Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Theology - Hinduism, grade: 2,1, University of Hildesheim, language: English, abstract: The following paper will deal with the concept of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in the Hindu religion, as Hindus, in contrary to the Western cultures and monotheistic religions, believe that there is life after death, and before the present life, there was a beforelife because they believe that it does not make sense that people suddenly appear from nowhere, meaning not the biological body, but the “soul” or the “spirit”. First, a definition of the different concepts of afterlife in different metaphysical models and of the term reincarnation from its semantic point of view and, how it is defined in other religions, will be given. Furthermore, Hinduism, itself, will be introduced, as it is important to understand the essence of this religion to be able to understand the concept of reincarnation. Additionally, the concept of reincarnation will be described. That includes the processes of birth, death and rebirth. Finally, the arguments in favor and against the theory of reincarnation will be discussed. The question, about what happens after death, is a philosophical one, which has been worrying humanity for centuries. By trying to categorize the different concepts, regarding what happens after death, three concepts, varying among cultures and religions, can be differentiated. First, there is the concept of denial which states that the existence of the individual ends with their death, as it is widely believed in the Western world. The second one is the concept of completion - in many religions, as, for example, in Christianity, the human life is seen as a preparation for a life after, somewhere else, in a different state of existence, like Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Limbus, etc. And the third concept is the concept of rebirth, meaning that the mental part of the person, may it be called the “soul” or the “spirit”, is reborn many times in new bodies on earth.

Cases of responsive xenoglossy thus add to the evidence concerning the survival of human personality after death.

Through a series of lively stories drawn from the ancient scriptures and his own experience, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait reveals the truth about karma, how we create it, why it becomes our destiny, and how we can use it to shape the future of our dreams. From Death to Birth will give you insight into life's most perplexing questions.

This volume offers an overview of Hinduism as found in India and the diaspora. Exploring Hinduism in India in dynamic interaction, rather than in isolation, the volume discusses the relation of Hinduism with other religions of Indian origin and with religions which did not originate in India but have been a major feature of its religious landscape. These latter religions include Islam and Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. The volume also covers Hinduism’s close association with Tribal Religions, sometimes called Primal Religions. As its second main theme, the volume examines the phenomenon of Hinduism in the diaspora. The Indian diaspora is now beginning to make its presence felt, both in India and abroad. In India, the Indian government annually hosts a diaspora event called Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), in recognition of the growing importance of the twenty-million-strong diaspora. Although not all Indians are Hindus, most are, both in India and abroad, and a strong sense of Hindu identity is emerging among diasporic Hindus. This volume fills the need felt by Hindus both in India and the diaspora for more knowledge about modern-day Hinduism, Hindu history and traditions. It takes into account three main aspects of Hinduism: that the active pan-Indian and diasporic language of the Hindus is English; that modern Hindus need a rational rather than a devotional or traditional exposition of the religion; and that they need information about and arguments to address the stereotypes which characterize the presentation of Hinduism in academia and the media, especially in the West.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Perspectives on Reincarnation: Hindu, Christian, and Scientific" that was published in Religions

This is a new release of the original 1927 edition.