Here I think there are two situations:rumpledime wrote: ↑Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:54 pmI experience the fruit of my Kamma only through the aggregates. When I become an arahant I am no longer conditioned. Up until that point everything I experience is conditioned and experienced by the aggregates. The aggregates fall away when die. Nothing of "me" remains after death, only my kamma, my stored up cittas remain. So in what way is this future self still me?
1) When we can't attain Arahatship.
It is true that the current Pancuppadanakkhanda (this current 'you' or 'me', as in conventional sense) willl be disintegrated upon death. But still if you can't get rid of greed, hatred or delusion completely, there the factors pertaining to rebirth remained. Because it was the innate craving that propels 'you' to undergo another rebirth or 'reappearance' at a particular realm according to Kamma. In the Pathamabhava Sutta (AN 3.76), the Blessed One taught the "seed, field, moisture" simile to describe rebirth.
https://suttacentral.net/an3.76/pli/ms? ... ript=latin
As long as beings couldn't uproot greed, hatred, and delusion, they are subject to rebirth over and over again (and the problem is: there are more sufferings in Samsara compared to trifling happiness, and 'Dukkha' is always predominant).
In the course of rebirth phenomena, though not the same personality goes on, yet they are not different person either (Na ca so, na ca añño). The Blessed One said if someone holds that "It is this same personality goes on and on, life after life", then it is a Wrong View. On the other hand, if someone holds the view that "After death, there's no continuity whatsoever; wise and fool alike, perish and will be annihilated, with death as final end", such mindset is also a Wrong View. Rejecting both and realising the truths, the Blessed One explained the Middle mode: a stream of consciousness. Consciousnesses arise and cease, are impermanent, suffering, and non-self. Another simile could be given is this: Just like cheese is different from milk, yet it is from milk that cheese was produced. Can we say that cheese is milk? Not so. But can we say cheese is completely not from milk? Not so.
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2) When we attained Arahantship.
Then, there will be no more future Kammas, no more renewal of beings, there will be no more rebirth. Two Nibbana elements were described:
https://suttacentral.net/iti44/pli/ms?l ... ript=latin
While alive, the Arahat entered Nibbana with residue. Once the Arahat attained Parinibbana, 'he' entered Nibbana without residue.
That moment, 'he' can be said like "the fire of lamp extinguishes as there is no more fuel". Here the simile, "fuel" is greed, hatred, and delusion (in a broad sense), the "fire" means "renewal of beings" or "rebirth".
NonBuddhists often said Buddhists are death-worshippers but that is not true. Parinibbana and death is totally two different topics.
Death is the momentary lapse that involves the breakdown of Pancuppadanakkhanda, begin with the arising of "Cuti Vinnana" and ends with the ceasing of "Cuti Vinnana". But there it will immediately conditions the arising of new consciousness named "Patisandhi Vinnana" (or the 'seed' in Pathamabhava Sutta) that will be established in one of the realms and continue journey. Again, similes of "echo in a cave", "teacher teaches his student on recitation", or "radio wave" could be used for explaining the phenomenon.
Meanwhile, Parinibbana is without such occurrence. The full details of this can be studied in Mahaparinibbana Sutta (DN).
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So, unless we are confident that we can attain Arahatship this very lifetime, if not, we still need to prepare for next life, whether it is for mundane or supramundane purpose.