Individual wrote: "There is no re-linking consciousness" contradicts kamma and dependent origination.
Individual
Most regard various Buddhist teachings as somehow different. However, most of the Buddha's teachings are more or less expressions of the one path or the same causes for the arising of dukkha.
Take for example ignorance, the asava and the five hindrances. Whilst the five hindrances and the asava are not mentioned in dependent origination, these three dhammas on the side of dukkka are all part of ignorance. In AN X.61, the Buddha states the food or ahara of ignorance is the five hindrances. As long as the five hindrances remain, ignorance will continue to remain.
To understand how ignorance conditions consciousness in dependent origination is the same as understanding how the five hindrances taint or cloud the luminous mind.
In the suttas, the Buddha states:
If there is water in a pot mixed with red, yellow, blue or orange color, a man with a normal faculty of sight, looking into it, could not properly recognize and see the image of his own face. In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by sensual desire, overpowered by sensual desire, one cannot properly see the escape from sensual desire which has arisen; then one does not properly understand and see one's own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also texts memorized a long time ago do not come into one's mind, not to speak of those not memorized.
If there is a pot of water heated on the fire, the water seething and boiling, a man with a normal faculty of sight, looking into it, could not properly recognize and see the image of his own face. In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by ill-will, overpowered by ill-will, one cannot properly see the escape from the ill-will which has arisen; then one does not properly understand and see one's own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also texts memorized a long time ago do not come into one's mind, not to speak of those not memorized.
If there is a pot of water, covered with moss and water plants, then a man with a normal faculty of sight looking into it could not properly recognize and see the image of his own face. In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by sloth and torpor, overpowered by sloth and torpor, one cannot properly see the escape from sloth and torpor that have arisen; then one does not properly understand one's own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also texts memorized a long time ago do not come into one's mind, not to speak of those not memorized.
Sangaravo Sutta
I would suggest this is the way to understand dependent origination. Ignorance conditions formations and formations condition consciousness, in the same manner as in the Buddha's similes above about the five hindrances.
In short, dependent origination is not about meta-physics and does not expound a 're-linking consciousness'.
With metta
Element
I think normal human beings can't, unless they have supranormal powers. I think, if you do some kind of Samatha meditation and if you get really good at it, you might be able to discern it but why waste so much time in doing these 'not so useful' meditation just to see past lives? Might as well do vipassana to gain insight for liberation. (Yea, this is all easier said than done but some things are surprising. Some people who are non-believers become really good at it in a short period of time, but some people who are believers all their life, see nothing and gain nothing from years of sittings. It's just kamma. sigh.)
