Death, afterlife, Brahman and atmanWhy do Hindus believe in life after death?
Many Hindus believe that humans are in a cycle of death and rebirth called 'samsara'. Hinduism teaches that through enlightened knowledge the cycle can be broken.
Ancient Hindu scriptures refer to the atman being reborn many times. The Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered and important Hindu texts. The Gita tells the story of Krishna’s incarnation as a chariot driver to Prince Arjuna and forms part of the Mahabharata. states:
Just as a man giving up old worn out garments accepts another new apparel,
in the same way the embodied soul giving up old and worn out bodies verily
accepts new bodies.
— Bhagavad Gita 2:22 (Smriti text)
The Bhagavad Gita also explains that death is something that we can neither stop nor grieve about:
For one who has taken birth, death is certain and for one who is dead, birth is certain; therefore you ought not to lament for an inevitable situation.