Transmigration vs. Reincarnation vs. ReBirth

Transmigration of The Soul: (death science) The basic theory is The Soul-Mind leaves the physical body upon death and enters another body according to past behavior and spiritual needs. The new body can be human, animal, plant, reptile or anything alive. When the animate life dies, the soul-mind can come back into human form or animal, it depends on the needs of the soul.   Now my first thought is: Don't confuse this with reincarnation, cause they're not the same thing.   There are those who believe this is the path of the soul, period, end of sentence. Some think if you build up too much negative karma, then you're cast down into animal form to experience the brutal survival instincts and life of the animal kingdom to repent. Others think it's an honor to come back into physical as an animal, sort of a reward for reaching a certain level of enlightenment.   Reincarnation of Spirit (life science) As for me ~ I don't believe in transmigration. Now let me tell you why.   The life force of the physical body (the soul) does not die with the physical body, but goes on living in the etheric world for a period of time. During this time the soul learns lessons, just as it does when in an incarnated state, but it also repays karmic debt by serving souls that are alive..these spiritual beings are what we call our Spirit Guides, our Spiritual Teachers.   There is a human being seed within the soul-mind of every individual, that contains the essence of perfection. Like all seeds, this one declares that the soul-mind of an individual can not attain that perfection unless it is giving the opportunity to grow, learn and experience. The soul assumes a succession of personalities through incarnated lifetimes, to share emotional and intellectual experiences in order to progress to the next level of enlightenment.   Now in my mind, this process requires the interaction, freewill and choice that come with living as a human in order to progress the soul. To me, it's an evolutionary process, going back into animal form would be de-evolution and inhibits the soul from moving forward.   I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, I just know which one I feel comfortable with. The Hindus believe in Transmigration, maybe they've come to understand something that I just haven't gotten yet. But for me, reincarnation fits my perception of what the soul is and how it progresses through the evolutionary process to return to the Divine perfection and image.   ReBirth Let's distinguish rebirth from transmigration. Buddhists consistently speak of rebirth and not transmigration. This is because in Buddhism they do not believe in an abiding entity, in a substance that trans-migrates. They do not believe in a self that is reborn.   For example, when a sprout is born from a seed, there is no substance that transmigrates. The seed and the sprout are not identical. Similarly, when we light one candle from another candle, no substance travels from one to the other, and yet the first is the cause of the second. When one billiard ball strikes another, there is a continuity, the energy and direction of the first ball is imparted to the second. It is the cause of the second billiard ball moving in a particular direction and at a particular speed.   This is rebirth, but not transmigration. There is moral responsibility, but not an independent, permanent self. There is the continuity of cause and effect, but not permanence.

Sources: 1, b2, b4, b7, b8, b9, o14, b15, b18 Created: 04.01.2001        Updated: 03.05.2010