about time to come back?

thanks

 

[Madhuri]

yes thanks

my question keypoint is the time to reincarnate can be like million years in the paradise of vishnou, shiva.. or in hell?

does the scripture speak about time to come back?

thanks

A person who is Realised will enter Spiritual existence and there is no returning from that. Realisation, which is the end goal of life, is the liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

The hellish planets, middle planets (like earth) and the heaven planets are not in the Spiritual realm.
What you might think of as 'heaven' is what a Hindu thinks of as the Spiritual World. It is just different wording. One who goes to the spiritual world, ie/ the abodes of Vishnu or Shiva, will never return to material existence.

Now if we are talking about how long someone will stay in the heavenly or hellish planets, it depends entirely on their karma. I do not think there is any prescribed amount of time for all individuals.

I hope that answers you question.

I want to add, there are particular Hindus that believe in heavens and hells, and there are Hindus who do not.

 

[alishan]

I want to add, there are particular Hindus that believe in heavens and hells, and there are Hindus who do not.

who beleave , who dont beleave?

One who goes to the spiritual world, ie/ the abodes of Vishnu or Shiva, will never return to material existence.

why? because have finished their karma? so who return on earth?

thanks

 

[Madhuri]

who beleave , who dont beleave?

People who take scripture literally will believe in actual heavens and hells and there are certain Hindu groups that are more likely to read literal meanings. I grew up in a Vaishnava community that teaches these places are real.

why? because have finished their karma? so who return on earth?

An individual can only reach the eternal Spiritual realm when they have reached Realisation (enlightenment). This is a state of consciousness that causes the individual to let go of all material attachments, replaced with pure love of God. This disattachment from the material existence automatically eliminates all karmas and illusions.

Once an individual has Realisation and pure love of God, it is impossible to lose it and 'fall down' to material existence.

 

[alishan]

yes this fall down remind me the fall of adam

in manu law , did manu felt?

because some saw common point between manu and adam

 

[Madhuri]

yes this fall down remind me the fall of adam

in manu law , did manu felt?

because some saw common point between manu and adam

I am not aware of any story about the fall of Manu. There is a story about Manu that is very similar to the great flood that involved Noah. But keep in mind that there are many Manus.

 

[alishan]

yes

manu means the first man, but even for us muslim the first man of the new creation of God after the flood is Noah.

 

[magalaan]

I don't think anyone knows the answers to these questions.

My argument is, without memory, which is tied to the body, there is absolutely no meaning to reincarnation. Even if one admits the existence of an abstract soul that is the common factor between body X1 and body X2, there is no way X2 can relate to X1 as the memory of X1 does not exist in X2.

If I were to see a video of my previous life, I cannot identify myself with that person. As I have no memories of him, he is someone else or in other words, he is not me. As I cannot make the identification, there is no meaning to the concept of reincarnation - and hence, liberation!

Ram Ram kaisersose,

You base this on personal experience, But experience can differ from person to person. Some people do have some memories left from previous lives. Often in early years. There are many stories of children describing past lives. All people have imprints from past lives and many people feel recognition at times.

For instance they meet people that seem strangely acquainted. They will often say: "When I met X, it was as if I had known him/her all my life" The reason being they know them from past lives. Sometimes people visit places and are struck by recognition. The reason being that impressions of earlier experience are in still in the subconscious. The memory may be lost, but the experience left an imprint in the subconscious that exactly fits when the experience is repeated. You see the same with people with memory loss, they may forget all knowledge, but than they sit behind a piano and spontaneously start to play. You may forget you were a pianist, but you will still be able to play. It also explains why some people are "born" pianists and others are not. (Or do they have the "piano gene"?)

Are you a sceptic? If one has opposing convictions, it creates a barrier. Demanding irrevocable proof is such a barrier. Then If one has these recognitions one is less likely to notice them, for our mind only sees what it wants to see. Or if it notices them, it will ignore them or explain them away. You can never convince a skeptic. A skeptic will simply look around until he finds an alternative explanation, one that is more in line with his convictions. Being creative this it is always possible to find. It disproves nothing but for the skeptic it is proof.

