Shakyamuni Buddha teaches reincarnation ②

The conclusion of this note is that "Shakyamuni Buddha teaches reincarnation."
If you only wanted to know the conclusion, that is all.

This note is the second part of a two-part digest explaining the contents of a sutra called the "Senni Sutra" found within the Agama Sutras.
The reason I am covering this sutra is because Shakyamuni Buddha explains reincarnation in it.

I wrote this note because I received a comment from someone who likely does not even understand the existence of the Agama Sutras, claiming the absurd theory that "Shakyamuni Buddha did not teach reincarnation," and I thought there might still be such people in this world.
The person who left that comment is likely only interested in winning an argument rather than learning what they do not know, so this note is not written as a rebuttal directed at them, but rather in the hope that it reaches the general public.

A point I would like such general readers to focus on is that this "Senni Sutra" contains content that makes one doubt the knowledge and sanity of those who claim that "Buddhism has no doctrine or teachings" or that "Shakyamuni Buddha did not teach reincarnation."

Furthermore, for those who correctly understand the Heart Sutra, this content provides an opportunity to utilize that knowledge to think further.

Structure of the "Senni Sutra"

The content of the "Senni Sutra" roughly follows this flow:

1. Senni comes and asks Shakyamuni Buddha questions

2. Shakyamuni Buddha explains that there are three types of thought regarding reincarnation

3. Maniacal discussions on the Five Aggregates, etc.

4. The actual situation of the Buddha's disciples and a summary of the theory of dependent origination

I wrote about 1 and 2 in the first part. Please refer to the link.
There are three types of views on so-called reincarnation, and it points out that the views of "eternalism" and "annihilationism" among them are incorrect.

In this note, I will first touch briefly on the overly maniacal discussion regarding the Five Aggregates in part 3. After that, I will explain part 4.

Senni receives a sermon from Shakyamuni Buddha on the temporary combination of the Five Aggregates

After Shakyamuni Buddha explains that there are three types of views on reincarnation, but that the views of "eternalism" and "annihilationism" are incorrect, the discussion of the Five Aggregates, familiar from the Heart Sutra, unfolds.

Do you notice that they are having an exchange that is very much like the Heart Sutra?
Impermanence = Emptiness.
Permanence = Different from Emptiness.
Therefore, one of the origins of "form is not different from emptiness" and "form is emptiness" at the beginning of the Heart Sutra appears to be this exchange in the Senni Sutra where it says "form is not permanent, but impermanent."
Naturally, this exchange continues with "the same is true for feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness."
In the original text, the exchange continues a bit more, but I will omit it in this note.

Just in case, to state the flow of the formation of Buddhist sutras:
The Agama Sutras, including the Senni Sutra, are records of the words and deeds of what Shakyamuni Buddha actually said. The Agama Sutras existed first, and the Heart Sutra was written by monks of that time several hundred years later.
However, because the Heart Sutra explains the theory of dependent origination by changing the term "dependent origination" = "impermanence" (which are Shakyamuni Buddha's words) into the word "emptiness," it can be said that it is a sutra that skillfully explains Shakyamuni Buddha's sermons using different expressions.
Conversely, if one denies the Heart Sutra, it leads to the denial of the theory of dependent origination spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha, so the Buddhism that person speaks of can no longer be called Buddhism.

Such disciples are reborn

Now, how many ordinary people have ever read even a portion of the classical Japanese translations of the Agama Sutras?
People who write things here and there claiming them to be the words of the Buddha are just stringing together 'poetry,' and in the end, it is all incomprehensible.
However, the core texts of the Agama Sutras contain quite heavy content.

The subject of this text is the Buddha. To briefly explain the overview:

This is what is being said.
If you correctly understand the Heart Sutra, I think you have the knowledge that 'a human being is an existence where the five aggregates are temporarily combined.'
But, after death, the five aggregates scatter, and new aggregates gather to form new five aggregates, and one receives life again. That is who you are now.
I wonder how many people recognize it up to this point?

Why did the five aggregates gather to create the existence that is you now?
If I explain this using the words of the Senni Sutra,
In your previous life, you did not fully understand the Buddha's meaning, gave rise to arrogance, and because you did not eradicate that arrogance, the aggregates were generated (continued) again, and you were born as a human. Why is this? It is because you, the reader, still possess arrogance.

You, the reader, could not eradicate your defilements (arrogance) in your previous life, so you were reincarnated and born into this world; this is how your reason for existence can be explained.

For those who have read this far without reading the first part, I will explain:
It begins with a person named Senni hearing a rumor that 'a religious figure named Gautama says that when his disciples die, they are reborn in such and such a place.' Senni comes directly to the Buddha and asks, 'What does it mean when you say your disciples are reborn in such and such a place?' To that question, the Buddha answers, 'There are disciples who do not properly understand the doctrine and teachings, and regarding those disciples, I explain that upon the breaking of the body and the end of life, they are reborn in such and such a place.'

