Dear Samatha Savaka,
Thanks for your reply. I gave no personal interpretation: the quote
came from Buddhaghosa and is simply a succint summary of reality
according to the Theravada. As it happens, I believe it is the
correct view.
I don't know the 'Awakening of Faith Shastra', but your comments
about an 'unchanging essense... [that] we have never been apart
from' is contrary to the texts of the Theravada.
best wishes
robert

>
> Robert, thanks for your reply, but, the interpretation which you
> seem to imply through the quote you posted seems a bit odd, why?
> first, it proposes that effects manifest without a cause. Second,

it

> assumes that the passage means there's no Essence, when it can

also

> be interpreted in this way: That since all there has always been

is

> an unchanging, deathless essence, and since we have never been

apart

> from it, then, there's no going or comming. An interpretation

which

> is possible due to the comentaries and other Suttas/Sutras which
> tells us this, like the Awakening of Faith Shastra.
>
> Good Day :)
>
> Samatha Savaka. In Pali@..., "samathasavaka" <samathasavaka@...>

wrote:

> --- In Pali@..., "robertkirkpatrick.rm" <robertkirkpatrick@...>
> wrote:
> > Dear Samatha Savaka (and Robert Eddison),-- In
> > Pali@..., "samathasavaka" <samathasavaka@...> wrote:
> > --- , imho, the Buddha is not
> > > preaching that there's no soul at all. It'd be strange if that
> > were
> > > the case, why do i think this? Because then, what would

realize

> > > illumination? what is reborn? what suffers? what is liberated
> from
> > > suffering?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > +++++++++++++++++++++++=
> > Dear Friend,
> > Just in case Robert Eddison is busy this quotation from The
> > Visuddhimagga might help:
> > 567 VRI Su~n~natekavidhaadiihiiti-ettha su~n~nato taava
> paramatthena
> > hi sabbaaneva saccaani vedakakaarakanibbutagamakaabhaavato
> > su~n~naaniiti veditabbaani. Teneta.m vuccati–
> > "Dukkhameva hi, na koci dukkhito;
> > kaarako na, kiriyaava vijjati;
> > atthi nibbuti, na nibbuto pumaa;
> > maggamatthi, gamako na vijjatii"ti.
> > (thanks to Andy Shaws brilliant Pali trans 2.o)
> >
> > Translation from nanamoli xvi 90
> > ...As to void, single fold and so on: firstly, as to void: in

the

> > ultimate sense all the truths should be understood as void

because

> > of the absence of any experiencer, any doer, anyone who is
> > extinguished and any goer. hence this is said:
> >
> > For there is suffering, but none who suffers;
> > Doing exists although there is no doer;
> > Extinction is but no extinguished person;
> > Although there is a path there is no goer'""
> >
> > BTw Robert, amazing reply to the previous letter.
> > best wishes
> > robert
>