What he calls the “I” does not get reborn in further bodies, as he believes, nor did it do so in the past. But it does appear to do so. Only deep analytical thought associated with mystical meditation can de-mesmerize him from his self-made idea. The Notebooks 8:1.23
AD: The question is: “How could the Overself ever incarnate? How could Being incarnate?” Basically, the criticism is against any animistic understanding of reincarnation. I’m Joe Doe, and when I come back Joe Doe becomes Henry Smith. There’s this notion of some sort of continuity, and he’s knocking all that out. That’s not what reincarnation is. Reincarnation is really misunderstood by anyone who thinks that the same principle, the Soul, is actually in the body.
lr: The Overself would have to be present to every incarnation, but it is never getting born or reborn.
AD: Well, it all follows from when we pointed out that the light suffuses this matrix of thoughts or possibilities. It is those thoughts or possibilities actualizing themselves as various entities; it is not the light which suffuses them that incarnates. It’s thoughts themselves getting actualized, not that light, and so there can’t be an incarnation of that principle. In other words, the I never incarnated, now or before, nor will it do so in the future. So what is all this talk about reincarnation? He says you’re going to have to give it a lot of thought. You’re going to have to try to get some experience in meditation to understand. But reincarnation is just another word, most people don’t know what they’re talking about.
lr: Is there an appearance of the I?
AD: If the I is an eternal and immutable principle, how could a matrix of possibilities be an appearance of it? How can the ego reincarnate if it’s a matrix of possibilities? And the Soul cannot reincarnate because it’s the principle of being
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AD: As we pointed out, how could it become acquainted or participate in the World-Idea except through the body that it must use? What’s going to become part of the World-Idea, an infinite part of the World-Idea?
rg: So it is the ego that gets enlightened? Because what else needs to get enlightened?
AD: OK, there’s no harm in saying that. Because the ego that gets enlightened knows that it is, so to speak, being and not ego-being.
The Notebooks:
The very nature of reincarnation prevents anyone from completely proving it. But there is no other theory that is so reasonable to help us understand our evolution, history, capacity, genius, character, and inequality; no other so useful to help us solve the great problem of why we are here on earth at all. This doctrine, that the ego repeatedly visits our plane in fresh physical forms, is demanded by reason, supplied by intuition, and verified by revelation. 9.2.95
We are incarnated to be educated. 9.2.146
The journey of life is both an adventure and a pilgrimage. We pass from body to body to collect experience. The fruit of experience is Enlightenment: the knowledge of Overself, established awareness of its presence; and knowledge of the Unseen Power behind the universe, established connection with it. 26.4.254
During the gap--infinitesimal though it be--between two thoughts, the ego vanishes. Hence it may truly be said that with each thought it reincarnates anew. There is no real need to wait for the series of long-lived births to be passed through before liberation can be achieved. The series of momentary births also offers this opportunity, provided a man knows how to use it.(P) (23:8.162)
His Holiness the Dalai Lama 1978 -- (Audio Available)
Continuation of the 6th mind always remains there. Whether you are seeing or not, whether you are awake or not, 6th mind is always there. But within the 6th mind there are different levels. At this moment we are using one kind of 6th mind. When we are sleeping, a more subtle kind of 6th mind. When we faint, still deeper. When we are dying: deepest 6th consciousness is working. So 6th consciousness continues from previous life to this life, this life to next life. There was no beginning, there will be no end, untill Buddhahood. And within that deepest 6th mind, not rough 6th mind, usually we call seed of buddha. That consciousness will go to Buddhahood. This rough consciousness: (will) not go.
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Whether you believe in God or not, whether you believe in next life or not, doesn’t matter. Naturally, if you lead the right type of life this will affect next life.
Looking into Mind Copyright 2019