Rebirth can't be real! We'd remember!

Maybe reincarnation was real. But, then, why don't we remember all our past lives?!

(The Journey to Awakening) If rebirth is real, why don't we remember our past lives?

Rebirth is real

Narrating Karma and Rebirth (Naomi Appleton)

Punabhava (lit. "again becoming," "rebecoming," "renewed existence") is a sutra term for "rebirth," which in later literature mostly is referred to as patisandhi (defined below).

The attainment of full enlightenment (arahatta), implying the end of all suffering and any further rebirths, is often expressed in the words: Natthi 'dāni punabbhavo, "this is the last birth. Now there is no further renewed becoming" (M. 26; D. 15; Therag. 87, 339; Sn. 502).

The term is often linked with abhinibbatti (re- "arising" or "appearance"). It is said, āyatim punabbhavābhinibbatti: "But how, O Brother, does it come to renewed existence and arising in the future?"

"Because beings, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, find ever fresh delight now here, now there, for this reason there is renewed existence and arising in the future" (MN 43). (See also S.XII. 38).

Abhinibbatti also stands sometimes alone in signifying "rebirth" (e.g., in A. VI, 61; X, 65). Compare how in the second noble truth, the adjective ponobhavika means "leading to renewed existence." (See A. III, 76; Sn. 163, 273, 514, 733; S. VII, 12; X, 3). Source

The relinking consciousness

Karma, Rebirth, and Samsara (BPS.lk)

In detailing the reality of rebirth, the Buddha used the term patisandhi (lit. "relinking" or "reunion") consciousness, which is one of the 14 "functions [in the impersonal process] of consciousness" (viññāna-kicca).

Patisandhi is a karma-resultant type of consciousness that arises at the moment of conception, that is, with the forming of new life in the mother's womb.

Immediately afterwards, this consciousness (citta, "mind moment") sinks into the subconscious stream of existence (bhavanga-sota), where it is conditioned. Thereby, corresponding states of subconsciousness arise. Therefore, it is really this rebirth-consciousness that determines the latent character of a person.

Technically and in an ultimate sense, "neither has this [rebirth-] consciousness transmigrated [traveled] from the previous existence to this present existence, nor did it arise without such conditions as karma, karma-formations (sankhara), propensity, object, and so on.

That this consciousness has not come from the previous existence to this present existence -- has not traveled from one life to another -- yet that it has come into existence by means of causes and conditions included in the previous rebirth such as karma and so on may be illustrated by various similes.

An echo, the light of a lamp, the impression of a seal, [a wave on the ocean, electrons in electrical current], and the image produced by a mirror, all of which are reflections, correspond to causes and conditions without being identical to them.

One does not travel to become the other, though it certainly appears that way. Conventionally speaking, of course, we may even say this is what happens as a shorthand, but closer inspection reveals that that is an illusion, a misunderstanding, or an oversimplification of the process actually taking place.

Just as the resounding of an echo is conditioned by an initial sound and so on, nowhere does a transmigration of sound take place. It is just so with this consciousness.

Furthermore, it is said: "In this continuous process, no sameness and no otherness can be found." For if there were full identity (between the different stages), then milk could never turn into curd, whereas if there were complete otherness, then curd could never come from milk....

If in a continuity of existence [a passing from one life to another] any karmic result takes place, then this karmic result neither belongs to any other being, nor does it come from any other [karma], because absolute sameness and otherness are excluded here (The Path of Purification, VisM, XVII 164ff).

In the Questions of King Menander (Mil.), it is said:

"Now, Venerable Nāgasena, the one who is reborn, is that the same as the one who has died or is that another?"

"Neither the same nor another" (na ca so na ca añño).

"Please give me an example, Ven. Nagasena."

"O, king, how do you see it: are you now, as a grown-up person, the same who you had been as a little young and tender babe?"

"No, venerable sir. Another person was the little young and tender babe, but quite a different person am I now as a grown-up man."...

Edgar Cayce returned as David Wilcock

"Is perhaps in the first watch of the night one [flame of a] lamp burning, another one in the middle watch, and yet another one in the last watch?"

"No, venerable sir. The flame [continuous light] during the whole night depends on one and the same lamp.''

"O, king, it is just so with the chain of phenomena linked together. One phenomenon arises, another vanishes, yet all are linked together [in unbroken continuity], one after the other, without interruption. In this way one reaches the final state of consciousness neither as the same person nor as another person.''

Divisions

According to the nature of their rebirth consciousness, beings are divided into the following three groups:

• 1. ahetu-patisandhika: a "being reborn without root-conditions," is a being whose consciousness at the moment of rebirth was not accompanied by any of the three noble root-conditions (greedlessness, hatelessness, undeludedness. (See mūla, "roots").

That is, selflessness, kindness, intelligence were not present. Such beings are found in the Four Lower Worlds (apāya, the downfall, subhuman planes of existence), in which case the function of rebirth is exercised by the class of consciousness listed in Table I as No. 56.

But if, lacking those good root conditions, such beings are fortunate enough to be reborn as humans in this Sensuous Sphere, they will be crippled, blind, deaf, mentally deficient, and so on. (Rebirth-consciousness = Tab. I, No. 41).

• 2. dvihetu (duhetu)-patisandhika: a "being reborn with only two [noble] root-conditions," namely, greedlessness and hatelessness. (Rebirth-consciousness = Tab. I, Nos. 44, 45, 48, or 49).
• 3. tihetu-patisandhika: a "being reborn with three [noble] root-conditions." Such a being can only be found among human beings (rebirth-consciousness = Tab. I, Nos. 42, 43, 46, or 47) and higher heavenly beings [in worlds superior to the human plane (manussa loka) within any of the three spheres, Sensual, Fine Material, or Immaterial].

