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Sounds to me like the quibble is with the Buddha, not Venerable Bodhi. Not at all, what would be the point in being a Buddhist if I denied what Buddha taught

Strikes me that the Buddha would not teach that which is not important. Correct, he taught a "handful of leaves". He only taught Dukkha and its nirodha. Thats it

The Pali Canon is filled with teachings emphasising rebirth. No they emphasies dukkha and its cessation. They emphasies the Four Noble Truths. Reincarnation wast taught to some because

MN 68
"So, Anuruddha, it is not for the purpose of scheming to deceive people or for the purpose of flattering people or for the purpose of gain, honour, and renown, or with the thought " let people know me to be thus", that when a disciple has died, the Tathagata declares his reappearance thus "so-and-so has reappeared in such-and-such a place" Rather, it is because there are faithful clansmen inspired and gladdened by what is lofty, who when they hear that, direct their minds to such a state, and that leads to their welfare and happiness for a long time"


lofty
Adjective
[loftier, loftiest]
1. of majestic or imposing height
2. morally admirable: lofty ideals
3. unpleasantly superior: a lofty contempt
Such aspiration helps lead people to be moral, which helps them to progress to the Buddhas own teachings, the 4 noble truths[/quote]

Back then there were differing opinions of what happened after death - still today there are differing understandings of what happens after death. Which are all speculative views. Views, which BTW, are bound to dukkha

"And how is there the yoke of views? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, & the escape from views. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, & the escape from views, then — with regard to views — he is obsessed with view-passion, view-delight, view-attraction, view-infatuation, view-thirst, view-fever, view-fascination, view-craving. This is the yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, & the yoke of views. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....010.than.html


Such views come to be via clinging to the aggregates, hence they are tied up with dukkha and vexation


It was important then to the Buddha to teach about it or he would not have. It was Right Speech then and it is Right Speech now. This was addressed above

If it is not important to you - why quibble with the Venerable? Just let it be. same reason why I disagree and debate people who say that Buddha taught about and eternal Self or Atman. I do it because its not so

Views or understandings are important enough to be one of the main parts of the Eight Fold path - and there is a time and place to be "stuck on views". I'm "stuck" to the Path until the end is reached. The Buddha made use of some views as they lead to wholesome states. This then means those people live in some degree of peace. They can then progress onto the Buddhas own teachings


"And what is right view? Right view, I tell you, is of two sorts: There is right view with effluents [asava], siding with merit, resulting in the acquisitions [of becoming]; and there is noble right view, without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.

"And what is the right view that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions? 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are priests & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is the right view that has effluents, sides with merit, & results in acquisitions.

"And what is the right view that is without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path? The discernment, the faculty of discernment, the strength of discernment, analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening, the path factor of right view of one developing the noble path whose mind is noble, whose mind is free from effluents, who is fully possessed of the noble path. This is the right view that is without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.

"One tries to abandon wrong view & to enter into right view: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....117.than.html


Rebirth view helps one develop wholesome states, however it is tainted and bound to dukkha. There can never be nibbana if one holds to it

The Buddhas own teachings are seperate from rebirth view. There is no specualtive views in them


However some make a mistake here and jump straight into another speculative view - "There is no rebirth, all is meaningless, there are no morals" etc

This is a wrong view as it leads to unwholesome states and is also bound with dukkha




To teach a view or understanding as presented by the Buddha is not a fault. Correct however people who do are usually challenged, banned or ignored by "Buddhists" all the time

By your standards - Nibbana must not be a part of Buddhadhamma Nibbana is the burning out of the fires of Greed, Hatred and Deulision that burn in the mind. Its not some mystical state



Should kamma and dependent origination be dropped from all Buddhist teachings because most of us cannot directly verify them? These are important Buddhist views and we are remiss in neglecting them.
Dukkha addressed kamma above


however as to D.O. the Buddha said it is directly obervable


He seeing a form with the eye becomes greedy for a pleasant form, or averse to a disagreeable form. Abides with mindfulness of the body not established and with a limited mind. Not knowing the release of mind nor the release through wisdom as it really is, where thoughts of demerit cease completely (*11). He falls to the path of agreeing and disagreeing and feels whatever feeling, pleasant, unpleasant, or neither unpleasant nor pleasant. Delighted and pleased with those feelings he appropriates them. To him delighted, pleased and appropriating those feelings arises interest. That interest for feelings is the holding (* 12) To him holding, there is being, from being arises birth, from birth decay and death, grief, lament, unpleasantness, displeasure and distress, thus arises the complete mass of unpleasantness. Hearing a sound with the ear, cognising a smell with the nose, cognising a taste with the tongue, cognising a touch with the body, cognising an idea with the mind, becomes greedy for a pleasant idea. Becomes averse to a disagreeable idea. Abides with mindfulness of the body not established and with a limited mind. Not knowing the release of mind nor the release through wisdom as it really is. Not knowing how thoughts of demerit cease completely. He falls to the path of agreeing and disagreeing and feels whatever feeling, pleasant, unpleasant, or neither unpleasant nor pleasant. Delighted and pleased with those feelings, appropriates them. To him delighted, pleased and appropriating those feelings arise interest. That interest for feelings is the holding (*12) To him holding, there is being, from being arises birth, from birth decay and death, grief, lament, unpleasantness, displeasure and distress, thus arises the complete mass of unpleasntness.
and


Bhikkhus, when one dwells contemplating gratification in things that can fetter, there is a descent of name-and-form. With name-and-form as a condition, the six sense bases [come to be]...such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

Suppose, bhikkhus, there was a great tree and all its roots going downwards and across would send sap upwards. Sustained by that sap, nourished by it, that great tree would stand for a very long time. So too, when one lives contemplating gratification in things that can fetter, there is descent of name-and-form...such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

Bhikkhus, when one dwells contemplating danger in things that can fetter, there is no descent of name-and-form. With the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense bases [come to be]...such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
You see D.O. is a teaching of how dukkha comes to be. Dukkha happens in the hear and now all the time, therefore D.O. happens in the here and now, as shown by the above suttas.


Dependent Origination was not taught as occuring over "Three lives"


The Buddha did not teach it as a metaphysical model of how "rebirth" happens


metta