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The nature of human life in HinduismCycle of birth and death

The teachings of Hinduism include an understanding of the aims of human life and the personal virtues of a practising Hindu. Understanding the nature of human life also involves an awareness of the cycle of birth and death.

Part of Religious StudiesHinduism

Cycle of birth and death

is a key belief within Hinduism. In Hinduism, all life goes through birth, life, death, and rebirth and this is known as the cycle of . According to this belief, all living things have an , which is a piece of Brahman, or a spirit or soul. It is the atman that moves on into a new body after death.

An atman can go into the body of any living thing, such as a plant, animal or human. Once a living being dies, its atman will be reborn or reincarnated into a different body depending on its from its previous life. For example, if a person has good karma in a previous life, then their atman will be reborn or reincarnated into something better than they were previously. A person gains good karma for doing good things in life, such as helping others through following their .

Infographic to show the cycle of life, birth and death leading to Moksha.

A Hindu’s ultimate goal in life is to reach moksha. Moksha means liberation or freedom from samsara and it can only happen after a Hindu has been reborn many times. If a Hindu gains good karma from many lifetimes, they will have gained ultimate knowledge and have freed themselves from the constraints of the material world. Once this happens, a Hindu’s atman no longer needs to be reborn into another being and is ready to be free from samsara. As a result, the atman will achieve moksha and will be re-joined with .