Many lay Buddhist and even certain popular monks are often confused with the different between soul and consciousness. Towards the end of the preceding chapter, we remark that one of the common misconceptions of many Buddhists is the belief that rebirth or reincarnation can be reconciled to the Doctrine of Anatta. If this is the case then perhaps the following question should be asked : If there is no self, that what is it that is reborn and experiences the result of karma ? T.W. Rhys Davids made the following observation :
" We arrived at the deadlock to save what it holds to be a psychological truth that Buddhism rejects the notion of soul, to save what it holds to be the necessity of justice, it retains the belief in transmigration. "
The concept of transmigration can be misleading. The Buddhist doctrine of rebirth should be distinguished from the Uppanisadic theory of transmigration of self or soul. In Buddhism, there is no permanent self or soul, which transmigrates from one life to another. There is no entity, no self no element of being transmigrates from the last existence into the present one.
If there is no transmigrating self, what is reborn into the next existence [ bhava ] ? For this question, the Buddhist replies that consciousness is reborn. According to Mahanidana Sutta, the Buddha says that were consciousness not to descend into the mother's womb, name and form of new life would not come to birth. Thus, the effective medium of rebirth is consciousness. Nevertheless, this should not mislead us into thinking that it is one and the same consciousness that transmigrates from one existence to another. The Buddha once criticized a monk, who become confused with this idea and distorted the master's teaching. The Blessed One says ;
" But to whom, foolish man, do you understand the dhamma was taught by thus ? Has not consciousness generated by conditions been spoken of in many a figure by me, saying ; Apart from condition there is no origination of consciousness. "
According to the Buddhist concept, consciousness is momentary and never remains the same for any consecutive moments. The stream of consciousness flows on because of the rapid succession of conscious moments. When one conscious act dies, another is born in its place, appropriating on the potentialities of the dying conscious act. Such consciousness dies and is reborn every moment in our daily life. The life of a living being lasts only for a single conscious moment. The process of death and rebirth into the next life. Just as the present conscious moment is the result of the preceding conscious moment. The last moment of consciousness in the previous life is called death consciousness ( cuti citta ). The first moment of consciousness in the present life is called rebirth consciousness ( patisandhi citta ). Immediately after that death consciousness has ceased, a rebirth consciousness arises and is established in the subsequent existence.
It should be understood here that the death consciousness does not transmigrate from one life to another. It is only a cause of the appearance of the rebirth consciousness in a new life. These two kinds of consciousness are neither the same nor different. " Because the series is continuous, there is neither identity [ ekata ] nor diversity [ nanata ]. "
Death consciousness and rebirth consciousness are essentially of nature of sub - consciousness [ bhavanga - vinnaya]. Thus Buddhaghosa says that the last sub - consciousness in one existence is death consciousness. The latter is followed upon by sub - consciousness proper. As long as there is no processed - consciousness to interfere with the course of the stream, there are upon an innumerable series of sub -consciousness flows on uninterruptedly.
It should be said that, if transmigrating self or soul is going on from one life to another, then the theory of anatta is not possible. In the same position, if rebirth consciousness is not reconciled to the doctrine of karma, then the religious life, proclaimed by the Buddha would have become useless for the cessation of suffering.
Buddhadasa Bhikhu, the venerable reformed monk disagree with Phra Buddhaghosa's concept of rebirth consciousness [ patisandhi citta]. He contends that, according to the theory of Anatta, there are only six kinds of consciousness in the Buddha's teaching. If some commentaries try to confirm the existence of this kind of vinna, it will merely be supposed that Patisandhi citta should be included within these six kinds of consciousness, explained in the cycle of Paticcasamupada.
From this standpoint, we also find a controversial concept between the Buddhaghosa's view on rebirth consciousness and Buddhadasa Bikhu's idea about the doctrine of karma. Phra Buddhaghosa explain that the rebirth [ of consciousness ] is due to the potentialities transmitted by death consciousness in the previous life. In the these potentialities are included karma that is enveloped by latent ignorance [ avijjausaya ] and rooted by latent desire [ tanhanusaya ]. Therefore the rebirth is conditioned by the past good or bad karma, which predominates at the moment of death. The karma that conditions the rebirth is called reproductive karma. Instead, Buddhadasa Bikhu confirms that, according to the Dependent Origination, it will merely explain the process of suffering during this present life, there are neither past life nor future life. Poussin has also pointed out the Buddhist view of rebirth and the doctrine of karma as follows :
" The doctrine of karma presupposes the belief in transmigration and is primarily a rationalistic and moral explanation of the variety of conditions of living beings to many consecutive existences "
By THE BUDDHA'S Core Teachings
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