@ Ven. Lal Sir,
You said : “There is a presumed monkey typing on a typewriter for an eternity (in the analogy). There is no “person” (C. Saket) travelling in samsara for an eternity.”
Lord Buddha rejected both “self” and “no self” views. Right ?
So it is NOT correct to say that:
(1) “there is a person”
OR
(2) “there is no person”
Everyone has a distinct set of 5 khandhas which are different for each sentient being. And also all these 5 khandhas are in flux, i.e., they are dynamic, always changing.
For example, I had a different personality when I was a kid (different set of 5 khandhas). Similarly, I was not the same person when I was a teenager, but when I read/heard the Dhamma, I have now become a different person altogether i.e., the set of 5 khandhas for my teenage was not the same as the set of 5 khandhas at the present time.
HOWEVER, the present set of 5 khandhas for me has come (as a result) from my past set of 5 khandhas (toddler – kid – teenager – now) i.e., they are “causally related.”
The same is true for each and every rebirth process that is going on from beginning-less time (infinity).
Take another example, if I touch a vessel (which is very hot) then there will be a burning sensation at my hand. The set of 5 khandhas before touching the hot vessel was different from the set of 5 khandhas after touching the hot vessel BUT they both are “causally related”.
In very simple words – There was no painful sensations at my hand before touching the hot vessel. The burning sensation (painful vedana) arose because I decided to touch that hot vessel.
I hope you got what I am trying to say.
So it is not appropriate to say that “there is a person” OR “there is no person”.