In Buddhism we talk about relative and ultimate truth. Notice that both are truths? Actually they are indivisible, two sides of a coin, so to speak. Karma, rebirth, etc... at true at the relative level. Existence is real at the relative level. Humans are real, Hell beings are real, Animals are real, Gods are real, experiences are real, phenomena are real, etc... But at the ultimate level they are all empty of a true, lasting, independent existence.Ikkyu wrote:That's a double standard. If you're going to deny the reality of existence itself, why not deny the reality of rebirth, karma, etc.? Yes there are illusory aspects of reality, but to conclude that nothing is real amounts to empirical or metaphysical nihilism, and nihilism goes against the madhyamaka.
So no contradiction at all. As long as we are trapped into dualistic conceptualisation samsara exists and Nirvana is something else. Once we overcome dualism then samsara and Nirvana are not in the slightest bit seperate.