Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
An important fact related to the doctrine of rebirth is that after death, a human being can become human as well as a hellish, celestial or subhuman being. Similarly an animal can be born as an animal or in any of the other three gatis after his death. Hellish beings always take their next birth, as human or as sub-human beings. They cannot transmigrate as celestial beings or as hellish beings again. Similarly, even celestial beings can become sub-human or humans but not celestial or hellish beings. This is the belief of Jain philosophy.
In the Bhagavatī Sūtra, there are multiple such examples. In the discussion regarding the shala tree, it is said that it will be reborn as shala tree in Rajgriha again. From there, it will go to Mahavideha after death and will become a human being and there it will destroy all the karmas.[1] In the same way, in the context of Kartika Seth, it is mentioned that he had reborn as a celestial Indra with the life span of two sāgaropama.[2] In the first example, there is a mention of rebirth of subhuman into sub-human kingdom and then in human form. In the second example, there is a mention of rebirth of a human as a celestial being. Such examples are abundantly available in the āgamas. Hence, Jaina philosophy does not support the view of those who believe that a human being will always be reborn as a human being and a woman will always be reborn as a woman.
In the Jain āgamas, rebirth is held as a self approved concept. The āgamas do not resort to logic to establish this doctrine. There is a mention of hundreds of rules regarding rebirth in the āgamas. However, post canonical literature of the medieval period resorts to logic in order to prove it, which seems to be quite appropriate in those contemporary situations. Currently, the parapsychologists are undertaking serious research in this subject.
