HUMAN BIRTH IS RARE

We must not assume that in our next lifetime we will again be born as a human.  As human life is rare, it is far more likely that we will be born in some other life situation.  If this occurs, the odds of our identifying why we are being reincarnated are diminished. 

We humans are uniquely positioned in the cycle of existence/nonexistence.  We have sufficient intelligence to identify the problems that result in our rebirth, unlike less developed beings such as lower animals.  Other beings are prone to being overwhelmed by their problems and therefore are less likely to know what to do about them.

Buddhism in particular underscores the need to always be aware of, in this instance, death, to be aware that there is never one instant when death is not happening.  Death is everywhere and always.  By being mindful of this and of the fact that human birth is infrequent, we can discover, as the Buddha did, a way clear of constantly being reincarnated.