At the time of birth the soul is given a life-span and role to play in the life he is going to take by the Creator. These are Divine commands. In life he is subjected to numerous temptations that tend to take him away from performing the role. If he is able to resist the temptations and completes the given tasks, he reverts back to merge with God. In case he succumbs to the temptations, he cannot complete the tasks. Also one receives benedictions from the Divine and help from the society. If he does not pay these back fully in life, his account reflects debit. The tasks left incomplete and the debit together have been called

baaki, literally meaning ‘remaining or debit balance’ and he has to be reborn to pay it back. This is reincarnation.

In the discussion below Gurbani, meaning Guru’s word, refers to the hymns in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). Page numbers given below in parentheses are of SGGS.The Gurmukhi version also shows the author. For the sake of brevity ‘man’ has been used as a generic term for human beings and equally stands for woman.

Reincarnation and Incarnation.

Reincarnation is the phenomenon of the soul of a living being, on its death giving life to another body. It is different from incarnation which refers to the belief in faiths like Hinduism, and to an extent Christianity, that God or one of the deities takes human form. Hence although reincarnation is etymologically derived from incarnation they are two different concepts.

Reincarnation presupposes that the soul is immortal and does not die with the body. This aspect is accepted by all the Eastern faiths namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. They all believe that on death of the body the soul enters another body to give life to the latter. This is the process of transmigration of the soul which is not accepted by the Semitic faiths.

Is Reincarnation a Reality?

Monotheistic religions namely Judaism, Islam and Sikhism believe that incarnation is not a reality. It should not therefore be thought that reincarnation also is not because, as brought out above, the two concepts are different.

There are many instances of people describing their past lives. They have been able to identify the places and their relations in the previous birth at places far away from their present location. These indicate that these people have had past lives. It is also in keeping with what the Gurbani teaches, thus:

ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਬਨਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਬੰਧਪ ਇਸਟ ਮੀਤ ਅਰੁ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਕੇ ਮਿਲੇ ਸੰਜੋਗੀਅੰਤਹਿ ਕੋ ਨ ਸਹਾਈ ॥੧॥ ੫ ੭੦੦
The mother, father, spouse, children, relatives, dear friends and siblings;
they are with you because of association in the previous birth; but they shall be of no assistance at the end (p 700).

ਜੁੜਿ ਜੁੜਿ ਵਿਛੁੜੇ ਵਿਛੁੜਿ ਜੁੜੇ ॥ ਜੀਵਿ ਜੀਵਿ ਮੁਏ ਮੁਏ ਜੀਵੇ ॥ ਕੇਤਿਆ ਕੇ ਬਾਪ ਕੇਤਿਆ ਬੇਟੇ ਕੇਤੇ ਗੁਰ ਚੇਲੇ ਹੂਏ ॥ ਆਗੈ ਪਾਛੈ ਗਣਤ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਤੀ ਕਿਆ ਹੁਣਿ ਹੂਏ ॥ ੧ ੧੨੩੮
People are born, live and die; after dying are born again. They unite, then separate and unite again, they become the fathers of many, and sons of many; Gurus of many and disciples of many; There is no limit to what has gone on in the past or what is yet to come; (p 1238).

Thus from the account of those who can describe their previous lives as well as what the Gurbani says, reincarnation is a reality. Let us study this further.

Aavaagavan (Reincarnation) Prescribed by God.
The expression used in Gurbani for reincarnation is Aavaagavan (ਆਵਾਗਵਨ) which literally means ‘coming and going’ and has been used frequently. Guru Nanak says that incarnation has been prescribed by the Creator:

ਆਵਾ ਗਵਣੁ ਸਿਰਜਿਆ ਤੂ ਥਿਰੁ ਕਰਣੈਹਾਰੋ ॥ ਜੰਮਣੁ ਮਰਣਾ ਆਇ ਗਇਆ ਬਧਿਕੁ ਜੀਉ ਬਿਕਾਰੋ ॥ ੧ ੫੮੦
The Creator, while Himself remaining in one steady state, has prescribed Aavaagavan; births and deaths, coming and going are for those caught up in evil deeds (p 580)

ਆਵਾ ਗਉਣੁ ਰਚਾਇ ਉਪਾਈ ਮੇਦਨੀ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਇਆ ਤਿਸੁ ਗਣੀ ॥ ੧ ੧੨੮੩
The phenomenon of reincarnation was prescribed when the universe was created. For one who serves the Creator, one birth is enough. (p 1283).

