Greetings,
I know about an incident where a famous and prominent personality, a woman astronaut, died an untimely death. took rebirth but this time in a poor unprivileged family. This incident was recorded a few years ago when a young child claimed to be this significant person and exhibited similar behavior. My question is because the soul is born in an underprivileged family this birth, are there any possibilities that the child carries the merits of their previous birth?
—Radha, India
Dear Friend,
The teaching of reincarnation assures us that the merits (and de-merits) of previous lives go with us forward into the after-death states and into our next birth. Who can say why this privileged soul found herself in a less-than-privileged birth in her next life. No doubt some lessons to be learned or karma to be worked off.
Rest assured, however, that karma is not arbitrary. Indeed: it is exacting. The fact that we, looking from the outside of the soul or body, cannot discern the subtle workings of karma does not mean those threads of cause and effect are not operating with precision.
Consider that each soul is given the precise circumstances best suited to the awakening of their soul’s natural state of perfection. It is the soul’s choice to accept or reject the opportunity and thus accelerate or delay its ultimate freedom in God.
Blessings and joy to you in the faith that God is good; God is great; God is merciful!
Nayaswami Hriman
