Theos-Talk Archives (January 1998 Message tt00055)

Jerry Schueler wrote:

> No ego or self reincarnates. This is a basic Buddhist teaching,
>which I agree with.  BTW, the "real" you is already spiritual, and doesn't
>need another life on Earth or anywhere else. The whole notion of a
>personal self that learns and grows via reincarnation is a maya. It is
>the exoteric view of reincarnation, and one that HPB tried to dispell.
>Unfortunately, the TSs have all touted this exoteric view since HPB
>and have done a general dis-service to humanity (IMO of course).


In my understanding the view that HPB tried to dispel is that held
by many spiritualists of her time which claimed that the human
personality, regularly and quickly returned to earth-life, the
denial of reincarnation apply only to "astral monad". What she taught
is that there is Inner or Higher Ego which is the permanent Individuality,
the Reincarnating Ego, it become more and more individualized and learn
more and more by suffering through its cycle of rebirths. This Ego
start with Divine consciousness; no past, no future, no separation,
though the inner essence of the Higher Ego is unsoilable, the outer
may be soiled. At the end of its cycle of incarnations, it is still
the same divine consciousness, but it has now become individualized
self consciousness.

It should not be thought that because the Buddhist system deny self,
there is no transmigrator. They posit many different modes of
transmigration without a permanent, independent self.

One of the earliest models was the so-called 'twelve-linked chain
of dependent origination' begin with avidya as the first link.
The third one, vijnana (consciousness), was conceived of as somehow
carrying the samskaras (impression). Dependent on it arose the fourth
of the twelve links, nama-rupa (name and form), in essence the mental
and physical constituents of a new life.

The Yogacharyas assert that the mind-basis-of-all (alaya-vijnana)
is the actual I since it is the transmigrator and carrier of seeds.
This tenet is very similar to HPB's.

In the Prasangika system, it is the mere-I imputed in dependence upon
the mental and physical aggregates that nevertheless can function
and transmigrates.

There will be no profit to say that doctrine of reincarnation, even
as generally understood, is Maya, it is true that outside of the
Absolute everything is illusion and in reality there is no one in
delusion and no one get enlightenment but as long as we have to use
words as mean of communication, the doctrine should be treated as
conventional truth and as one of the best possible descriptions of
reality that will help us out of the mire of Maya.

Let me quote from Nagarjuna's "Treatise on the Middle Way".

 "The Buddha's teaching of the Dharma
  Is based on two truths:
  A truth of worldly convention
  And an ultimate truth.

  Those who do not understand
  The distinction drawn between these two truths
  Do not understand
  The Buddha's profound truth.

  Without a foundation in the conventional truth.
  The significance of the ultimate cannot be taught.
  Without understanding the significance of the ultimate,
  Liberation is not achieved."

Best,

Visanu