Reincarnation and the Self

Ramana Maharshi taught that reincarnation is real, but it applies only to the body and mind, not to the Self. The Self is eternal and does not reincarnate.

Ramana Maharshi acknowledged that reincarnation is real and that the body and mind take birth again and again according to karma. However, he taught that the Self does not reincarnate. The Self is eternal and unchanging, beyond birth and death.

When one identifies with the body and mind, one experiences birth and death, and the cycle of reincarnation. But when one realizes the Self, one realizes that the Self was never born and will never die. The Self is eternal, beyond the cycle of birth and death.

The goal of self-inquiry is to realize the Self, which is beyond reincarnation. When one is established in the Self, one is free from the cycle of birth and death, even though the body may continue to experience it.