Reincarnation Revisited

Reincarnation is the process of consciousness holding on to individuality and becoming aware of different forms that allows it to experience the infinitude of its own imagination. There are many laws within the imagination that can never be broken which keeps this playing field in cosmic order. One such law is the law of Karma. The law of karma (i.e. cause and effect) gives consciousness the illusion as if it is shifting on a journey through many forms that helps elevate its own inner knowing. This inner knowing becomes hidden when it assumes a form but reveals itself more as it progresses through different forms. This means as more forms are discarded, so is the elevation of awareness it has on its own inner truth. The goal of reincarnation is for consciousness to take on a form that allows it to eventually reveal its true nature. This is something that would be impossible if there wasn't an illusory form for consciousness to identify with.

There are different states and bodies that consciousness can assume. When consciousness is aware of a physical body that operates within the material realm, this is known as the waking state. There are also higher realms that consciousness is aware of that is immaterial in nature. These are known as the subtle worlds. They can be experienced using the subtle body which is the body we use every night when we dream. It is experienced within the mind itself. This is also the body we experience after death of the physical body when consciousness transitions to a new form. There are also a number of higher worlds that can be experienced depending on one's spiritual maturity. Most souls tend to gravitate/identify with their grosser bodies in lower realms to work through karma. They go back and forth from physical to lower subtle worlds until they gravitate and identify with their higher and much subtler bodies as karma gets resolved.

Karma means action but is just a way to explain the desires that keeps us grounded in these worlds as they yearn to be expressed or acted upon. There is even a causal body which is used during deep sleep. This is a state of potentiality or an un-manifested state where the mind is in-active, but at any moment can awaken and manifest the appearance of a world (just like when the dream world appears after deep sleep). All bodies (gross/subtle/causal) are superimposed on one another. This means they exist right now along with all other possible states/experiences in the past, present and future, though most are not conscious of them since these states are expressed in different vibrations and frequencies. With spiritual growth, you become conscious of these different bodies simply because your vibration will resonate with these higher worlds. In other words, if you can become conscious of these different subtler bodies, it is a sign of spiritual maturity and is a sign that you are qualified for deep meditation/inquiry.

The highest realm is Brahma’s world (the function of creation which pervades all realms). This world is causal in nature and is the foundation of which all other worlds operate from since it is the very blueprint that governs all. This means Brahma's world is everywhere (the highest dimension) since its blueprint governs the subtle and physical worlds. Beyond this causal world is the absolute (Brahman). The causal world is so subtle in nature that it reaches a breaking point (a hidden horizon) that finally merges with the very presence upon which all other worlds (even Brahma) borrows its existence from. This is Brahman, i.e. pure existence. To pass this breaking point, we must remove all desires that attract us to experience the physical, subtle and causal worlds. If all desires are extinguished, we can merge in Brahman as our pure natural self. Merging with Brahman after discarding all bodies via death is the Kramamukti route (liberation in steps). However, the goal behind the knowledge of Advaita is to become liberated while there is still a physical form in the material realm. This cannot be done unless the mind is purified enough to reveal Brahman even while the body and mind continues to operate. Accessing Brahman this way is also possible because Brahman is a non-dual truth that is present everywhere. Any experience can only be known through awareness itself, so this awareness is actually all there is! All forms and experiences are only possible because awareness allows them to exist and be known. This means one can access this awareness by pulling their attention to its source while the physical body still runs (i.e. by not identifying with their form). To expose Brahman even while operating the physical body requires deep spiritual maturity. Otherwise, one will have to keep revisiting gross/subtle worlds in the vicious cycle of reincarnation until there is full mastery over thoughts, desires and impulses, all of which keeps attention glued to illusory forms (i.e. prevents attention from being pulled away from them).

Knowing Brahman is an unbroken knowing. It cannot come via conceptual understanding though concepts can help point you to this truth. Therefore, understanding Brahman intellectually will not work for producing liberation. In this case, there is still attachment to a body that uses such conceptualization and karma will further multiply due to this attachment. Complete detachment from all bodies is necessary to escape the reincarnation forces which can only happen when one is no longer identified with any body. Detachment from bodies can be a result by negating them through self-inquiry. And negating them means you have to first be conscious of them! Only once you become conscious of these different inner bodies, can you fully negate them. After all bodies are negated, Brahman is exposed.

The end result is full realization of Brahman. This is also known as atma-jnanam (knowledge of the self) and is independent of any use of body. It is fundamental and stands on its own. This can only be a living truth when samadhi is fully stable and when there is no longer any use of a mind that attends outward through thoughts. This means attention no longer gravitates to a character that is not what it truly is. For one who rests in Brahman, what body will they identify with when death creeps in? What will keep them grounded in this reoccurring process of samsara which only takes place inside a body held down by hidden forces?

We must work to elevate ourselves to become fully realized which is why sadhanas or spiritual practice is necessary. Though reincarnation is ultimately an illusion, it is a process we all flow through in order to reveal the deeper levels of ourselves. The deeper you go, the more fundamental it becomes until the only truth remains.

The following questions are answered in this article:

Is reincarnation real?
What bodies do we use throughout reincarnation?
What is the gross, subtle and causal bodies?
How do we escape reincarnation?
Do all desires need to extinguished for moksha?