This part is a complete refutation of the claim made by some that 'the Buddha did not teach reincarnation,'a sermon in the Buddha's own words.

It is something that has been spoken of from the past until the present day.

And in the continuation of the Senni Sutra, there are words from the Buddha himself, as if he were speaking to those who make the absurd claim that 'the Buddha used skillful means (upaya) to suit the listener, so there is no unified doctrine or teaching.'

Paraphrased, it becomes this:

This is an explanation of the theory of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths.
Suffering: There is suffering.
Origin: It is because defilements, namely arrogance, excessive arrogance, accumulated arrogance, and birth-arrogance, arise.
Cessation/Path: If one perceives the suffering as it truly is, suffering will not arise again.

If you understand the theory of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths, you can clearly understand that the Buddha's sermons remaining in the Agama Sutras are consistent with the theory of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths.

And since the Buddha himself says, 'I have always taught this from the past until the present,' how can anyone interpret it in a way that allows them to say the 'nonsense' that 'there is no unified doctrine or teaching in Buddhism'?
Because he is always teaching it, there is a constant doctrine and teaching. Do you understand?

Perhaps there are scholars who understand, but they might be trying hard not to lose their jobs by adhering to the belief of 'see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil' because they cannot publish a paper that would smear the faces of their senior scholars! I cannot say, 'Say what you must say even if you are prepared to lose your job!' so in that case, it cannot be helped.

However, we ordinary people who are not tied down by such constraints do not need to accommodate the convenience of a narrow academic village society, and we must do our best not to be pointed out by Shakyamuni Buddha as having 'heard my teachings, failed to understand the meaning entirely, and given rise to arrogance'.

The Sannikyo (Sannika-sutra) is one of the sources of the philosophy of the Heart Sutra

I am not at all saying that the source material for the Heart Sutra is the Sannikyo.
It is at the level of saying that if you trace the origins of the philosophy, the Sannikyo might be one of many sources.

The characteristic of this Sannikyo is that it uses the familiar concept of the five aggregates (skandhas), which those who correctly understand the Heart Sutra can well understand, to explain the regeneration of the five aggregates—which is human reincarnation—that the Heart Sutra does not explain, and it explains the root cause of that reincarnation using the word 'arrogance'.

The Heart Sutra ends with: if you dislike 'suffering,' chant the mantra 'Gate, gate...' and attain the state of enlightenment called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi through the wisdom of Prajna-paramita!

In contrast, the Sannikyo explains that one should practice to eradicate defilements after understanding the theory of dependent origination.
It feels like important teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha that the early Mahayana people who created the Heart Sutra did not try to understand remain in the Sannikyo.

To repeat, the Agama sutras and the Sannikyo existed first, and the Heart Sutra was created by monks of the early Mahayana lineage hundreds of years later.
Therefore, please understand that the Sannikyo did not supplement the parts missing from the Heart Sutra.

Past notes

For those who have been presented with something they have never heard of called the Agama sutras,
and who are now furious because everything they believed in has been completely denied,
if you are someone who wishes to understand the true meaning of the Tathagata, I recommend that you calm down once and watch the video at this link with a sincere heart.

Learning the Chinese translation of the Agamas

The books introduced below are commentaries on the Agama sutras that the founder of Agon Shu considers extremely important. They are composed of the original Chinese text of the Agama sutras, a Japanese translation, and commentary by the founder of Agon Shu.

Volume 1

The sutra written about the practice method called the 'Eight Dharmas and Sixteen Dharmas,' which the founder of Agon Shu wants you to know first, is listed as the lead-off hitter. If any Buddhist practitioner claims that 'Buddhism is about meditating yourself and saving yourself, and you cannot change others,' this is an Agama sutra that can proudly point out that such an explanation is completely wrong. It is a true teaching of Buddhism that I definitely want you to read.
Also,there is also a commentary on the 'Sannikyo' featured in this note.

Volume 2

It contains a sutra in which Shakyamuni Buddha clearly acknowledges the existence of what we modern people generally think of as ghosts, called 'mind-born bodies' (manomaya-kaya). The explanation by some people that Shakyamuni Buddha did not teach about the soul is incorrect. I would appreciate it if you could confirm that in this book.

Volume 3

Those who seriously think that Buddhism is just morality and philosophy, and that Shakyamuni Buddha did not acknowledge reincarnation or existence after death, should read this book and take the opportunity to rethink what they have learned so far. This book contains many Agama sutras themed around the reincarnation and view of life and death recognized by Shakyamuni Buddha.