A Buddhist perspective Being born as a human being

The Buddha has said that out of all forms of life, the human life is the most advanced. A human birth is very rare compared to all the other life forms on earth. To be born as a human being, one should have cultivated a lot of merit in past lives. Compared to other life forms, the human being is a very sophisticated and complex entity.
In Buddhism, humans have a very special status: only a human can attain enlightenment as a fully enlightened Buddha. A bodhisattva can appear in many different types of lives, for instance as an animal or as a Deva. Buddhas, however, are always human.
The Balapandita Sutta compares the human birth as follows. It is like a wooden cattle-yoke floating on the waves of the sea, tossed this way and that by the winds and currents, where the likelihood of a blind turtle, rising from the depths of the ocean to the surface once in a hundred years, were to put its head through the hole in the yoke- 
This is considered a greater possibility than that of a being in the animal realm, hungry ghost realm or hell realm achieving rebirth as a human. This is because, according to the Sutta, in these realms there is no Dhamma, no practising of what is right, no doing what is wholesome, and no performing of merit. 
However, it is generally implied that if one is already living as a human they will continue to be reborn in the human world based on good works and so they will be born again and again as long as they are moral and good in the ways described in Buddhist rules regardless of whether or not they are Buddhists themselves. The idea is that one must be good and moral because falling below the human realm is dangerous as the odds of one becoming a human again with any great frequency is slim.

When I get up in the morning, I pause awhile and allow myself to become aware of myself. I am such a complex being. What makes me think? What triggers memory? How do I function as a human being? I have only to intend something and it happens. Even a simple thing like walking, is a miracle to me. To place my feet, one after another. Or climbing steps, one after another. How does it happen? It is such a mystery to me. My ability to eat and digest my food. How my whole body works. How my mind works. I have thoughts. From where do these thoughts come? What originated them? My breath just happens. I don’t need to consciously breathe. It happens on its own. How do I talk? How do I form speech? My heart pumps blood to my whole body in such an incredibly sophisticated way. I have emotions- propelled by the changing experiences of my life. Where do these emotions reside? 
In my body or my mind? Where does the mind reside? Is it in my brain? Some Buddhists believe that the residing place of the mind is in the whole length of this human body.
Everything in life that we experience as human beings is impermanent. 
Take ourselves- About two months ago, I reopened my childhood photo album and went through the pictures. That act of mine brought about many memories for me. Due to the passing of time, the photo album had faded and so had the photos. With the help of my father- in- law, we together scanned the photos and put all the pictures to another new album. I emailed my pictures to my aunt and the first thing she told me that hit her was the impermanence of things. 
How all the people in the album had grown old and changed. Some of them dead by now. 
And so, I had food for thought. I had started out as a baby, so helpless and innocent, just like everyone else. Had grown up. Reached maturity and got married. Had a son. I was never the same for even one moment throughout that whole process. I was evolving , and what’s more, am evolving even now, as I speak.

According to the Aggañña Sutta , humans originated at the beginning of the current kalpa as deva-like beings reborn from the Abhasvara deva-realm. 
They were then beings shining in their own light, capable of moving through the air without mechanical aid, living for a very long time, and not requiring sustenance.
Over time, they acquired a taste for physical nutriment, and as they consumed it, their bodies became heavier and more like human bodies; they lost their ability to shine, and began to acquire differences in their appearance. Their length of life decreased, they differentiated into two sexes and became sexually active. Following this, greed, theft and violence arose among them, and they consequently established social distinctions and government and elected a king to rule them, called Mahasammata, “the great appointed one”. Some of the kings of India in the Buddha´s day claimed descent from him.
Among humans there are also better and worse conditions for attaining enlightenment. Besides being born as a human, the favourable conditions for obtaining enlightenment are:
-Being born a human at a time when a Buddha has arisen, has taught the Dharma, and has left a community of Sangha that carries on the teachings; at such times there is a chance to learn the Dharma.
-Being born a human in countries where the Dharma is known. Buddhist commentaries contrast the “central lands” where Buddhism is known and can be practised (originally just northern India, but now including a much larger portion of the globe) with “border countries” where Buddhism is unknown or cannot be practised due to legal or practical impediments, for instance, a lack of qualified teachers. Technically a “central land” is one which possesses any one of the Buddhist Sanghas of bhikkus, bhikkunis, upasakas or upasikas.

-Being born a human who has the physical and intellectual capacity to grasp the basic message of the Dharma. Accepting the relationship between good or evil actions and their consequences, believing that good actions will lead to a happier life, a better rebirth or to enlightenment. Confidence in the moral teachings conveyed in the Vinaya. Avoiding crimes against people and against the Dharma. Having sincere compassion for other people.
For this reason, Buddhist teachers say that one’s present condition as a human should be valued very highly, and not allowed to slide by, as the combination of existence as a human and the presence of a Buddha’s teaching may not come again for a very long time. Any human, in this view, who finds himself or herself in a position to learn the Dharma, would be remiss if he or she did not take advantage of it. This view also stands in contrast to those who would claim that, if one is to be reborn multiple times, there is no need to worry about one’s actions in this life as they can always be amended in the future; rather, there is no assurance that in a long series of lives one will ever obtain the right circumstances for enlightenment, so it is important to seize the day.
Rebirth is a very real reality in Buddhism. I have never questioned it as I have absolute faith in rebirth. We have been born as human beings and one day we are going to die. After death, we will invariably keep being reborn as long as we haven’t extinguished out karmic bond to this journey of ours in Samsara.
The practice of meditation is a boon in making our journey in Samsara easier. To live with wisdom. Without acting in Ignorance.

-Anonymous
And with this I shall leave you for today. With many loving wishes to you and yours, a happy and peaceful Poya to you all!