Belief in reincarnation
Most Hindus believe that humans are in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara. When a person dies, their atman (soul) is reborn in a different body.
Some believe rebirth happens directly at death, others believe that an atman may exist in other realms. Hindus believe that an atman may enter swarg (Hindu heavenly realm) or narak (Hindu hellish realm) for a period before rebirth.
Hindus believe in karmaActions, and the consequences of actions. An important concept in Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.. Many believe that good or bad actions in life - leading to positive or negative merit - determine the atman鈥檚 rebirth.
Some Hindus believe that humans may be reborn in animal form, and that rebirth from human to animal form only occurs if an atman has repeatedly failed to learn lessons in human form.
Living life according to teachings in the scriptures will eventually lead to mokshaEscape from the cycle of reincarnation. Term used in the Hindu religion. . Some Hindu scriptures describe moksha as the atman becoming absorbed with BrahmanFor Hindus, Brahman is the ultimate reality 鈥 one 'Supreme Spirit' in many forms. Brahman is male, female and even animal., from where each atman is believed to originate. Other Hindu scriptures describe moksha as living in the realm of a personal God. The Maitri Upanishad (sacred text) states the following:
Even as water becomes one with water, fire with fire, and air with air, so the atman becomes one with the Infinite Atman (Brahman) and thus attains final freedom.