Yes, human beings do reincarnate as animals.

Let’s understand how, from the teachings of Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan…

Firstly, as stated in Darwin’s theory, life develops to the point of a human form. The theory of evolution has validity to the extent that a single-sensed organism gradually evolves into a two-sensed organism, then into a three-sensed, four-sensed and a five-sensed living being, and finally takes birth as a human being.

Once the Soul Reaches the Human Form, the Ego Raises its Head

Ego means the wrong belief that, ‘I am John (you may insert your own name here).’

Because of this ego, one becomes the doer of karmas. This becomes the cause; and consequently, one is given to suffer the effects of every such cause. Thus, as long as there is a belief that, ‘I am John (you may insert your own name here).’ one continues to bind karma. And depending on one’s karma, he could become a fodder eating animal or a bread eating human being!

Once Born as a Human, One Moves Around in Four Different Life Forms

After death, there are four different life-forms that one can be born into.

• animal,
• human,
• infernal, and
• celestial.

One’s Inner Tendencies Determine One Shall Enter into which One of the Four Life Forms

The ego conducts itself according to the worldly knowledge gathered from his experiences and the societal influence around him, and becoming the doer, binds good karma and bad karma.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan specifies why human soul reincarnates as animals,

“If his (human’s) thinking is comparable to that of a donkey, how is he going to be born as a human again? The thoughts he has, about depriving others and coveting other people’s possessions, will all lead him to the lower life form.” People who cheat their customers by selling adulterated goods and take enjoyment from things that do not belong to them, all such tendencies lead to a life in the animal kingdom.

At the Time of Death, a Balance Sheet of One’s Deeds, Done throughout the Life, Arises

Anything that one has acquired by devious use of intellect will take him to the animal kingdom. If he has been decent and humane, he will come back in a human form. Those who’ve destroyed people’s homes and lives for their own gain, will go to hell. And those with super-human qualities, who despite being hurt by others, do not retaliate and remain benevolent, shall go to heaven. Ultimately, whatever has been ‘deposited’ into one’s karmic account so far, will carry forward.

In the final hour of his death, one’s next life is thus decided based on his spiritual evolutionary status, which is determined by the result of the final analysis of his balance sheet. Bad karma are debits and good karma are credits. If one has created more of debits by doing bad karma, he reincarnates in the animal form. And if one creates credits by doing good karmas, he is born as a celestial being, or as a human being again, where he will enjoy material comforts and luxuries. Thus, after coming into the human form, everything depends upon these debits and credits.

Param Pujya Dadashri further explains,

“Whatever load has been gathered, whatever debt is incurred, one has to go there to pay off the debt. And if you have accrued credit, then you have to go and redeem that. When you have credit, you have to go to the celestial realm, or else you stay in the human form and live like a king. And if you have incurred debt, you have to redeem it by becoming a bullock. It will have to be redeemed in a life as a buffalo, or a dog.”

One whose debt is heavy, it may not be possible to pay off the entire debt in just one lifetime of animal life-form. So, when their life as a dog ends, because the debt is still pending, they may reincarnate as a donkey. And if the debt continues even after that, then they may reincarnate, next, as a fox or as any other animal. However, there can only be eight consecutive births in the animal form; not more. For eight lifetimes at the most, one wanders around from one life-form to another life-form, paying off the debit balance of karma at each place. The debt is paid off in a maximum of eight lives, and thereafter one returns back in the human form.

This is how Soul wanders around in the four realms of existence (animal, human, demonic or divine).

Countless number of times, we have passed through animal kingdom and have returned to human birth. In the present era of Kaliyug, Pujya Dadashri says, ‘only about fifteen percent of people will rise higher; the rest have come here with a return ticket to go back to the lower life forms.’

The End to the Roaming can only Happen after Atmagnan (Self-Realization)

The end to wandering from one life-form to another can happen only after the enlightened or the right Vision (samyak drashti) arises! And for the enlightened Vision to arise, we need to meet Gnani Purush, and then act in accordance to his given knowledge. Only then can one attain Moksha.

We are really a Pure Soul and our function is to only see and know. However, we have wrongly come to believe that really, ‘I am John and I am the doer of the thoughts, speech and actions’. Because of this false doership, we end up binding karma, good or bad. However, when Gnani steps into our life, he makes us realize, really ‘who am I?’ In this process, Gnani burns off a lot of our deluding karma. Thus, after Self-Realization, if we follow Gnani’s words, it rules out the possibility if reincarnating as animal or any lower life-form.

Furthermore, Gnani teaches us to do pratikraman for the inner tendencies that led to creation of debits so far. Pratikraman means with a pure heart, we pray to the inner Soul of the person whom we have caused hurt through our wrong deeds, “Dear Lord, I have made so and so mistakes. Please forgive me for these mistakes. I vow that I shall not repeat these mistakes again. Please grant me strength so that I can fulfil my vow.”

Thus, so that we do not have to reincarnate ever, let’s go to Gnani and attain Self-Realization. This not only ends our wandering, but also puts an end to our sufferings forever, as we realize that we are a Soul that never dies and whose inherent property is eternal bliss!