Reincarnation is key to self-realisation

In any discussion with Americans, especially Christians, about death and afterlife I find it difficult to bring up the subject of reincarnation.

- BASAB DASGUPTA

In any discussion with Americans, especially Christians, about death and afterlife I find it difficult to bring up the subject of reincarnation. They neither understand nor believe in the concept. For them, the present life is "the one life to live" and the destination upon death is heaven or hell, depending on how they live their life. However, even in their mind, concepts of "heaven" and "hell" are vague, except for the image of heaven as an idyllic place with gardens, flowers, birds etc. and hell as just an eternal fire.

It is not just the Christians; I have similar issues with my Indian friends who are atheists and/or technically oriented. They do not understand a concept that cannot be described in scientific terms using scientific laws. To them, death is a decomposition of the body to its constituent molecules, and it is an absolute end followed by eternal nothingness.

To be clear, I am not a spiritual person. Throughout my younger years, I never followed any religious path. I read no scripture, went to temples only to appreciate architectural beauty, and attended religious festivals for social interactions. It is the concept of reincarnation which drew me back to Hinduism, especially the book "An Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda. I find a logical consistency and completeness in how our existence is described in Hinduism.

Setting aside religions for the time being, let us follow the living arrangement of any man from his youth to death. A certain pattern emerges, no matter which country we focus our attention to. The starting habitat is usually small and modest. The person's financial situation and professional prestige improve over time; perhaps there are additions to the family and he moves to a larger home. However, the house eventually gets old, requiring continuous repair and maintenance. When this becomes a headache, the owner decides to move to a newer home and starts the cycle over again.