Can Nibbana be experienced by believers in 'rebirth-reincarnation'?
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SN 22.59 states experiencing Nibbana requires the dispassion (*viraga*) that occurs from completely realising the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness & not-self of every type of consciousness & the other four aggregates.
> *Now what do you think of this, O monks? Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?*
>
> *Impermanent, O Lord.*
>
> *Now, what is impermanent, is that unsatisfactory or satisfactory?*
>
> *Unsatisfactory, O Lord.*
>
> *Now, what is impermanent, unsatisfactory, subject to change, is it proper to regard it as: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?*
>
> *Indeed, not that, O Lord.*
>
> *Therefore, surely, O monks, whatever consciousness, past, future or present, internal or external, coarse or fine, low or lofty, far or
> near, all that consciousness must be regarded with proper wisdom,
> according to reality, thus: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is
> not my self.'*
>
> *O monks, the well-instructed noble disciple, seeing thus, gets wearied of form, gets wearied of feeling, gets wearied of perception,
> gets wearied of mental formations, gets wearied of consciousness.
> Being wearied he becomes passion-free. In his freedom from passion, he
> is emancipated. Being emancipated, there is the knowledge that he is
> emancipated. He knows: 'birth is exhausted, lived is the holy life,
> what had to be done is done, there is nothing more of this
> becoming.'"*
>
> *This the Blessed One said. Pleased, the group of five monks were delighted with the exposition of the Blessed One; moreover, as this
> exposition was being spoken, the minds of the group of five monks were
> freed of defilements, without attachment.*
>
> *Indeed, at that time there were **six arahants in the world**.*
Many suttas describe Nibbana as the ending of the perception (*sanna*) & *asava* (defilement) of 'becoming' (MN 121) and the calming of all formations (MN 26; *sabbasamathosankhara*).
Therefore, can the thought of or belief in 'rebirth' in the mind result in Nibbana?
Is the belief in 'rebirth-reincarnation' not a type of 'becoming' & not a 'thought formation'?
Asked by Paraloka Dhamma Dhatu
(48153 rep)
Sep 13, 2017, 08:43 PM
Last activity: Sep 15, 2017, 08:59 AM
Last activity: Sep 15, 2017, 08:59 AM