uudelleensyntymä

Uudelleensyntymä, often translated as rebirth or reincarnation, is a concept found in various philosophical and religious traditions, most notably in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It refers to the belief that a person's soul, consciousness, or essential self survives physical death and is reborn in a new body. This cycle of death and rebirth is known as Samsara.

The nature of what is reborn and the process of rebirth can vary significantly between different belief systems. In some traditions, it is the individual soul (Atman) that transmigrates, carrying its karma from one life to the next. Karma, the law of cause and effect, dictates the circumstances of future rebirths, with good deeds leading to a more favorable existence and negative actions resulting in less desirable ones. The ultimate goal in many of these traditions is to escape the cycle of Samsara and achieve liberation (Moksha or Nirvana).

Other traditions, like some schools of Buddhism, do not posit a permanent, unchanging soul. Instead, they speak of a continuity of consciousness or a stream of mental energy that is influenced by past actions and conditions the next existence. Despite these differences, the core idea of a continuous existence beyond a single lifetime remains central to the concept of uudelleensyntymä across these diverse traditions. The term can also be used metaphorically to describe a profound personal transformation or a fresh start in life.