--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Norman Joseph [Jou] Smith"
<josmith.1@...> wrote:

> Despite the well known idea that the Buddha taught [the goal of]

his

> teaching was for THIS VERY LIFE, there is a popular idea that he

spoke

> of "past lives" [pubbe jiivitaani]. I have found no evidence of

this, or

> of RE-birth [punna-jaati] in the early texts [the Paali Nikaaya or
> Vinaaya]. If anyone has found such evidence please let me know.

===========
Dear Jou,
Anguttara Nikaya III.15
Rathakara Sutta
(Pacetana Sutta)
The Chariot Maker



The Blessed One said: "Once, monks, there was a king named Pacetana .
One day King Pacetana said to his chariot maker, 'My good chariot
maker, in six months time from now a battle will take place. Can you
make me a new pair of chariot wheels?'

"'Yes, your majesty, I can,' the chariot maker replied to the king.

"Then in six months minus six days the chariot maker finished one
wheel. King Pacetana said to him, 'In six days time from now the
battle will take place. Will the pair of chariot wheels be finished?'

<
<snip>


"Now, monks, the thought may occur to you that the chariot maker on
that occasion was someone else, but it shouldn't be seen in that way.
I myself was the chariot maker on that occasion. I was skilled in
dealing with the crookedness, the faults, the flaws of wood. Now I am
a worthy one, rightly self-awakened, skilled in dealing with the
crookedness, faults, & flaws of bodily action; skilled in dealing
with
the crookedness, faults, & flaws of verbal action; skilled in dealing
with the crookedness, faults, & flaws of mental action.""endquote
___________________--
RobertK