Tobias wrote: “In ultimate terms these asava, gati, anusaya do not exist. Just citta, cetasika, rupa exist.”
The Buddha said it is not correct to say whether something in this world “exists” or “does not exist.”
– Things in this world exist ONLY based on appropriate causes and conditions.
This is also related to the question of whether a “self” exists or not. A “self” exists only based on appropriate causes and conditions. When such causes and conditions are not there, a “self” ceases to exist in this world.
– That is what happens to an Arahant at the time of death. Since there are no more causes and conditions for existence, that Arahant ceases to exist in this world.
We should understand citta, cetasika, rupa as just basic building blocks of this world. That is what is meant by “paramattha dhamma” in that case.
– Those things also cease to exist for an Arahant after death.
Anusaya, asava, and gati are just combinations of those basic building blocks, just like a physical body is an aggregate of four great elements (which of course belong to rupa).
– They all exist as long as appropriate causes and conditions are there.