Modified Religion by Maitreya

Proving the truth of reincarnation is not a process very much like proving the existence of God or the hierarchy or the Overlord or the spirit. It takes a lot of observation of the world around us and really deep retrospection to start believing and seeing the truth. In fact, it is easier to give comments that it is not true and is just a figment of the imagination of the wise people of the ancient world, than to start searching for manifestations of reincarnation.

Reincarnation is not the invention or discovery of one guy. If he did not learn it from his forefathers, he might have reasoned it out from his observation of the world around him. It is also possible, though very unlikely, that he had had direct experience of it. It is not by divine inspiration and intervention that he dreamed of formulating it, rather it was through the sweat of his brow that he learned about it.

People shy away from Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions that teach reincarnation precisely because they don't like the idea of dying and then being reborn. But whatever beliefs a man may have, he cannot avoid rebirth just because he did not believe in it while he was alive. When our spirits are already in the other world, it will not matter whether 35% percent of the world are Christians, 30% are Buddhists, and half a percent animists; all will be treated equally and commensurately. Those who refuse to believe will not be sent nor thrown to hell, they will be in limbo until, desperate, they will start to open their mind and see the glimmer of truth. The most die-hard atheist will also learn to see the truth; he will have all the time to start realizing his mistakes.

Reincarnation is a very hot topic, followers of other religions which do not teach reincarnation think it is a sin to discuss, and even entertain thoughts of, reincarnation. Someday reincarnation will be common dogma and people will benefit from it. Now it is still part of our esoteric knowledge and believers of it are considered different from the rest of society. Admittedly, a few people overdo their beliefs, thinking that they had had royal blood in their past lives, or were members of the king's court. They should stop living in the past.

It is a fact that the past Dalai Lamas had traced their previous reincarnations by correctly having identified objects and other personal belongings of their respective predecessors. Several high priests of Buddhism are also recognized reincarnations of earlier members of their order. In India, there is a recorded story of a little girl who claimed that she was married to a man living in another village and that they had had children. Finally, the authorities arranged a meeting between the girl and the man in the other village. Not only did the girl recognize her "previous" husband, but she also tried to lift her child, who was bigger than she. And lately, a western boy had been recognized as a reincarnation of an important eastern high priest.

The above are instances of people being able to identify their past or have had some knowledge of their previous lives. The biggest obstacle to people's believing in reincarnation is the persistent presence of the question in their minds why they can't remember their past lives. The answer is: we cannot remember our past lives so we will start anew and live out our current life to the best we can. If a rich man, who was captain of business and industry while he was alive were to be reincarnated, for example, as the son of his gardener who was in his employ, and assuming further that the small boy could remember his recent past life as the rich man, he would have a terrible time adjusting in his new conditions. He might even just spend his time reminiscing of the good old days, therefore wasting his life and not really evolving. It is therefore a provision of Mother Nature that we could not remember the far-away past nor have access to our subconscious.

Another obstacle to why people deny the reality of reincarnation is their refusal to accept that they might have been plants or some lowly animals in their previous lives, or that they shall be reborn as caterpillars, insects or poison ivy. Well, there is no basis for their fears. In the process of evolution, man follows his own path, animals and plants have their own. Inasmuch as we don't want to be reborn as donkeys, neither do the animals would desire to be born as humans. They have their own evolutionary path to follow, with their own kind of hierarchy.

You might think that this is getting to be complicated with animals having their own Overlords and hierarchy; but it's not really, if we just stick with our own kind, because before starting to run and tread over to the other paths, it is best to learn to walk on our roads first.

When I heard about reincarnation in my early teens, I devised my own theory. It was a belief that I harbored throughout my teens. I theorized that plants developed into animals and animals evolved into man. The organisms that have both animal and plant characteristics were the link to this ladder. However, I could not make any satisfactory hypothesis over my observation that some plants were definitely more complicated and advanced than some simple organisms, hence they were more evolved. I left this part of the theory unattended until several years more when I understood that each specie has its own path of evolution to follow. Suddenly, my universe became clear; I did not fear anymore that I would be reborn as a cow or something else. I then made progress and started to learn what reincarnation is to humans.

By believing in reincarnation many mysteries and questions about life are answered; life too starts to have a purpose. Isn't it unfair for somebody who is born deaf, blind and still with some other afflictions in a poor family while another man, in perfect health, is born with a silver spoon in his mouth? According to the Christian religion, it is their God's wish. Period. But according to believers in reincarnation, it is not as simple as that. Both were born in different situations with his own purpose: the handicapped person might have been born as such to overcome, for example, his laziness in the past life; and the rich man might have been born to give him access and means toward learning generosity. It can also happen that the first fellow was a very successful businessman and philanthropist in his previous life but he came as a handicapped person to develop and heighten his spiritual being and accelerate his evolution. Again, the rich man might have been a beggar, convict, or bum in his previous lives so that now is his turn to come in and taste the life of good health and wealth. These things happen not because it is God's wish, rather, because one has chosen to, in accordance with his other past reincarnations and as seen in the light of what he wants to achieve in the future. The next logical question which follows is if reincarnation is true, where did we start and where are we headed for? I heard people repeat before that God is everything, the beginning and the end without really knowing what they are uttering. Our existence or more precisely, our coming into being, is more like a cycle, for example, a seed germinates, it sprouts leaves and twigs, then grows into a tree which then dies and decays turning into compost which nurtures another seed, and so on. Of course, along the way, there are rewards and compensations for living and striving; it is not all hard work and push and shove.

MODIFIED RELIGION
by Maitreya

IV. THE TRUTH OF REINCARNATION

MODIFIED RELIGION by Maitreya

IV. THE TRUTH OF REINCARNATION

MODIFIED RELIGION
by Maitreya