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material cause, therefore, the Jains, the Buddhists, the followers of the Vedas, Nyâya, Vaisheshika and Mimânsâ philosophies believe that the next birth of man is determined by the actions of his past life. Many others believe that the future form will be the same as in the present life i.e., a man will be reborn a man, a woman a woman, an animal an animal and so on and so forth. This belief is also according to the Vedas but it is not right, because it is seen in the world that if a corn rubbed with linsed oil is sown in the earth it will produce several kinds of grain. Similarly there are many plants and vegetables which can be produced by the combination of many other things as described in Ayurveda. In the Jaina Shâstrâs many instances are given where the combination of several things can produce a certain species of life, for instance a serpant, or a diamond, gold &c. The above statement is also borne out by the conclusions of the modern science. It is consequently not established that an effect will be of the same form as its cause.
