Greetings Tilt,
tiltbillings wrote:If there is no causal/conditioned continuity of any sort, then there is no awakening.
I don't think there's any disagreement here.
Setting aside the "soul" aspect of the following quotation, and focusing on "the world" (loka), the Brahamajala Sutta explains the wrong view of the world arising without cause.
'There are, monks, some recluses and Brahmans who are Fortuitous-Originists, and who in two ways maintain that the soul and the world arise without a cause. And on what ground, starting out from what, do they do so?
'There are, monks, certain gods called Unconscious Beings. As soon as an idea occurs to them they fall from that state. Now it may well be, monks, that a being, on falling from that state, should come to this world; and having come to this world he might go forth from the household life into the homeless state. And having thus become a recluse he, by reason of ardour and so on (as in the other cases) reaches such a state of concentration that, rapt in heart, he calls to mind how that idea occurred to him, but not more than that. He says to himself: "Fortuitous in origin are the soul and the world. And why so? Because formerly I was not, but now am. Having not been, I have come to be."
'This, monks, is the first state of things on account of which, starting out from which some recluses and Brahmans become Fortuitous-Originists, and maintain that the soul and the world arise without a cause.
'And what is the second?
In this case, monks, some recluse or Brahman is addicted to logic and reasoning. He comes to the following conclusion, beaten out by his argumentations, and based on his sophistry: "The soul and the world arose without a cause."
'This, monks, is the second case.
Source:
http://www.leighb.com/dn1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Loka arises in accordance with the processes explained by the suttas referenced earlier in this topic.
tiltbillings wrote:But it depends upon what is meant by continuity. How are you using the word?
You're welcome to select another word if that would be more amenable... but what I'm pointing to is
continuity of x over time, where x is any component or classification of sentient life. Or if you prefer, what is the actual problem/situation that notions like "storehouse consciousness", "bhavanga citta" and such are attempting to resolve/explain?
To what extent is it imperative to maintain or explain
continuity of x over time, in the context of the Dhamma?
As I understand it, the Abhidhamma is attempting to demonstrate that one moment of consciousness is a necessary causal factor for the next moment of consciousness... and it uses concepts like "bhavanga citta" to fill the gaps in (sutta-defined, experienced) consciousness to form what is commonly called the "stream of consciousness".
Do you believe these gaps need to be filled in the interests of explaining the ensuing continuity or conditionality in the context of the Dhamma?
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."