Quora Question: If reincarnation and karma are supposed to be reward or punishment for a past life, why can't most humans remember their past lives? How is it a punishment or reward if the human knows nothing about what he or she has done?

Some people do remember their past lives. Others, often unintentionally, discover something about a previous life, whether it be thru some sort of spiritual practice or working with someone who facilitates exploring past lives. However, your assumption that there is punishment, I disagree with.

In my view, we punish ourselves. For instance, when we act selfishly, and take advantage of people, punishment may come immediately, in the form of being ostracized by those who object to that kind of behavior. And, for those who are capable of self reflection, they may see how selfishness hurts everyone, including themselves, so they stop that behavior pattern.

Karma doesn't have to be in another life, action and reaction are instant...and it's us doing it. No point in blaming others, no need for some supernatural being to punish us, it's simply energy. We create bad energy, we experience bad energy, it's simple.

And of course visa-versa, which is obviously much more enjoyable and rewarding for all involved, and at some point we get that. It's just that some of us learn quicker than others. The slow learners may have to live more lives, but not everyone that comes back is a slow learner, and reincarnation is not punishment in and of itself. That's my view, anyway.