Does Our Past Life Affect Our Future Lives?

From the perspective of yoga and Buddhism, all of our past life actions matter. These philosophies see that we create our own happiness and suffering. We are the creators for our future in this life and for the next lifetimes. Karma is a fundamental concept that needs to be understood, if we want to understand the concepts of life, death and rebirth.

“If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look at your present actions”.

Padmasambhava

Karma, the engine of Samsara

The concept of karma is accepted in all six different schools (philosophies) of Hinduism. However, many people in the western world often misunderstand and think that karma means the same as destiny, as if everything were predestined and we can’t affect our life. Karma is much more than that. It is the sum of all past actions and our future will be built on our present actions. We create our karma all the time. As a result, if the actions were causing good for ourselves or others, it will bring more good things in our life. If the actions were negative and causing pain to ourselves or others, pain and suffering are going to increase. Good creates good, bad brings more demerit. It is an instant reaction of cause and effect.

Samsara, the cycle of life and death, is maintained by karma. As long there are karmas from the past lives to be experienced, we are to be reborn on and on again.

It would be illogical to believe that the impressions of karmas are destroyed with the death of the body.

Living through the past life karmas

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 2:12 and 2:13 have interesting wisdom about karma from the past lives. Swami Satyananda Saraswati explains that there is a concept called Karmashaya, “the storage-house of karmas”. This is the root cause of afflictions. Therefore, as long there are afflictions, they keep on giving experiences in the present life and future births.

When we understand the theory of karma, it helps us to understand the process of rebirth. In the concept of rebirth, it is the body and mind being born, instead of a “person”. In other words they are our previous karmic actions that are being born again in a new body. 

“According to the theory of transmigration, it is not the body that transmigrates, it is not even the mind; it’s only the impressions of our past actions (karmas) that transmigrate. It is the sleeping place for karmas that moves from one body to another. It is not a physical thing. We must assume that ‘something’ continues even after the body is burned or buried”.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati

We are often wondering why bad things like accidents, diseases or misfortune are happening to people who are compassionate, kind and thoughtful beings. From the yogic perspective, they are experiencing the past karmas that they need to live through, no matter how compassionate a life they live currently. Due to this, an individual has to go through all the effects of the past karmas. As a result, our past actions prescribe the frames for our present life; the basis, length and overall quality of life.

Wake up now and have a better next life!

A person who understands the function karmic actions can take a lead on his/her own life. Spiritual awakening often helps us to start living a full and more compassionate life. In other words we will begin to understand who we really are as the “karmic curse” is not blinding us to the true, inner Self. The more we become aware of the causes of our actions, the less we will act from the ego and more from the heart. For instance disciplined practices of yoga and meditation are powerful tools to increase awareness for self-growth. One doesn’t need to be spiritual (or believe in rebirth) to practice forgiveness and gratitude. They will help us to live more compassionate lives and to understand the power of our words, thoughts and conscious choices.

However, personally I have found it helpful to see my life through my present actions and what kind of karma they would build for the future. I don’t know what is going to happen to me in this life. All I can do is take what is to come from my karmashaya, and spend my life feeling gratitude for everything life has brought to me so far. I hope my actions will be beneficial for the environment, other people and myself. If I am not to experience the benefits in this life, then in the next life.

Yoga Philosophy series by Anni Rainio

1. 1. Is there afterlife?
   2. What makes life suffering
   3. Reincarnation vs. Rebirth
   4. Does our past life affect our future lives?
   5. Transcending the fear of death
   6. How to find life purpose
   7. Acting from compassion
   8. Process of dying according to Tibetan Buddhism
   9. Process of dying – Perspectives from Hindu philosophies
   10. Breaking the cycle of samsara
   11. Enlightenment

Recommended readings on life, death, and the afterlife

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Four Chapters on Freedom

Share a Conscious Action

If you enjoyed this article, leave us a comment below, we love discussions! Share it with some of your friends and start a discussion amongst yourselves while you develop your relationship to your karma!

Join us for a yoga retreat or yoga teacher training at Doron Yoga & Zen Center in Guatemala.

About the Author

This blog post is written by Anni Rainio, Doron Yoga Teacher -alumni, who is doing her 300h yoga teacher studies at Doron Yoga & Zen Center. She wrote a thesis about process of dying and rebirth from the yogic and Buddhist perspectives. This series of Yoga Philosophy blog texts are giving tastes of her theoretical studies. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts either here or to annirainio@gmail.com.

Check out Anni’s website: www.annirainio.com