[slarceSelia]

So when people say that The Buddha remembered past lives when he was "still under the illusion of self", is that false?

When people say that The Buddha remembered past 'lives', it is those people that are still under the illusion of "self".

The scriptures do not report Buddha remember his past 'lives'. This is a mistranslation.

The scriptures report the Buddha remembered each time his mind ignorantly dwelt in adhering to something as "self" in the past. In other words, during his enlightenment to what is true, his mind recollected all of the times, in the past, his mind was under the illusion of "self"

For example, Buddha explained:

At Savatthi. "Monks, any brahmans or contemplatives who recollect their manifold past lives [lit: dwellings; homes/alt: adherences] all recollect the five aggregates subject to clinging or one among them. Which five?

When recollecting, 'I was one with such a form in the past,' one is recollecting just form.

Or when recollecting, 'I was one with such a feeling in the past,' one is recollecting just feeling.

Or when recollecting, 'I was one with such a perception in the past,' one is recollecting just perception.

Or when recollecting, 'I was one with such mental fabrications in the past,' one is recollecting just mental fabrications.

Or when recollecting, 'I was one with such a consciousness in the past,' one is recollecting just consciousness.

Thus, monks, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.'

Any feeling whatsoever...

Any perception whatsoever...

Any fabrications whatsoever...

Any consciousness whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every consciousness is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....079.than.html For example, in the past, you may have believed: "I am a Christian". But today, you believe: "I am a Buddhist" or "I am an atheist".

The notions of "Christian" or "Buddhist" or "atheist" are just mental fabrications; mere mental concepts; mere thought constructions. The notions of "Christian" or "Buddhist" or "atheist" have no inherent reality in themselves therefore they cannot be "you" or define "you". Believing "I am" these mental concepts is called "becoming" in Buddhism.

So when Buddha saw his "past lives", the mind's past conditioning unravelled & deconditioned. His mind saw, in the past, it was under the illusion of self. This is unlike us, whose minds often continue to identify with what the mind believed it was, in terms of "self", in the past.

For example, the unelightened mind thinks: "When I was 7 years old, I was the fastest runner in the district". The mind does not think: "When this body was 7 years old, it was the fastest 7 year old running body in the district".

Kind regards