How can heaven-hell concept and rebirth concept both be true?

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How can heaven-hell concept and rebirth concept both be true? Topics in Hinduism Moksha Reincarnation

1 points | Post submitted by jay 1044 days ago | 3 comments | viewed 937 times

In the heaven-hell concept, pious go to Swarga (heaven) and sinners go to Naraka (hell). However, if one has good/bad karma, the rebirth concept says that he/she will enjoy/suffer in their next births.

How can both these theories be true when they contradict each other?

jay1044 days ago | +0 points

You said, "sinners go to Naraka (Hell)", yeah true. But what happened to the "sinner" there? Scriptures say, they get tormented in ways that can't be imagined. Who is the Sinner then? Note that the sinner's body is dead now. Whats left is the soul, and that ONLY should pass on to other Lokas e.g Heaven or Hell. Soul = "Atma" + a Subtle body i.e Jeevatma. Now Can Jeevatma alone be tormented or pampered? NO!! Let us see why.
Jeeva and Atma are different. Atma is eternally blissful, with trait like Satta, Chitta, Ananda. Nothing can harm Atma in ANY way. Its has (or feels) no Pain, no sorrow, has no memory, or seeks happiness either.
Jiva on the other hand is physical self that takes birth, grows, FEELS (pain or pleasure), and at last dies. And while it exists, it usually accumulates Karma, creates memories or say expressions on the psychic, which may all goes into its Subtle body, that is mentioned above.
So the Atma which is covered with accumulated Karma (and sometimes memory too), is called Jeevatma. Actually, Karma is a state of being of Atma itself. Precisely, kind of its Unbalanced state. So "Jeevatma" can also NOT be harmed or pampered in ANYWAY!!
So what's the need of Hell or Heaven when you can't harm a sinner-soul, or pamper a saint-soul in return, when it passes into the Loka!!???
Here comes Rebirth into play.
Re-Birth is nothing by mapping of an Jeevatma with a Jeeva, in that respective Loka. Be it NarakLoka (Hell), SwargaLoka (Heaven) or MrityuLoka (Earth). So when a Jeevatma takes rebirth, it becomes ready to get what it deserves, because ONLY THROUGH some "assigned" body, a Jeevatma can receive the fruits of its accumulated Karma.
And So again, TO GET THE FRUITS OF HIS DEED ONE HAS TO TAKE A RE-BIRTH, whether in Hell, or Heaven or here on Earth. That is why its said that a soul is always SENTENCED to Life, rather than "Gifted" a Life. And to be free is to, break this rebirth cycle.
There the two concepts DO NOT contradict, rather go hand in hand actually. THIS IS THE GREATNESS OF THE WISDOM OF HINDUISM.

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Garimapandey1039 days ago | +0 points

Dont you think that the concept of hell is very biblical? In hinduism there is swarg lok and patal lok where both gods and the demi-gods reside. The concept of rebirth is based on our karma. But this entire idea of hell I feel was just another attempt by the colonial powers to accommodate Christianity in India. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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