Theory of Re-birth

[Miguel Angel Carrasco]

Greg Goode wrote:

        >In terms of the Vedantic components, a quick answer is that the causal
        >body retains the vasanas in sleep, and Isvara (the causal form of the
        >Lord) retains the vasanas between births. [...]

        [ingenuous chart omitted]

Sorry, Greg, but I beg to disagree.

One of two: either you speak as a non-Advaitist Vedic philosopher, or as an
Advaitist. If as the first, then the chart is a interesting theory, which I
don^Òt share. If you speak as an Advaitist, then I don^Òt understand what you
say at all.

For example: ^ÓIsvara (Brahman qualified by Maya; rules over all causal
bodies; omniscient)^Ô . Whether you admit it or not, that is a personal God,
one with personal attributes, not very different from Zeus or Ra. I can^Òt
accept that the Absolute is ever qualified by Maya. There is nothing but
Brahman, how then could It be qualified by anything, or rule over anything,
or be omniscient of anything? What else is there?

Imagine that someone shows you two pictures: one is a pencil-drawing of a
centaur (a horse with human chest and head). The other is the photograph of
a centaur. You may see the first, the drawing, as a nice, artistic picture.
The second you can only see as a fake. You can^Òt take a photograph of what
doesn^Òt really exist, of what is only imagination. Well, I consider Isvara,
Hiranyagarbha, Virat, Prajna, Taijasa and Visva as imaginary beings,
centaurs. Can you show me a photo of them? Have you ever seen one? Even if
you had, it would still be imaginary.

 Whatever you may see, hear, feel, or otherwise experience, is imaginary,
just forms with names in Consciousness, Lila. How then can you try to show
them as real? How can you use them to explain anything? You can use them to
make up a nice mythological tale, if you feel in the mood, but don^Òt pass
it to me as a factual report, as the photo of reality.

Don^Òt you think that it^Òs high time to free Advaita (as it is often
presented) of myths and legends? Once and for all, this distinction should
be sharply made: whatever bears a form (perceptual or conceptual) is not
real, while Reality has no form at all. Because it is just Consciousness,
the Subject, not an object that could be described. All explanations about
Reality are false. All true explanations are only about imaginary beings.

Miguel Angel