Hmmm ... I wonder who got that idea & how. I can't remember ever saying or writing such a thing, only that I've heard him talk w/ some people about the traditional understanding of rebirth, but that doesn't mean he believed. His attitude was more like "wait and see."
In other words, he did not deny it the way many of you Buddhadasa acolytes do. The sad thing, for all of Buddhadasa's interesting things he has to say, it the acolytes' venomous anti-rebirthism that makes him look really ugly, especially by the ugly behavior as we have seen here and are seeing elsewhre. (Craig, is exmpt from the ugly behaviour business, but not the mono-mania of anti-rebirthism).
I dont deny rebirth, its a view point that i have let go of because of the dukkha thats there
If i denied it and said "there is no rebirth after death" then this is holding a view again
Buddhas way, as i understand it, goes beyond all views, opinions and standpoints
And how is there the yoke of views? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, & the escape from views. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, & the escape from views, then — with regard to views — he is obsessed with view-passion, view-delight, view-attraction, view-infatuation, view-thirst, view-fever, view-fascination, view-craving. This is the yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, & the yoke of views.
"Monks, there are these seven obsessions.1 Which seven?
"(1) The obsession of sensual passion.
"(2) The obsession of resistance.
"(3) The obsession of views.
"(4) The obsession of uncertainty.
"(5) The obsession of conceit.
"(6) The obsession of passion for becoming.
"(7) The obsession of ignorance.
"These are the seven obsessions."
(next sutta)
Monks, with the abandoning & destruction of the seven obsessions, the holy life is fulfilled. Which seven? The obsession of sensual passion, the obsession of resistance, the obsession of views, the obsession of uncertainty, the obsession of conceit, the obsession of passion for becoming, the obsession of ignorance. With the abandoning & destruction of these seven obsessions, the holy life is fulfilled.
"When, for a monk, the obsession of sensual passion has been abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising; when, for him, the obsession of resistance... the obsession of views... the obsession of uncertainty... the obsession of conceit... the obsession of passion for becoming... the obsession of ignorance has been abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising: this is called a monk who has cut through craving, has turned away from the fetter, and — by rightly breaking through conceit — has put an end to suffering & stress."
metta