It means that since one sees that sabbe dhamma anatta, therefore no self is discerned for whom there is birth and death, while for a putthujjana birth (their own) and death (their own) appear to be quite obvious. The problem is that seeing birth and death in this way is to have attavada as an unspoken and even unconscious premise - which is ultimately avijja.mikenz66 wrote:In many Suttas it is saidSo, does that mean that he knows that he will not be born again in the future (one possible interpretation), or that a "continuous birth process" has ended in the present (another possible interpretation)?... he personally attains Nibbana. He understands: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.'"
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~Nanavira, A Note On Paticcasamuppàda, §10"The fundamental upàdàna or ‘holding’ is attavàda (see Majjhima ii,1 <M.i,67>), which is holding a belief in ‘self’. The puthujjana takes what appears to be his ‘self’ at its face value; and so long as this goes on he continues to be a ‘self’, at least in his own eyes (and in those of others like him). This is bhava or ‘being’. The puthujjana knows that people are born and die; and since he thinks ‘my self exists’ so he also thinks ‘my self was born’ and ‘my self will die’. The puthujjana sees a ‘self’ to whom the words birth and death apply. In contrast to the puthujjana, the arahat has altogether got rid of asmimàna (not to speak of attavàda—see Mama), and does not even think ‘I am’. This is bhavanirodha, cessation of being. And since he does not think ‘I am’ he also does not think ‘I was born’ or ‘I shall die’. In other words, he sees no ‘self’ or even ‘I’ for the words birth and death to apply to. This is jàti-nirodha and jaràmaraõanirodha."
(See, in Kosala Saüy. i,3 <S.i,71>, how the words birth and death are avoided when the arahat is spoken of:
—For one who is born, lord, is there anything other than ageing-&-death?
—For one who is born, great king, there is nothing other than ageing-&-death. Those, great king, who are wealthy warriors… wealthy divines… wealthy householders…, for them, too, being born, there is nothing other than ageing-&-death. Those monks, great king, who are worthy ones, destroyers of the cankers…, for them, too, it is the nature of this body to break up, to be laid down.)
edit: sabbe {sankhara-->dhamma} anatta