What aspects of mind transmigrate during rebirth?

[Tad]

What aspects of mind transmigrate during rebirth?

[Jhanananda]

What aspects of mind transmigrate during rebirth?

I'm not sure what you mean here, Tad, so I will attempt to express a response based on what I believe you mean, and please correct me, if I missed the point you were trying to make.

So, rebirth is often referred to as transmigration of the soul, and I agree with this basic premise, but then your question becomes relevant when we try to understand the difference between soul and identity. I think it was Freud who published a book called "Ego and the Id." I read it decades ago, and don't recall much of it, so I will just express my thoughts at present on this topic.

The term 'ego' is derived from the Greek term for the soul, whereas, cultural concepts of ego are more bound up in identity, which represents cultural confusion over these topics. The soul is pure, unidentified, consciousness and most of us have little contact with it, because we are so bound up in identity.

Identity is associated with the physical body and its history, which is its memory. As we develop as contemplatives we move through 8 stages of ecstasy which represents becoming aware of and identifying with the soul, which requires relinquishing identity, and is represented by the second stage of ecstasy, or second jhana where the mind becomes still. As we traverse the 4 jhanas we shed the layers of identity and become more just pure consciousness, which is soul. When we move to the 5th ecstasy we have shed the body and are only soul/consciousness.

We should recognize at this point that another aspect of what transmigrates from lifetime to lifetime are fragments of identity based upon experience in the material world, which more often than not are traumatic experiences that for some reason make it into the next lifetime and are represented by deep fears and attachments without a history to support them, until we begin to recall previous lifetimes when we find out the source of these attachments and traumas.

[Michael Hawkins]

I love your answer, Jeffrey.  Food for thought.

more often than not are traumatic experiences that for some reason make it into the next lifetime and are represented by deep fears and attachments without a history to support them

We hear reincarnation stories about people who have a shock of white hair within an otherwise black head of hair, and they'll eventually get a past life memory of being struck by lightning or something like that.  Birth marks corresponding to being killed by stabbing, things like that.  Somehow bodily trauma finds a way to express in our current lifetime.  If we are living in a Matrix-like simulation, perhaps these are programming artifacts that keep continuity going between our renditions.

[Tad]

What aspects of mind transmigrate during rebirth?

We should recognize at this point that another aspect of what transmigrates from lifetime to lifetime are fragments of identity based upon experience in the material world, which more often than not are traumatic experiences that for some reason make it into the next lifetime and are represented by deep fears and attachments without a history to support them, until we begin to recall previous lifetimes when we find out the source of these attachments and traumas.

So it seems that it is mostly impulses of desires, attachments and intents that transmigrate?

Does any of intellect transfer to next life in some capacity? For example, if someone spends decades learning religiuous texts and gains some sort of cognitive understanding?

[Tad]

Any thoughts about survival of intellectual qualities of the mind?

In addition, what do you about the fact that Buddhist texts including Pali tend to deny existence of eternal soul?

[Jhanananda]

In addition, what do you about the fact that Buddhist texts including Pali tend to deny existence of eternal soul?

This is just another example of the broken logic that exists in the Buddhist community. If we read the first sutta in the Long Discourses, of the Pali Canon, the BRAHMA-JâLA SUTTA, We find it clearly stated over and over again many concepts and philosophies that were present during the lifetime of Siddhartha Gautama, and in many cases he is quoted as saying something like “these are speculative philosophies. I do not teach speculative philosophies. I teach a Noble Eightfold Path.” So, this is clear evidence of yet another deeply flawed philosophy that has become dominant in the Buddhist Priesthood, meanwhile none of them understand samma-samadhi, so we have to conclude that they don’t even understand the Noble Eightfold Path.  Meanwhile Buddhist discourse commonly refers to reincarnation, so we have to conclude that the Buddhist priesthood do not even understand basic logic and critical thinking. However, you should review this thread, Recollection of Past Lives where we have covered a lot of this content.

[Tad]

Thanks, Jhananda. I will have to read the sutta that you referenced. I noticed that sometimes very long suttas contain little hints about things that orthodox Buddhist doctrines tend to ignore.

[Jhanananda]

Yes, Tad, I find the same thing, and when I see a real contradiction between commentary and original doctrine then I am inclined to consider the new doctrine not worth paying attention to.

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Jhananda. I will have to read the sutta that you referenced. I noticed that sometimes very long suttas contain little hints about things that orthodox Buddhist doctrines tend to ignore.

Yes, Tad, the Buddhist orthodoxy of the 3 vehicles of Buddhism tend to suppress any reference to the superior fruit of attainment such as the bliss (piti) and joy (sukha) of ecstasy (jhana), but then we have been discussing that for over 2 decades.