REBIRTH (Punar janam)
Rebirth (Punar-Janam) is a Hindu belief. The doctrines of pre-existence of soul, transmigration, metempsychosis and re-incarnation are Hindu beliefs.
According to modern theosophists, these beliefs were also prevalent among the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims, in one or another form. The Muslim faith in the resurrection of the dead from graves also seems to have its basis in the same belief.
In the Sikh literature, there are references to ‘Chaurasi Lakh Joon’ (birth as 8.4 million creatures and beings) and ‘aavaagavan’ (coming and going i.e. cycle of life and death). But these references are metaphoric and not conceptual. Sikhism does not believe that one is born in human form after living the lives of 8.4 million creatures of different types of different species.
According to Sikhism, birth as human being (human life) is better equipped than all the other from amongst the ‘Chaurasi Lakh Joon’ (i.e. millions of creatures and beings). Similarly, reference of ‘aavaagavan’ is with regard to the fear of life and death and not actual ‘cycle of birth and re-birth’.
According to the Sikh philosophy, meditation and living truthful life leads to the elimination of the fear of re-birth.
Sikhism does not believe in re-birth but it suggests means to get rid of the fear of re-birth created (by the other faiths). Sikhism rejects heaven and hell, existence of the ‘other’ world (i.e. life beyond life), liberation after death (hence re-birth), re-incarnation, transmigration and metasychosis.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)