[AnthonyKing]

...chairman of the local Buddhist network organization in my city, would state it to be the sum of actions taking rebirth, something completely not-personal.

dear Sandell

It seems the view of your chairman is contrary to the Buddhist scriptures. In the Buddhist scriptures, rebirth is always something completely personal. There is no evidence anywhere for any departure from this rule of law.

And rightly so because the scriptures say rebirth belief sides with & promotes morality. If rebirth view was impersonal, it would no longer encourage morality. What incentive would believers have to do good if they personally were not the personal recipients of their own good deeds?

The Buddhist scriptures contain two distinct kinds of teachings, namely, mundane (lokiya) and supramundane (lokuttara).

My opinion is any departure from keeping these two kinds of teachings distinct harms the efficacy & purpose of those distinct teachings.

Kind regards

E



Then Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Ananda, having given this instruction to Anathapindika the householder, got up from their seats and left. Then, not long after they left, Anathapindika the householder died and reappeared in the Tusita heaven.

Then Anathapindika the deva's son, in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to him and stood to one side. As he was standing there, he addressed the Blessed One with this verse:


This blessed Jeta's Grove,
home to the community of seers,
where there dwells the Dhamma King:
the source of rapture for me.

As for Sariputta:
any monk who has gone beyond,
at best can only equal him
in discernment, virtue, & calm.

That is what Anathapindika the deva's son said. The Teacher approved. Then Anathapindika the deva's son, [knowing] "The Teacher has approved of me," bowed down to him, circled him three times, keeping him to his right, and then disappeared right there.

Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, "Lord, that must have been Anathapindika the deva's son. Anathapindika the householder had supreme confidence in Ven. Sariputta."

"Very good, Ananda. Very good, to the extent that you have deduced what can be arrived at through logic. That was Anathapindika the deva's son and no one else."

Anathapindikovada Sutta