Rebirth

Garud asked: Lord, what happens to a soul after it has experienced the results of its deeds? The Lord said: Garud, until a soul attains moksha, it takes rebirth. Its remaining deeds decide where and how it will be born next.

Tradition speaks of eighty-four lakh forms of life: plants, insects, birds, animals and humans. The Puran says that among all of these, human birth is the rarest and most precious, because only a human can choose good deeds with understanding and come to know God.

The Puran has a very tender description. In the mother's womb, around the seventh month, the soul remembers its past lives. It prays to God: Lord, this time I will do good deeds and I will not forget you. But at birth, because of the world's maya, it forgets everything.

So the Puran reminds us that each of us once made this promise. This life is our chance to keep it. Life is short, but a great deal of good can be done in it.

For a grieving family, this thought is also a comfort. The soul's journey does not stop; it moves on. The one we lost has not vanished. Our prayer is that they receive a good birth, or a place at the feet of God.