Dear John,

The best answer that you could have is given in Bhagavad Geeta (a Hindu spiritual book). Bhagavad Geeta shares some profound knowledge over this.

It says that the body is considered to be made of five basic elements. It is not alive in itself; only the soul within gives it life and consciousness. In other words, the body is the vehicle and the soul is the fuel or energy.

The soul (called Atman in Hinduism) is eternal, indestructible, and immutable. It does not die with the body but is reborn into another body after death.

The soul undergoes a cycle of rebirth, moving from one body to another. This is similar to how a person changes worn-out clothes for new ones.

The soul experiences different stages of life (childhood, youth, and old age) in one body and then transitions to another body upon death. And all this is due to Karmic reasons. Nothing is unfair in this world. Everything is due to Karmic reasons. 

The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes the importance of spiritual practices such as yoga to transcend the limitations of the body and mind. By realizing one’s true self as the soul and not the body, one can achieve liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and death.

I would recommend you to read Bhagavad Geeta. You’ll get better understanding of life after that.

I personally believe that you will not get knowledgeable by reading texts. However, you just get Gyan(wisdom) when it’s meant to come to you. However, to be in a such a stage that Gyan flows naturally to you, you must be humble and follow a Sadhana(Spiritual Practice). You can start as simple as chanting Mahamrityunjay Mantra (if you don’t about chant Mahamrityunjay. You can follow this guide: Mahamrityunjay Mantra Guide).

Be discipline in you practice. Read Bhagavad Geeta and chant 108 repetitions of Mahamrityunjay mantra daily at a fixed time. You will see your life changing within weeks.

If you have any doubts, you can write to me.

May God give you wisdom!

🙂