Beliefs About the Afterlife
An important belief in Hinduism is in reincarnation. Essentially, the belief is held that after death, the "atman", or soul, moves through a series of different bodies or forms. The atman lives through many forms, which are simply shells for it to inhabit.The form a Hindu becomes is decided based on how many good deeds you performed in your previous life and how your life was lived. The accumulation of the actions of one's life is called karma. Once karma has been perfected, the atman stops the cycle of rebirth and is able to attain moksha, or becoming one with Brahman. The goal of Hinduism is to perform good deeds and achieve this state. Hindus believe that death comes naturally at the right time and that excessive medical treatment that causes prolonged suffering is not appropriate.