Q&A by HH Sri Tridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 12, 2000


Jai Srimannarayana!


--- In jetusa@egroups.com,
"Chinna Jeeyar Swamy"  wrote:


Swamiji,
Question)
I have a lot of questions, but let me ask one question now.
I would like to know about reincarnation of our soul.
>From my understanding, depending on the good things we do
in this birth, we will be reborn in a better form, and
when we learn to realize the greatness of GOD, our soul goes
back to GOD. I do not understand this correctly, could you
please explain this? What should anyone do to end the cycle
of rebirth and go back to GOD?

Answer)
When we say any birth of God, we call it is re-incarnation.
But when it coms to us, human beings, it is called re-birth.
We take re-birth not by our choice. It is by the force of karma
we perform. That karma has been accumulated since somany
births, which we never count. Not only we, even God cannot count,
it seems. That is why, He said in the 4th chapter of Bhagavad Gita
he said "bahu:ni may vyathi:ta:ni janma:ni thava cha Arjuna"

That means lot of janmas have been passed to the soul and to
God also. He used the word "bahu:ni" is interesting.
"so....many". Why should He to say like that? It means even
He cannot say the number of the births the soul has taken and
also the Incarnations He also has taken to save these souls.

Until & unless the karma has been totally exhausted, this
soul cannot reach God. Till then, good karmas lead to good
births and bad ones, to inferior births, viz., animal, plants,
creaters, stones and dust etc.

Your statement has to be corrected a little. When we learn to
realize, we won't go to God. After realization one needs to
cross through so,,,,many births and should continue the same
way by different ways of practices and penances. Then there may
be a chance to reach Him. As it is said,

"janma:nthara sahasre:shu thapo: jna:na sama:dibhihi,
nara:na:m kshe:na punya:nam  krushne:  bhakthih praja:yathay"

So, good karma leads definitely to good births and that it is
not the end of the cycle of birth & death. It continues
furtherahead. But, when one surrenders totally to the lotus
feet of the Lord Lakshmi Na:ra:yana through a right A:cha:rya,
then all the previous karmas of that particular soul will be burnt
to ashes. Whatever karmas he does, after surrenderance to God, are
not going to be attached to him, because, he does with a thought
of dedication i.e., krishna:rpana buddhi. So, he need not reep
the fruits of the future karma:s. Existing karmas, which formed
the body viz., pra:rabdha karmas, are necessary to be experienced
and soon after, they are finished, the present body will get
dropped and the Soul will be taken away by the Lord Himself
directly to His Divine Abode. Thus the soul gets Mukthi or
ultimate salvation.

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