Performing good deeds i.e. carrying out Divine commands keeps one happy in this life and makes the soul acceptable for merger with God after death. In other words one gets the results of his deeds here and in the hereafter:

ਈਹਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਆਗੈ ਮੁਖ ਊਜਲ ਮਿਟਿ ਗਏ ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣੇ ॥ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਭਏ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਸਿਆ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਣੇ ॥੩॥ ੫ ੬੧੪
Those who obey the Creator are loved by Him and lose all fear; they are at peace here and accepted in the hereafter; they do not reincarnate (p 614).

ਹਲਤਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਲਤਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਨਿਤ ਸੁਖੁ ਸਿਮਰਨੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਕਾ ਸਦਾ ਲੀਜੈ ॥ ਮਿਟਹਿ ਕਮਾਣੇ ਪਾਪ ਚਿਰਾਣੇ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਮੁਆ ਜੀਜੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ੫ ੬੮੩
By joining holy congregation, long time sins are extinguished and fresh spiritual life infused. Remember the Master continuously; this ensures bliss here and in the hereafter (p 683).

ਮਤੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ਜਾਇ ਅਗੈ ਪਾਇਸੀ ॥ ਜੇਹੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ਤੇਹਾ ਹੋਇਸੀ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਉ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਾਇਸੀ ॥ ਚਲਿਆ ਪਤਿ ਸਿਉ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਵਾਰਿ ਵਾਜਾ ਵਾਇਸੀ ॥ ੫ ੭੩੦
Let not anyone think he will find a place of honor in the hereafter; what becomes of him will be decided based on his deeds. He on whom the Lord Himself bestows the Name-Nectar, leaves here after having accomplished his life, and shall be treated in the hereafter with glory (p 730).

Why Reincarnation?

Reincarnation is a result of failure of the soul to merge with God and results from it being overtaken by evil, lack of good deeds i.e. not being able to complete the assigned tasks. Also what man receives from the Divine and the society and how much he pays back is taken into account. If he pays back less, his account shows ‘baaki’ or debit balance. Unfinished tasks or misdeeds and debit balance are causes for him to be born again or reincarnate. Words alone would not do, consequences of deeds have to be faced:

ਪੁੰਨੀ ਪਾਪੀ ਆਖਣੁ ਨਾਹਿ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਣਾ ਲਿਖਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਬੀਜਿ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਖਾਹੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਆਵਹੁ ਜਾਹੁ ॥੨੦॥ ੧ ੪
One does not become virtuous or sinner by words alone. The cumulative record of our deeds goes with us. In the spirit of ‘you reap what you sow’, we face consequences of going through reincarnations as decided by the Lord (p 4).

ਕਾਮ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਅਰੁ ਲੋਭ ਮੋਹ ਇਹ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀ ਰਸਿ ਲਪਟਾਧੇ ॥ ਦੀਈ ਭਵਾਰੀ ਪੁਰਖਿ ਬਿਧਾਤੈ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਜਨਮਾਧੇ ॥੩॥ ੫ ੪੦੩
Those in the grip of lust, anger, greed, attachment and sensory pleasures are kept in cycles of many many births by the Creator (p 403).

ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਰਚਾ ॥ ਆਵੈ ਜਾਇ ਭਵਾਈਐ ਬਹੁ ਜੋਨੀ ਨਚਾ ॥ ੫ ੧੦੯੯
One who forgets the fearless Lord’s Name and remains engrossed in illusory pursuits,
continues to reincarnate in numerous life forms (p 1099).

