Reincarnation can be defined as when the soul leaves one body at death and is reborn into a new body. Although bodies are replaced, the soul remains essentially the same. O

ne of Hinduism's greatest beliefs is in reincarnation, namely in the Law of Karma. The Law of Karma is the inexorable principle in Hinduism that a person's thoughts and deeds are followed eventually by deserved pleasure or pain. Hinduism emphasizes that people get exactly what they deserve in life. Humans cannot change the fact that they are exactly what they are supposed to be in life. In this life, however, people can change what they will become in future lives. A person's Karma resides within the soul. The idea is to accumulate good Karma so that when the body dies the person's Karma determines whether they are reborn and in what caste he or she will be reborn. According to Hinduism, the Law of Karma is a reliable system of justice in life.

it does not kill, nor is it killed. (19) It is not born, it does not die; having been, it

the body is killed. (20) Arjuna, when a man knows the self to be indestructible,

In this passage of the Bhagavad Gita , the Lord Krishna assures the young Arjuna that he can neither kill his family in warfare nor be killed by them. Each soul is indestructible. Inevitably it will endure the death of the present body and be reborn in another body. In Hinduism, the soul changes bodies as a person changes worn-out clothes. This quote from the Gita supports the concept of reincarnation or, in Hindu terms, samsara. Samsara can be translated as "what turns forever." Hindus find many pleasures in life, but at times they tire of samsara's cycle of rebirth, life, death, and rebirth. At this point, a Hindu may seek release from samsara where his or her soul would then be united with the Brahman, the Absolute.

enduring, unborn, unchanging, how does he kill or cause anyone to kill? (21)

A Hindu is not required to seek the highest goals of relief in this lifetime. Hinduism permits four major goals: karma, artha, dharma, and moksha. If a person chooses a life in search of pleasures, they would be considered following the path of karma. Those who seek the pleasure of the literary arts can turn to the Natyasastras for guidance. The Kamasutra can guide the more suggestive pleasure of making love. Pursuing politics or the materialism of commercial competition is the goal of artha. All Hindus are expected to follow the goal of dharma and live according to the duties of their caste. Moksha, release, is the goal of those who have grown tired of the other pursuits in previous lifetimes, and now seek release from the wheel of rebirth. The Law of Karma is intricately bound with samsara, the wheel of rebirth, and the caste.

Hinduism has welcomed all the ways of salvation set forth in the Bhagavad Gita . The ways suggested by the Bhagavad Gita have developed into well-established paths that many Hindus walk today. The four ways of salvation consist of karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, and raja yoga. Karma yoga, the Way of Works, is valued in part because it is praised by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Although not the highest road to salvation, it nevertheless leads to the goal of release. The Veda sacrifices are the heart of the path of works. For men and women there were distinctive duties. The most essential duties for men came from the shraddha rites to ancestors.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2187
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)