Reincarnation vs. Rebirth

"Reincarnation is not a Buddhist concept but a Hindu one, referring to a permanent ‘ātman‘ (like a ‘soul’ in Abrahamic religions). In Buddhism, there is a rebirth process (a lifestream) that can be ended."

https://puredhamma.net/paticca-samuppada/sakkaya-ditthi-and-paticca-samuppada/what-reincarnates-concept-of-a-lifestream/

"Reincarnation is a Hindu concept where the “ātma” (“ātman”) or the soul remains the same but takes a different form. The Rigveda likens it to a person discarding an old suit and putting on a new one."

"In Buddha Dhamma, it is a rebirth since there is no soul to reincarnate. We have accumulated many “kamma seeds” (kamma bīja), which contain various “habits” and “character qualities” (called “gati”) In our long journey through saṃsāra. Those lead to different types of rebirths."

"Beings whose minds are covered by ignorance and are bound to this rebirth process with bonds of craving.“

"Thus, the Buddha compared the behavior of any living being in the “satta state” to children enjoying building sandcastles on a beach. Due to their ignorance (avijjā), they don’t realize the futility of building sandcastles for enjoyment."

“Suppose some boys or girls were playing with sandcastles. As long as they’re not rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for those sandcastles, they cherish them, fancy them, treasure them, and treat them as their own. But when they grow up, they get rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for those useless sandcastles. Then they scatter, destroy, and demolish them with their hands and feet, making them unplayable.

In the same way, you should scatter, destroy, and demolish the desire for mind-pleasing things in this world and reject them. And you should practice for the ending of craving. You should scatter, destroy, and demolish the desire for feeling … perception … saṅkhāre … Viññāṇaṃ, making them unplayable. Taṇhākkhayo hi, rādha, nibbānan” ti (Rādha, Nibbāna is the elimination of taṇhā).”

Manomaya Kaya (Gandhabba)

https://puredhamma.net/abhidhamma/gandhabbaya-manomaya-kaya/manomaya-kaya-gandhabba-and-the-physical-body/

"This subtle body with three kāya (kammaja, cittaja, utuja) is a gandhabba. Since all three types of kāya have their origin in mind, the gandhabba is a “mind-made body” or a manōmaya kāya. But soon, it will acquire a faint physical body by inhaling aroma (gandha + abba), thus the name gandhabba. Therefore, a gandhabba would have all four “bodies” (kammaja, cittaja, utuja, karaja)."

"The physical body (karaja kāya) results from that single cell (zygote). It grows first by extracting food from the mother’s womb and then consuming regular food once born as a baby."

 "The physical body grows according to the “blueprint” in the subtle body of the gandhabba. The subtle body of the gandhabba expands with it so that it overlaps the physical body. For example, there is a nervous system in the gandhabba that overlays the physical nervous system."

"If anything is “transferred” from one existence (bhava) to another, those would be the “gati” and “āsavā” of that lifestream. But they also keep evolving. If we do not act mindfully, we let our minds “go with the flow.” Then, our actions will be determined by our Saṃsāric habits. That would only further strengthen such habits. That is why it is essential to identify bad habits, eliminate them, and cultivate good ones."

https://puredhamma.net/dhamma/buddha-dhamma-a-scientific-approach/brain-and-the-gandhabba/gandhabba-in-a-human-body-an-analogy/?highlight=tank

"The physical body, just like the tank, cannot move without energy. That energy comes from the food that the human eats.

Furthermore, the brain also needs energy to operate. That energy also comes from the food.

It turns out that the brain consumes roughly 25% of the energy produced by food digestion. That gives an idea of the immense workload on the brain. It has to process all the information coming in through the five senses AND carry out other bodily actions.

That is why “brain-dead people” don’t show any sign of life. However, the gandhabba inside is fully alive, now trapped in a useless physical body."

"That is a manifestation of kammic energy dictated by the purpose of the physical body. The physical body provides a way for the gandhabba to experience close contact (taste, smell, and touch). That NECESSITATES its entrapment inside the physical body.

Again, the military tank analogy is helpful. The soldier can see and hear without the aid of tank-mounted equipment when he is outside the tank. But while INSIDE the tank, he CANNOT see outside without using the equipment. In the same way, the gandhabba is TOTALLY shielded from the external world once inside the physical body."