On Reincarnation

Posted by nottibeans on 08-06-2013, 7:24 PM :

AUTUMN&WINTER wrote:

Don't quite understand the last part. Why "hence no reincarnation"? Can kindly explain.

I understand that our 8th conciousness (Alaya) is like our data storage (software). It contains all the past lives good and bad seeds (good and evil deeds) and follows one when one is reborn. Our 8th conciousness is like software and our body is like hardware which always changes if one is being reborn. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

The word "reincarnation" suggests there is a permanent soul/self that transmigrates from one body to another. Ultimately, there is no "I" or "you", nothing that can be associated with a self (non-self true nature). To realise non-self nature, you need to see the arishing & perishing nature of ultimate realities. The sub-atomic particles of our bodies are arising and perishing at an incredible fast rate. Our consciousnesses are also the same nature, arishing and perishing even faster, one consciousness after another consciousness while the body particles arish and perish lump by lump. We only exist for one conscious moment actually but as we cannot see the true nature(blinded by ignorance/delusion), we take what is impermanent as permanent, what is non-self as self.

Alaya consciousness is from Mahayana teaching. From Pali texts, it is the cetanā(volition) mental factor when the impulsion(javana) consciousnesses arise that make kamma. There is the the kammic potency(to produce result) in future. When you penetrates dependent origination, you will understand ignorance and craving are the two root causes of rebirth. When you destroyed the two root causes, the kammic potency will not be able to produce result in a new existence anymore.