Dear Suan,

Thanks for the mention of the Kathavatthu, but that was not exactly what I
had in mind. I was interested in the remaining major part of the Abhidhamma
which you believe is Buddha-vacana. I am familar with Moggalitissaputta's
refutations -- to my mind he has thrown the baby out with the bath-water in
his eagerness to refute the puggala-vadins.

> But, the Buddha did not use the term "gandhabba" as a floating
> observing entity in limbo state as paravaadiis would claim. The term
> is used in the sense of someone who still has kamma for rebirth and
> is about to be conceived in a new womb. It is used to convey a
> delicate synchronization between a dying person from this life and a
> mother's receptive womb as a kamma-driven destination to the next
> life.

This explanation of gandhabba seems rather strained and artificial to me and
contradicts a number of passages dealing with the dying/rebirth process.
But I think we are never going to see eye-to-eye on the interpretation of
these texts so it is best if we do get embroiled in arguments about them.

However, I have one hypothetical situation, which could arise one day, about
which I would like to hear your views. Let us suppose that some time in the
future there is a exploratory space mission to the edge of the solar system.
All goes well until one day when the space vehicle has reached the orbit of
Pluto and one of the all-male crew unfortunately dies. He dies with a final
kusala-citta, and during his live he has not been an exceptionally bad nor
good person, thus deserving neither a higher or lower rebirth than human.
He ought, of necessity, be reborn as a human. How do you suggest this
happens when his death occurs so far from any suitable human mother and
father for his next life, given that there is no gap between Z and A ? What
does Moggalitissaputta have to say about the delicate synchronization
involved here ?

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge