I was interested in the reincarnation views expressed by reader Dinesh Sheth in a recent issue of Asian Voice. His account, from the Jain standpoint, coincides with those of reader Ramesh Jhalla and myself. The ultimate aim of life, Sheth says, "is to liberate the soul from the eternal cycle of birth, misery, death and rebirth". So far, so good, but here comes the bombshell.
Sheth adds that when we folk are reborn over and over again we may return "perhaps as humans, perhaps not." Let us rewind here. I thought the belief was that all living entities progressed through different life-forms (animal, bird, fish, insect and so on) throughout the ages until they eventually attained human status, after which they would keep returning only as humans, possibly flipping between male and female genders each time.
Jhalla would agree. Last week he wrote: "It is impossible for a human to be reborn in a non-human body." In other words, once a human being, always a human being, in incarnation after incarnation.
Sheth, however, makes a totally acceptable point: "The nature of our rebirth is determined by the accumulated effects of our actions, attitudes and modes of life in this and previous lifetimes."
What do other readers think? Do they believe in reincarnation? Or do they feel that once you are dead, you are dead, and that is the end of you?
Rudy Otter
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