In Buddhist thought, rebirth refers to the ongoing cycle in which a new existence arises after death, shaped by the karmic effects of previous intentional actions. This process is better described as “rebirth” rather than “reincarnation,” because it does not involve a permanent, unchanging soul migrating from one body to another. What continues is a stream of consciousness and conditioned experiences, influenced by past karma, rather than a fixed self or ātman. The being that appears in a subsequent life is neither wholly identical to nor entirely separate from the one who died, but is linked through causal continuity.

Karma functions as the crucial thread connecting one life to the next, determining the quality and circumstances of future births. The accumulated effects of wholesome and unwholesome actions shape not only character and tendencies, but also the realm into which one is reborn, whether human, animal, heavenly, or more painful states of existence. This cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is known as saṃsāra, a process driven by ignorance and craving that perpetuates suffering. Through understanding this dynamic, the teachings invite a sense of moral responsibility, since every intentional act contributes to the pattern of future experience.

The ultimate aim of the Buddhist path is to bring this cycle to an end by uprooting the causes that sustain it. Enlightenment, or nirvāṇa, represents the cessation of the karmic forces that propel further rebirth, and thus the ending of saṃsāra. By cultivating wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline, practitioners seek to transform the stream of consciousness so that it no longer generates the conditions for another birth. In this way, rebirth is not merely a doctrine about what happens after death, but a profound framework for understanding how each moment of intention shapes both present experience and the long trajectory of existence.