DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - The Questions of King Milinda and rebirth

**ulw7A8Po** · 11-02-2011, 12:32 AM

"And at the moment when a being sets this body aside and is not yet reborn in another body, what do you designate as its sustenance then?"

"Vaccha, when a being sets this body aside and is not yet reborn in another body, I designate it as craving-sustained, for craving is its sustenance at that time."

What could be a better translation of the same sutta you are referring to is here:

Vaccha, at the time this body is laid down and the being is not born in another body, I say the supportive condition is craving.

http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-...tavaggo-e.html Notice that it does not say "rebirth" but merely "birth". From my understanding, what the Buddha says here is that "craving" is the supportive condition for "birth" and this "birth" is the mental birth of the ego-self (a body). As long as there is craving, ego-self appears again and again. It makes perfect sense.

You seem to be interpreting the sutta as, when a being dies (leaves this "physical body") and is someone who has not eliminated defilement altogether, then taking his mental craving as a supportive condition, the being is reborn in another body?? Am I right? No matter how much you try to interpret this with similes or examples, it still sounds at lease remotely resembling to "reincarnation." If not please explain the process directly without being so vague about it.

11-02-2011, 12:32 AM	#23
ulw7A8Po Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 415 Senior Member	"And at the moment when a being sets this body aside and is not yet reborn in another body, what do you designate as its sustenance then?" "Vaccha, when a being sets this body aside and is not yet reborn in another body, I designate it as craving-sustained, for craving is its sustenance at that time." What could be a better translation of the same sutta you are referring to is here: Vaccha, at the time this body is laid down and the being is not born in another body, I say the supportive condition is craving. http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-...tavaggo-e.html Notice that it does not say "rebirth" but merely "birth". From my understanding, what the Buddha says here is that "craving" is the supportive condition for "birth" and this "birth" is the mental birth of the ego-self (a body). As long as there is craving, ego-self appears again and again. It makes perfect sense. You seem to be interpreting the sutta as, when a being dies (leaves this "physical body") and is someone who has not eliminated defilement altogether, then taking his mental craving as a supportive condition, the being is reborn in another body?? Am I right? No matter how much you try to interpret this with similes or examples, it still sounds at lease remotely resembling to "reincarnation." If not please explain the process directly without being so vague about it.
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