Sorry if this has been raised before but its been on my mind lately
"Very well then, Kotthita my friend, I will give you an analogy; for there are cases where it is through the use of an analogy that intelligent people can understand the meaning of what is being said. It is as if two sheaves of reeds were to stand leaning against one another. In the same way, from name-&-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness, from consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name & form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of suffering & stress.
And
"Monk, the four great existents (earth, water, fire, & wind) are the cause, the four great existents the condition, for the delineation of the aggregate of form. Contact is the cause, contact the condition, for the delineation of the aggregate of feeling. Contact is the cause, contact the condition, for the delineation of the aggregate of perception. Contact is the cause, contact the condition, for the delineation of the aggregate of fabrications. Name-&-form is the cause, name-&-form the condition, for the delineation of the aggregate of consciousness
So it states that consciousness cant be without there being name and form, how can it be then that there is rebirth-linking or "something" that ignites a new consciousness when consciousness and name-form "ignite each other when the embryo develops?
Also how does kamma create or set conditions for consciousness, i thought consciousness only arises when with eye consciousness for example there is visible forms, the eye and contact, i dont see how kamma comes into the creation or conditioned arising of consciousness?
Isnt Karma-vipaka just a result that arises out of consciousness that comes to be either through eye etc and not something that creates or is responible for that consciousness coming to be?
I realize these have been touched on in various posts, i tried searching the site for the answers but didnt come back with anything satisfying
Metta
