istence in this life over and over. The only way to escape this cycle of life and death (reincarnation) is through consciousness of the true self or essence, which is achieved through meditation and other practices. As Swami Tripurari (1) explains these facets of the Vedanta view of reincarnation, "The true self is the witness to matter's transformation and that by knowing our self (consciousness) and our source (God) we can become free from illusion and the cycle of birth and death." In this sense, the Vedanta view of reincarnation is quite different than the Buddhist view, particularly in its notion that there is some form of permanence to the soul or personality that can endure the death of the body. This view of reincarnation also maintains the goal of awareness is to escape the cycle of birth and death involved in i
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