also: すくせ
noun
previous existence; past life
Buddhist term referring to one's former lives or previous incarnations, often in the context of karma and rebirth.
宿世の因縁によって、二人は再び出会った。
Through the karma of past lives, the two met again.
前世 is the common, non-sectarian word for 'previous life', while 宿世 is specifically Buddhist and often implies karmic connections.
From Middle Chinese 宿世 (sjuwk syejH), meaning 'past life' or 'previous existence'. The reading しゅくせ is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi; すくせ is an older or variant reading.