Doctrine of Reincarnation Among the Hindus
NOTE COMMUNICATED TO THE SOCIETY BY MR. TUG…
“It is generally thought that the Hindus only admit reincarnation
as expiation and that in their opinion it only happens in animal bodies.
However, the lines below, extracted from the trip of Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer,
seem to demonstrate that the Hindu Indians have a more clear idea with
that respect.
Mrs. Pfeiffer says:
“The girls are generally engaged when they are one year old.
If the boy dies the girl is considered a widow, being then precluded
from marrying. Windowing is considered to be a great
unhappiness. They think that such a situation is the result of a
not faultless previous life.”
Despite the undeniable importance of these last words, it
must be acknowledged that there is a capital difference between
the doctrine of metempsychosis of the Hindus and the doctrine
admitted by the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. Let us see
what Zimmermann says about Hinduism in his “Travel Journal’
(Taschenbuch der Reisen).
“The basis of that religion is the belief in a primary and supreme
being, in the immortality of the soul, and the reward of
virtue. The true and only God is called Brahm, who must not
be confused with Brahma, created by God. God is the true light
that is the same, eternal, blessed at all times and places. The goddess
Bhavani (nature) has emanated from the immortal essence of
Brahm, and a legion of 1,180 million spirits. Among those there
are three semi gods or superior genies: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva,
the trinity of the Hindus. Concord and happiness has reigned
among the spirits for a long time. With time, however, a revolt
exploded among them and some refused to obey. The rebels were
precipitated from heavens to the abyss of darkness. Then came
the metempsychosis: each plant, each creature was animated by a
decayed angel. Such a belief explains the kindness of the Hindus
towards the animals. They are considered their similar, thus they
do not want to kill any.”
“We are led to believe that only with time everything that
exists of bizarre in that badly understood religion, and falsified
by the crowds, fell to the insensible charlatanism. It is enough to
indicate the attributes of its main divinities to explain the current
state of the religion. They admit 333 million inferior divinities:
those are the goddesses of the elements, of the phenomena
of nature, of arts, diseases, etc. Furthermore, there are the good
and bad genies. The good ones outnumber the bad ones by three
millions.”
“What is extremely remarkable”, adds Zimmermann “is that
one cannot find a single image of the Supreme Being among the
Hindus, who is immensely great to them. His temple is the whole
Earth, they say, and He is worshiped in all forms.”
Thus, according to the Hindus, the souls were created happy
and perfect and their bankruptcy resulted from a rebellion. Their
incarnation in animal bodies is a punishment. According to the
Spiritist Doctrine the souls were, and still are, created simple and ignorant, and it is through the successive reincarnations that they
reach perfection, thanks to their efforts and to God’s mercy, the
only means of achieving eternal happiness. The soul, which must
progress, may however remain stationary during a more or less
lengthy period, but cannot retrocede. What has been acquired in
knowledge and morality the soul does not lose. If the soul does
not advance it does not move back either. That is why it cannot
go back to animate the creatures inferior to humanity.
Thus the metempsychosis of the Hindus is founded on the
principle of degradation of the souls. Reincarnation, according to
the spirits, is founded on the principle of continuous evolution.
According to the Hindus, the soul began by perfection, achieving
abjection. Perfection is the beginning; abjection is the result.
According to the spirits, ignorance is the beginning; perfection is
the objective and final result.
It would be superfluous to demonstrate which one of these
doctrines is the most rational, which one gives the most elevated
idea of God’s justice and benevolence. It is then from a complete
ignorance of their principles that some people confuse them.
TUG…”
