What is (re)born? Did the Buddha explicitly state that it is "the mental idea of the self" that is reborn? It's been asserted by some knowledgeable individuals that the Buddha explicitly identified &quot;the mental idea of the self&quot; as what is (re)born in samsara and has done so in suttas spelling out the doctrine of dependent origination.
Is it true that the Buddha explicitly identified &quot;the mental idea of the self&quot; as what is (re)born in samsara?
If not, is it true that the Buddha implicitly intended to identify &quot;the mental idea of the self&quot; as what is (re)born in samsara?
Please provide sutta references.
In the Prasangika Madhyamaka we say it is the &quot;mere I&quot; that is reborn and not the &quot;mental idea of the self&quot; and we say how it is reborn is through the doctrine of dependent origination which involves the mental idea of the self. I think this is a significant difference.
From Milindapanha:

-- “What is it, Nàgasena, that is reborn?”
-- “Mind and matter (namarupa).”
-- “Is it this very mind and matter that is reborn?”
-- “No, it is not, but by this mind and matter deeds are done and because of those deeds another mind and matter is reborn; but that mind and matter is not thereby released from the results of its previous deeds.

Just like an adult &quot;inherits&quot; results of the choices made by the child - even though most of the original body cells are gone, similarly future existence &quot;inherits&quot; karma from the past existence.

--“Can there be any rebirth where there is no transmigration?”
--“Yes there can, just as a man can light one oil-lamp
from another but nothing moves from one lamp to the
other; or as a pupil can learn a verse by heart from a teacher
but the verse does not transmigrate from teacher to pupil.”

It is information and causation that is reborn, or is re-embodied. Or, as Chogyam Trungpa said, it is our neuroses that are reborn.