You start with: "I don't think anyone knows the answers to these questions."
But in that way you limit your world to you own imagination. Hindu's believe that people differ in the level of consciousness. They often seek out a person with higher consciousness to guide them. He may know the answer they can not see yet. But if the ego is too big, it will not want to accept such an idea, as they feel it as acceptance of inferiority.

Jai Ganesha!

 

[kaisersose]

Ram Ram kaisersose,

You base this on personal experience, But experience can differ from person to person. Some people do have some memories left from previous lives. Often in early years. There are many stories of children describing past lives.

There are many stories of miracles in India as well. If you take the time to investigate, you will find they are all wild goose chases.

For instance they meet people that seem strangely acquainted. They will often say: "When I met X, it was as if I had known him/her all my life" The reason being they know them from past lives.

There is no basis for this connection. I don't feel that way with people I have actually known all my life. So what would be the conclusion there?

Sometimes people visit places and are struck by recognition. The reason being that impressions of earlier experience are in still in the subconscious.

Memory is in the brain. It has nothing to do with subconscious. A tap on the head in the wrong place and the person can develop amnesia.

The memory may be lost, but the experience left an imprint in the subconscious that exactly fits when the experience is repeated. You see the same with people with memory loss, they may forget all knowledge, but than they sit behind a piano and spontaneously start to play.

Evidence?

You may forget you were a pianist, but you will still be able to play. It also explains why some people are "born" pianists and others are not. (Or do they have the "piano gene"?)

DIfferent people have aptitudes in different directions. I fail to see how this implies reincarnation.

 

[alishan]

so how long many time to come back after going to hell or paradise?

thanks

 

[Vinayaka]

so how long many time to come back after going to hell or paradise?

thanks

Hindus don't believe in hell or paradise. But the answer would be, as long as it is necessary to have all karmas resolved.

 

[alishan]

ok thanks

 

[Madhuri]

Hindus don't believe in hell or paradise. But the answer would be, as long as it is necessary to have all karmas resolved.

Many Hindus do believe in heavens and hells. Basically anyone who takes the scriptures literally will believe in them.

 

[alishan]

can you give me some extract of the scripture? thanks

 

[Madhuri]

can you give me some extract of the scripture? thanks

There are many quotes but I am sleepy.

Heaven:

Atharva Veda 6.120.3

Where men of goodwill and good deeds rejoice,
Their bodies now made free from all disease,
Their limbs made whole from lameness or defect--
In that heaven may we behold our parents and our sons!

Rig Veda
To the company of those who
are invincible by spiritual discipline (tapas),
and through spiritual discipline have gone to heaven,
to men of great spiritual fire, let him go!

Hell:

I have read references in the Vedas but cannot find them online easily. So I will quote from the Bhagavad Gita:

“Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed”

"We have always heard, O Janardana, that those men who devastate family dharmas have their residence fixed in hell."

Yama Raj is the god or guardian of the hellish planets. He is an agent of the Divine, rather than a 'fallen angel' or rebel. He is not a devil or satan.

The Vedas hardly mention hell. It is very rare, and only seen some times in the Rig Veda and the Atharava Veda. But the later Purana texts go into details. The problem with the Puranas is that they are not divine revalations. Often Muslims and Christians will argue that Hindu texts have been changed or corrupt over time. It is the Puranic texts they refer to, and I agree that some of these are untrustworthy. One should take primary authority from the Vedas (which include the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranayakas and Upanishads).

 

[Vinayaka]

Many Hindus do believe in heavens and hells. Basically anyone who takes the scriptures literally will believe in them.

I agree. What I meant was the Abrahamic concept of eternal everlasting hell, of fire. Yes, we have our hellish states of mind, even our hellish astral worlds we may temporarily go to between births. I should have clarified.

For many whom we have such discussions, their preconceived notion of hell is the Abrahamic one. So my personal belief is there was no other word to more correctly translate it to. Either that or the translators (very commonly) were already in an Abrahamic mindset, so that's what naturally came out.

BTW, I don't take the certain scriptures literally. Certainly not translated ones.