In other words, after this physical body ceases to function, the stream of life continues, although the form of life in the later stage is not the same as the form of life in the earlier stage. It should be noted that this stream of life is always in flux; it is not an immortal soul traveling from one life to another like a traveler going from one inn to another.
Rebirth, according to Buddhism, does not mean incarnation or the inevitable return to this human world with the "old, unchanging soul." Due to the karmic force, good or bad (the power of intentional actions), after this physical body dies, another form of life will appear, either higher than humans, such as celestial beings, or lower than humans, such as animals, demons, and suffering beings.
Thus, the stream continues in a state of change, like a rushing river. Subsequent beings inherit the good or bad legacy of previous beings. Two forms of existence in two different time periods and two different circumstances are "not the same, but not different either."
It's not a matter of whether a human being becomes a god or an animal, but rather the actions of body, speech, and mind (karma) that, being of a god or animal nature, make a being become a god or an animal. Not only in the future, but even in the present, we can become one form or another depending on our actions (karma).
The doctrine of reincarnation is the most reasonable answer to the question "what happens after death, is there existence or non-existence?", compared to the answer "after death, one will be reborn in heaven or hell and live there for eternity" and the answer "there is nothing left after death."
Without karma, there is no rebirth, as in the case of Arhats and Buddhas. Buddhas and Arhats are liberated beings: they do not act for the sake of "the self," they do not create the causes of life and death, therefore there is no longer life and death.
Liberation from reincarnation is very difficult. Therefore, for beings who are not yet capable of liberation, the Buddha taught them methods of cultivation to avoid falling into bad, suffering realms such as animal, hungry ghost, and other extremely miserable realms, and to be reborn into peaceful worlds such as the realms of gods, or at least to be reborn in the human world, where living conditions are relatively peaceful and can help them continue to progress on the path to enlightenment.
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