What would be the secular interpretation for the Assu Sutta and the Mata Sutta?

How would Secular Buddhists and other Buddhists who reject rebirth, interpret the following suttas, which describe: 1. An ocean of tears? 2. Everyone being someone we have know in the past? --- From Assu Sutta (SN15.3) : > At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said: "From an inconstruable > beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, > though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are > transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks: Which is > greater, the tears you have shed while transmigrating & wandering this > long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is > displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — or the water in > the four great oceans?" > > "As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is > the greater: the tears we have shed while transmigrating & wandering > this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is > displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not the water in > the four great oceans." > > "Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand > the Dhamma taught by me. > > "This is the greater: the tears you have shed while transmigrating & > wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined > with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not > the water in the four great oceans. > > "Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a mother. The > tears you have shed over the death of a mother while transmigrating & > wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined > with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are > greater than the water in the four great oceans. > > "Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a father... the > death of a brother... the death of a sister... the death of a son... > the death of a daughter... loss with regard to relatives... loss with > regard to wealth... loss with regard to disease. The tears you have > shed over loss with regard to disease while transmigrating & wandering > this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is > displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are greater than > the water in the four great oceans. > > "Why is that? From an inconstruable beginning comes transmigration. A > beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance > and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have > you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, > swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all > fabricated things, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be > released." I think that rebirth scenarios are usually explained as different states of mind e.g. animalistic state of mind for animal rebirth -- but how could tears the size of an ocean and everyone being someone that we have known in the past, be explained in this way? This sutta seem to make sense only if rebirth was actually true. --- Similarly from Mata Sutta (SN15.14-19) : > At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said: "From an inconstruable > beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, > though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are > transmigrating & wandering on. A being who has not been your mother at > one time in the past is not easy to find... A being who has not been > your father... your brother... your sister... your son... your > daughter at one time in the past is not easy to find. > > "Why is that? From an inconstruable beginning comes transmigration. A > beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance > and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have > you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, > swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all > fabricated things, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be > released." How would you explain everyone being someone that we have known in the past?