Do elephants re-incarnate?

[Busby]

According to my somewhat now tatty book 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead', I will, and of course you will, have to be very aware of not returning into this world as say an animal.
The book describes the 'scene' which takes place during the dying process, a process which takes place also for a while after the body has ceased to live.
Basically it's quite simple - in order to be certain of being born again as a human your awareness will have to be so very much alive that it will need to be bordering on enlightenment. (Whatever that might be).

You will need to understand and defend your own 'I'. In addition you will have to decide just what you want to be and not make the wrong choice.

At some time in the past the belief of rebirth into a whole choice of possibilities - for instance being reborn as a bee or as an octopus, has been removed from the idea of re-incarnation. This probably has to do with our religious conviction that life is a series of spirals which only lead upwards.

Added to the fact that 'we' have introduced a belief in an invisible manager who is responsible for an invisible 'karma' which we have connected to the quality of rebirth results, we now have no idea what we should believe about rebirth. Those of us who investigated the possibility of such a reality - such as Stevenson - could never come to more than a suspicious conclusion.

Our decision has been to believe anything which gives us a good feeling - although we may be reborn as a pygmy in the jungle of Borneo or as a skinny starving infant in Africa.

As for myself, well I'm willing to wait to see what happens - if at all, although I am slightly excited in my love of life to think that if I have been born once it could happen again.

Having been born once is amazing enough - I still can't get over it.

[SilentDrum]

in order to be certain of being born again as a human your awareness will have to be so very much alive that it will need to be bordering on enlightenment.

That would mean all human beings (currently alive on Earth) are bordering enlightenment... a information I would take with a grain of salt...

[iamthat]

Esoteric philosophy is very clear that having attained human birth then there is no reverting to future incarnations in the animal kingdom.

This is to do with with the constitution of a human being which has an individualised Soul or Consciousness, as opposed to the group Souls of the animal world. And the mental/emotional vehicles of a human being are more developed than the mental/emotional vehicles of animals.

It is not about just believing whatever makes us feel good.

Regarding future incarnations, I look at the current direction of humanity and it is difficult for me to get excited about the possibility of being reborn. Physical existence may become very challenging in the next 100 years.

But I do not rule out the possibility of an influx of spiritual energies and knowledge which may elevate human existence to a whole new level.

In the end, whatever my current personal feelings, I have no doubt that Soul or Consciousness will decide according to its own agenda.

Peace

[Traveler]

I believe all sentient life has a soul and evolves and goes through reincarnation. That includes animals.

[BigJohn]

..... and some people include plants, minerals, etc.

[Rah nam]

The only way to go somewhat backward would be, if we destroy this planet, like it happened before in this solar system. Those who destroyed their planet are still to a degree in limbo on their own choosing. (not in second density and not in third)
Will not happen, not this time.

[lostsoul13]

Reincarnation as a bee,. Or elephant would take decades of reincarnation- until we forgot the mind and thought and spirit- suspended animation seems to be key here- although I would love to reincarnate as a lion- days comfortable lounging.. a doubt until my 100 reincarnation in 7000 years with suspended animation will see me into a animal apart from my shape shifter’ about 50th reincarnation-vo start to change into a shape shifter- a wolf or lion of some kind.. humans and animals have a strong tie… but then again you know if your a shape shifter if you desire it? Mine explodes out of anger and bitterness from the pain of my reincarnations

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 1 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Busby

According to my somewhat now tatty book 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead', I will, and of course you will, have to be very aware of not returning into this world as say an animal.

Ramana Maharshi confirmed the Nirvana of his cow Lakshmi. Being born as a cow seemed to work out very well for Lakshmi.

https://sriramanamaharishi.com/anima...d-cow-lakshmi/

NOTE: I am very familiar with the Tibetan Book of the Dead and it has been an inspiration to me in my "dying before death" practice.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 3 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by iamthat

Esoteric philosophy is very clear that having attained human birth then there is no reverting to future incarnations in the animal kingdom.

Really ?

Here's Ramakrishna's rendition of the well-known story about the sage king Bharat who reincarnated as a deer.

https://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.i...da_bharata.htm

EXCERPT:

Some years passed in this way, but one day death came, and the royal sage laid himself down to die. But his mind, instead of being intent upon the Self, was thinking about the deer; and with his eyes fixed upon the sad looks of his beloved deer, his soul left the body. As the result of this, in the next birth he was born as a deer.

[SilentDrum]

The Yoga Vashishta also says humans can be reborn as animals:
"This life and death cycle appears to be a skillful dancer whose skirt is made up of living souls, and her dancing gestures consist of lifting the souls up to heaven, hurling them down into hell, or bringing them back to this earth. All the mighty deeds, even the great religious rites that people perform here, are soon consigned to one's memory. Human beings are born as animals and vice vers"