How do Buddhists who believe in a non momentary conventional self during life account for karma without enlightenment?

Question

How do Buddhists who believe in a non momentary conventional self during life account for karma without enlightenment? Specifically, what happens to "my" karma when I die, if I am not enlightened and my karma has not been exhausted?

I'm not asking how to think of cause and result if the lack of self identity extends from moment to moment in this life, because then "my" karma would face a similar obstacle in this life (there being no personal identity from moment to moment means it cannot be "my" karma at all).

Clearly most historical Buddhists believed that karma did not just exist in the suffering I cause others, but that what comes around goes around. So if my life does not, automatically without enlightenment, generate a new one, why doesn't "my" death cut off that cycle?

Answer 1

Specifically, what happens to "my" karma when I die, if I am not enlightened and my karma has not been exhausted?

If one is not enlightened when death occurs, rebirth will take place. That process cannot be stopped as long as there exists greed, hatred and delusion in the mind.

So if my life does not, automatically without enlightenment, generate a new one, why doesn't "my" death cut off that cycle?

Merely dying is not enough to cut off the defilements that cause beings to be reborn. It takes hard work, effort, right view and persistence in training of the Noble Eightfold Path. As long as there exists defilements (greed, hatred and delusion) in the mind death and rebirth will continue to happen. That's a process have been going on for countless of aeons - even the Buddha said that he couldn't see a discernable beginning of the wandering in Samsara.

This process of death and rebirth can only be stopped when a being becomes enlightened. Why is that? Because enlightenment is what destroys and cuts off the root defilements that bind us to Samsara.

Answer 2

How do Buddhists who believe in a non momentary conventional self

I doubt many Buddhists would believe in a "non momentary" conventional self. I imagine most studied Buddhists would believe there can be a "momentary" conventional self.

during life account for karma without enlightenment?

Karma depends on the delusion of self. There cannot be ordinary (black &/or white) karma without self-belief.

Specifically, what happens to "my" karma when I die, if I am not enlightened and my karma has not been exhausted?

Karma will continue to reap results when the view of "I", "my" & "self" continue to exist. In the Buddha's teaching, only the false view of "I" dies. For example, MN 140 says "death" ("marana") does not occur when "I" is not conceived.

I'm not asking how to think of cause and result if the lack of self identity extends from moment to moment in this life, because then "my" karma would face a similar obstacle in this life (there being no personal identity from moment to moment means it cannot be "my" karma at all).

Sorry but the above sounds merely intellectual. If strong vexatious thoughts of "I" & "mine" continue to arise, these are personal identity.

Clearly most historical Buddhists

Buddhism became extinct in India and nearly twice became extinct in Sri Lanka. Clearly most historical Buddhists had terrible understanding of Buddhism.

believed that karma did not just exist in the suffering I cause others, but that what comes around goes around. So if my life does not, automatically without enlightenment, generate a new one, why doesn't "my" death cut off that cycle?

Sorry but SN 12.2 defines "death" as the death of "a being" ("satta"). SN 23.2 & SN 5.10 define a "satta" ("being") as merely "strong attachment", "a view", "a convention". Many many suttas say the Arahants do not "die" ("marana"). That is why a synonyn for Nibbana is The Deathless. Buddhists who believe in "rebirth" merely spin around & around in speculative views & questioning forever.