The Law of Reincarnation
In one of the world’s greatest mystical, literary masterpieces, the Bhagavad Gita, the mythic personification of divine love within every person, Lord Krishna, speaks to his human charge and student, Arjuna: “You and I have passed through many births, Arjuna. You have forgotten, but I remember them all.”
Reincarnation, the doctrine that an individual’s soul reappears after death in another and different bodily form, appears early on the scene in human development, much like the law of sacrifice. For example, the Arunta people of central Australia, whom anthropologists classify as having a Stone Age society, believe in reincarnation. In fact, it is the belief of nonliterate cultures all around the world, leading investigators to conclude that the belief in preexistence and reincarnation arose simultaneously with the birth of human culture.
The great eighteenth-century French philosopher Voltaire wrote, “The doctrine of metempsychosis [reincarnation] is, above all, neither absurd nor useless. It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.”
However, reincarnation is not taught or believed in the West, particularly in Christian societies, although in the last several decades there have been some signs of change.
In a channeled communication on October 4, 1960, Jesus revealed that reincarnation should be taught: “It was never Spirits will not to teach reincarnation. It is in the teachings. In no religion or in no teachings could it be entirely removed. Always, somehow, somewhere a small seed or spark is left. This is true in Christian and Judaic teachings today. Reincarnation is there, but only in a very small segment of truth. They could not remove it entirely, though many have tried.”
There is a word for one who remains Earthbound in order to be of divine service to others. It is avatar. The name comes from the Sanskrit word avatara, which literally means “descent.”
Ascended masters, who are not compelled by the need to balance negative personal karma, become avatars when they incarnate over and over again on Earth to serve the race of man.
Returning to the words of Krishna, “Whenever dharma [manifestation of divine order] declines and the purpose of life is forgotten, I manifest myself on earth. I am born in every age to protect the good, to destroy evil, and to reestablish dharma.”
Many insights are gained in the reading of “The Tibetan Book of the Dead”. This is a comprehensive study of death and the life after death as translated from the ancient doctrines from Tibet. The law of reincarnation is a law of faith and belief. Although some mediums and psychics have bridged the gap between life and death as we know it, we must rely on our personal beliefs and scriptures that explain this law of reincarnation.
In the study of Karma, we are told by some of the great teachers and avatars that many times, karma extends into past lives and into the future lives we might experience.
