"The Tathâgata, O Vaccha, is free from all theories; but this, Vaccha, does The Tathâgata know,--the nature of form, and how form arises, and how form perishes; the nature of sensation, and how sensation arises, and how sensation perishes; the nature of perception, and how perception arises, and how perception perishes; the nature of the predispositions, and how the predispositions arise, and how the predispositions perish; the nature of consciousness, and how consciousness arises, and how consciousness perishes. Therefore say I that The Tathâgata has attained deliverance and is free from attachment, inasmuch as all imaginings, or agitations, or proud thoughts concerning an Ego or anything pertaining to an Ego, have perished, have faded away, have ceased, have been given up and relinquished."
What the Vaccha speaks of here is the fire he speaks about below. Gotama wants to know why the fire goes this way or that way, just as your mind creates forms, sensations, perceptions, predispositions, consciousness, ego, etc. Vaccha then explain to Gotama don't worry in which way they arise find the reason why these fire burns. What are the seeds or the spark that creates these things mentioned above. Once you control the fuel for the fire you can control in which direction the fire runs.
"But, Vaccha, if some one were to ask you, 'In which direction has that fire gone,--east, or west, or north, or south?' what would you say, O Vaccha?"
"The question would not fit the case, Gotama. For the fire which depended on fuel of grass and wood, when that fuel has all gone, and it can get no other, being thus without nutriment, is said to be extinct."
"In exactly the same way, Vaccha, all form by which one could predicate the existence of the saint, all that form has been abandoned, uprooted, pulled out of the ground like a palmyra-tree, and become non-existent and not liable to spring up again in the future. The saint, O Vaccha, who has been released from what is styled form, is deep, immeasurable, unfathomable, like the mighty ocean. To say that he is reborn would not fit the case. To say that he is not reborn would not fit the case. To say that he is both reborn and not reborn would not fit the case. To say that he is neither reborn nor not reborn would not fit the case.
The last paragraph describes enlightenment or in this specific case morality/edification. He speaks about the saint who is neither born, reborn, not reborn, not not reborn, etc. He cannot answer the question of rebirth because it isn't as simple as waking up and being born again. The 4 noble truths tells us that:
The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction)
The truth of the origin of dukkha
The truth of the cessation of dukkha
The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha
Each situation you are still the same person but each step gets you closer to edification. You may be changed but you are still the same person. The thing to realize is once you get all the shit out of your head you become more of yourself. You become more of the person of who you are suppose to be.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:44 pm