On these three types of rebirth, see Atthasālini Tr. 11, 354-379. (Appendix: patisandhika). In the sutras, the terms for "rebirth" are chiefly punabbhava ("renewed existence") and abhinibbatti ("[re]arising," "reappearance") or both combined as punabbhavābhinibbatti. Source

NOTE: In the dictionary's Appendix, we find an additional observation: Patisandhi is chiefly a commentarial term, but it occurs several times in one of the later books of the Sutta Pitaka, the Patisambhidā Magga (Pts.M. I, 11f, 52, 59f.; II, 72f.) The usual term found in the discourses (suttas) of the Pali canon for "rebirth" is punabbhava (defined above).

LITERATURE

• The Path of Purification (Vis.M. XVII, 133f, 164f, 189f, 289f; Vis.M. XIX, 22f)
• Karma and Rebirth by Ven. Nyanatiloka Thera (BPS.lk, Wheel 9).
• The Case for Rebirth by Francis Story (Wheel Nos. 12/13).
• Survival and Karma in Buddhist Perspective by K. N. Jayatilleke (Wheel Nos. 141/143)
• Rebirth Explained by V. F. Gunaratna (Wheel Nos. 167/169)
• Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines (by Ven. Nyanatiloka Thera)
• The Journey to Awakening (video); Ven. Nyanatiloka, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines (palikanon.com) edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Mindful versus Gnostic 'Noble Silence'

(Buddhism Podcast) What is "noble silence"? The power of mindful speech in Buddhism

(Gnostic Talk) I tried the Gnostic Silence Test, and what answered was not the highest GOD (the Monad).

• Introducing the real GOD of the Universe

I'm Jewish and know better than Jesus

If "God" (GOD, Brahman beyond the God Great Maha Brahma) is the Monad, what is the pleroma? Pleroma (Koine Greek πλήρωμα, literally the "fullness") generally refers to the totality of divine powers. It is used in Gnosticism, as well as in Christian theological contexts. The term also appears in the Epistle to the Colossians [1], which is traditionally attributed to Saint Paul (aka Jewish Saul of Tarsus) the Apostle [2], the real founder of modern Christianity (yes, not Christ, after which it is named).

I'm a Jew and I know better than Jesus (Paul)

The word is used 17 times in the New Testament [3]. In Valentinianism it represents as virtualities of the Son [4]. ETYMOLOGY: The word literally means "fullness," from the verb plēróō (πληρόω, "to fill"), from plḗrēs (πλήρης, "full") [5]. More

• Yaldabaoth: "Child of Darkness/Chaos," the Demiurge
• The Monad (Gnosticism) is highest, unknowable GOD
• Pistis Sophia (Gnostic Wisdom Text)
• The Apocryphon of John
• Who are the Archons controlling the process?
• The [Gnostic Lost] Gospel of Philip

What is Buddhist "noble silence"?

Who are the "noble" ones? (Greco Buddhism)

Noble silence ("enlightening quietude") is a term attributed to the historical Buddha. Practitioners are advised to calm heart/mind by letting go of internal and external chatter.

The Buddha also responded to certain useless or harmful philosophical questions about the ultimate nature of reality. One such instance is when he was asked by a wayward monk named Ven. Malunkyaputta the 14 unanswerable questions.

In similar situations the Buddha often responded to antinomy-based descriptions of reality by saying that both antithetical options presented to him were inappropriate. To answer one way might be true but misleading or comforting but untrue, so that simple silence was a better option until the questioner was ready to receive a direct answer.

A specific reference to noble silence in the Buddha's Teaching (Dhamma or Dharma) involved one occasion when the Buddha told his monastic disciples to discontinue a discussion, saying that in such a congregation the discussion of the sacred Dharma is proper or practicing noble silence [1].

This does not indicate misology or disdain for philosophy on the Buddha's part. Rather, it indicates that he viewed such questions, though popular, as not leading to true and liberating wisdom [2].

The Pali canon

While silence is generally thought to be something visible on the outside of a person — an external state, such as whether or not one is talking — in the Pali canon, a "noble" (enlightened, awakened, or enlightening) state is internal — one synonymous with the stillness of absorption (jhāna).

"What is noble silence?' The thought might occur, 'In one instance a monastic, stilling applied and sustained attention (vitakka and vicara) [knowing without verbalizing or pondering], enters and abides in the second absorption, characterized by rapture and pleasure born of stillness, unification of mind, free of applied and sustained attention — internally certain. This is called noble silence.'"

• 

  Flapping and pushing vs. allowing and gliding

  An analogy is given to explain and distinguish vitakka from vicara as a function of what the mind does with its attention (adverting/turning attention towards, bare awareness, MINDFULNESS, vigilance, calm persistence). It's misleading to use the English word [discursive] "thinking," but it is mental activity:
• Say a big bird on a branch wishes to fly. It will first leap or thrust itself into the air and flap its wings with great deal of effort then eventually just soar and glide almost with no effort at all. So in tranquility meditation (samatha), one first struggles or wrestles to bring attention back and back again to the object but eventually is fixed on it with no apparent effort.

• 

  Points of sail when tacking during sailing

  Instead of force or struggle, great interest (zeal, delight, piti) holds the mind/attention to the object, with stillness and calm. Any movement of mind or body is likely to disturb it. This might also be compared to paddling and sailing. When one can skillfully sail, one is not a victim to the direction of the wind because one can engage in tacking (steering into the wind), that is, choosing one's direction so as to not have to go in the direction the wind is blowing, countered by jibing.

Of the eight absorptions (the jhanas or profound meditative states), that in which the inner dialogue goes silent is the second absorption. More