Wonderful question. The whole universe is governed by two laws and processes of Time that complement each other. First is a constant forward movement of Time while the second is the cyclic movement of Time in which everything changes and renews itself. It is through this constant change and renewal that Nature advances forwards. The stars, the leaves, the seasons, the human body, different species and forms keep renewing through a cyclic process wherein the old element dies and a new element that is similar takes its place like a new flower springing as the old dies. It is as if the ‘information’ that gives birth to any form is stored in some indestructible element whose nature man doesn’t understand. That indestructible element where the essence of information about our life is kept intact is called as the soul. It is the basis of all forward movement and progress. Forms change because form implies stability and stability tends to turn into rigidity. Rigidity in turn prevents forward progress. But since Time keeps moving forward pushing all things by its impulsion, whatever is unable to move and progress, tends to fall back and dies.
But then that part in us that is indestructible carries the ‘essence of the progress’ forward and slowly brings out a new form with the help of Nature. Its proof lies in three things. First is the intuitive sense of being immortal that keeps moving us to progress, to achieve despite knowing that the outer form of things are not permanent. The soul within is the real driving engine for progress. It is the seed of evolution that moves with the forward movement of Time without falling back. Being divine in essence it is subtle and plastic, not rigid. The push towards progress despite the presence of death is due to the intuition of an immortal substance in us. Secondly, there is a whole set of mystic experience, the scientists of the Spirit who have confirmed through direct experience that the soul exists and, like any other field of Science, teach us how we too can experience it if we fulfil the conditions and follow the way. Hence it is not just a belief but verifiable truth. Thirdly experiments during the last century by the famous scientist have confirmed memories of past life in several people. Later others have documented instances of the same.
In fact without rebirth through which something in us progresses from life to life, we cannot explain the differences that arise in the temperament and tendencies of people from birth itself. Pure heredity does not explain it nor does the theory that there is only one life given as its career to the soul. Rebirth alone can fill this gap in our understanding. It helps us immensely to know this because it implies that whatever effort we make at progress in our life is never wasted even if it does not bear fruits in one life. And since the march of Time is always forward, each life is necessarily an improvement upon the previous one. It is the inbuilt evolutionary mechanism in creation. So it beings hope, endless hope.
As to the present body being not the best is obvious but as we noted above the body itself is in an evolutionary cyclic process. It is constantly recycled. Being rigid it is unable to cope up with the pace of progress of the soul and the mind. Thankfully it is not the last and final body evolved by Nature. The human body itself has evolved drastically over millenniums and continues to evolve. Hence it is destined to throw up better and better bodies in the future until the perfect body that can move with the rhythm of the Soul is built. Whether it can be done in one life or a number of lives will depend upon the collective will of mankind. The physical evolution of the body does not depend upon one or two individuals alone but upon a certain critical number of human beings who make conscious evolution their goal. They are still very few hence the time taken is long. The more we evolve within and in the body in this evolutionary direction the less we shall be subject to disease and death.
Hope this clarifies.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
