Reflection
The path of the follower of the Awakened One is one of understanding the nature of existence, a path that leads from suffering to liberation. This understanding often involves contemplating the cycles of becoming, where the ripples of past actions influence present experiences, and present actions shape future unfoldings. It is not a soul that transmigrates, but rather a stream of consciousness, conditioned by karma, that continues its journey through various states of being until the cessation of craving and the attainment of Nirvana.
This unfolding is a natural process, like the flame of one lamp lighting another. The second flame is not the same as the first, yet it is dependent upon it. So too, the experiences of one life are not identical to those of another, but they are intrinsically linked through the unbroken chain of cause and effect. The aim is not to return to a familiar form, but to awaken to the truth of impermanence and non-self, thereby breaking free from the cycle of rebirth altogether.
Passages
"Whatever is born, the death of that is also birth, whatever is born is subject to decay. All these are the laws of nature." — Dhammapada 271 · Buddhism
"There is the case of the person who performs deeds. They then experience the results of those deeds. They are reborn according to their deeds." — Majjhima Nikaya 57 (paraphrased) · Buddhism
"And if one does not attain the highest good here, one will be reborn on earth again." — Bhagavad Gita 6.41 · Hinduism
A Question for You
As you ponder this, what does the idea of "cause and effect" in your own life reveal about the unfolding of your experiences?