[Buddha-l] Re: Magic

[Joy Vriens]

Vicente,

>there is not need of a soul to talk about rebirth. Moreover, rebirth 
>is an idea for the conventional knowledge. 
>Rebirth is not possible because there is not a self to continue. 
>Non-rebirth is not possible because there is not a self to die. 

See, that is what rebirth does to Buddhism. "There is not need of a soul to talk about rebirth". Something is born, dies and is born again, but it can't be a "soul". Of course, one can then come up with very plausible explanations and this paradox can produce some very creative solutions, but there is no escaping that in the idea of rebirth something is born, dies and is born again. All the sophistication and amendments came later; the basic idea was and is much simpler. Since Buddhism came basically into beings as a reaction, it constitutionally speaking can't separate itself from that to what it reacted. Even when it took a more positive approach with empti*ness*, tattva, Buddha Nature, the positive stuff that was put forward still needed to be grounded in the initial negative or critical approach. There is so much history in every Buddhist idea because of the need of authority, transmission etc. 

Joy