In order to dissuade people from the path of evil, Gurbani points out the shame of having to go through life forms which one would like to avoid:

ਸੂਕਰ ਕੂਕਰ ਜੋਨਿ ਭ੍ਰਮੇ ਤਊ ਲਾਜ ਨ ਆਈ ॥ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਛਾਡਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕਾਹੇ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਈ ॥੩॥ ਕਬੀਰ ੬੯੨
Forgetting the nectar of God’s Name you pursue mammon, wouldn’t you be ashamed
taking births like swine and dogs? (p 692).

Reincarnation is punishment.

As has been discussed above reincarnation is for those souls who cannot achieve merger with God because of their failure to carry out the assigned tasks or having a debit balance. Reincarnation is therefore punishment and denial of permission to return to God. Gurbani puts it thus:

ਜਮਿ ਜਮਿ ਮਰੈ ਮਰੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਜੰਮੈ ॥ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਸਜਾਇ ਪਇਆ ਦੇਸਿ ਲੰਮੈ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਤਾ ਤਿਸੈ ਨ ਜਾਣੀ ਅੰਧਾ ਤਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਸਹੈ ਪਰਾਣੀਆ ॥੫॥ ੫ ੧੦੨੦
The ignorant man forgets the Creator and suffers. He is born and dies to be born again being thus punished for long periods (p 1020).

ਜਿਵ ਆਇਆ ਤਿਵ ਜਾਇਸੀ ਕੀਆ ਲਿਖਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਮੂਲੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ਦਰਗਹ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥੩॥ ੧ ੧੩੩੧
The self oriented soul goes as he came (without benefiting from human birth);
taking with him the consequences of his deeds. He loses whatever virtues he had and is punished in God’s court (p1331).

It is significant that the punishment is not one of permanent condemnation but every birth is a chance to work towards completing the tasks given. It would be just and fair that if the atma does not overcome the shortcomings he would be successively born in more difficult life forms. This also indicates that with improvement in performance the atma will move towards human birth where it can hope to break the cycle of reincarnation and merge back into God. Human beings have the benediction of the sense of discrimination by which they know good from bad. It is also in human birth that one can understand what is expected of him and do it. Only human beings can appreciate Divine virtues and sing God’s praises. It is after going through many life forms mentioned as 8.4 million that one gets human birth:

ਜੋ ਜੋ ਜੂਨੀ ਆਇਓ ਤਿਹ ਤਿਹ ਉਰਝਾਇਓ ਮਾਣਸ ਜਨਮੁ ਸੰਜੋਗਿ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਤਾਕੀ ਹੈ ਓਟ ਸਾਧ ਰਾਖਹੁ ਦੇ ਕਰਿ ਹਾਥ ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਮੇਲਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ੫ ੬੮੬

That is not possible say as an animal, for:

ਚਾਰਿ ਪਾਵ ਦੁਇ ਸਿੰਗ ਗੁੰਗ ਮੁਖ ਤਬ ਕੈਸੇ ਗੁਨ ਗਈਹੈ ॥ ਕਬੀਰ ੫੨੪
An animal has four feet and two hornsbut is dumb; so how does it sing God’s praises? (p 524)

How to escape Reincarnation?
The only way to escape reincarnation is to obey the preordained Divine commands and be a man of God:

ਲਖ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਜੋਨਿ ਫਿਰਹਿ ॥ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਲੋਕ ਨਹੀ ਜਨਮਿ ਮਰਹਿ ॥੩॥ ੫ ੨੧੧
There are 8.4 million life forms to go through, but those devoted to God do not reincarnate (p 211).

ਅਨਿਕ ਜੋਨਿ ਜਨਮੈ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਮ ॥ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਤ ਪਾਵੈ ਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮ ॥ ੫ ੨੬੪
The creatures are born, die and are born again into numerous life forms; those who remember God’s commands get their permanent abode (p 264).

As may be seen from the above reincarnation as a result of the soul not being able to
achieve merger with the Creator is a reality.