different person do you arrive at your latest aggregation of consciousnesses."

"You are an able man, bhante Nagasena."

§ 17 b. Translated from the Visuddhi-Magga (chap. viii.).

Strictly speaking, the duration of the life of a living being is exceedingly brief, lasting only while a thought lasts. Just as a chariot-wheel in rolling rolls only at one point of the tire, and in resting rests only at one point; in exactly the same way, the life of a living being lasts only for the period of one thought. As soon as that thought has ceased the being is said to have ceased. As it has been said:

"The being of a past moment of thought has lived, but does not live, nor will it live.

"The being of a future moment of thought will live, but has not lived, nor does it live.

"The being of the present moment of thought does live, but has not lived, nor will it live."

§ 18. THE MIND LESS PERMANENT THAN
THE BODY.

Translated from the Samyutta-Nikāya (xii. 621).

Thus have I heard.

On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi in Jetavana monastery in Anāthapindikas Park. And there The Blessed One addressed the priests.

"Priests," said he.

"Lord," said the priests to The Blessed One in reply. And The Blessed One spoke as follows:

"Even the ignorant, unconverted man, O priests, may conceive an aversion for this body which is composed of the four elements, may divest himself of passion for it, and attain to freedom from it. And why do I say so? Because, O priests, the increase and the wasting away of this body which

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is composed of the four elements are evident, and the way in which it is obtained and afterwards laid away again.1 Therefore here the ignorant, unconverted man may conceive aversion, divest himself of passion, and attain to freedom. But that, O priests, which is called mind, intellect, consciousness, here the ignorant, unconverted man is not equal to conceiving aversion, is not equal to divesting himself of passion, is not equal to attaining freedom. And why do I say so? Because, O priests, from time immemorial the ignorant, unconverted man has held, cherished, and affected the notion, This is mine; this am I; this is my Ego.' Therefore here the ignorant, unconverted man is not equal to conceiving aversion, is not equal to divesting himself of passion, is not equal to attaining freedom. But it were better, O priests, if the ignorant, unconverted man regarded the body which is composed of the four elements as an Ego, rather than the mind. And why do I say so? Because it is evident, O priests, that this body which is composed of the four elements lasts one year, lasts two years, lasts three years, lasts four years, lasts five years, lasts ten years, lasts twenty years, lasts thirty years, lasts forty years, lasts fifty years, lasts a hundred years, and even more. But that, O priests, which is called mind, intellect, consciousness, keeps up an incessant round by day and by night of perishing as one thing and springing up as another.

"Here the learned and noble disciple, O priests, attentively considers Dependent Origination - Behold this exists when that exists, this originates from the origination of the other; this does not exist when that does not exist, this ceases from the cessation of the other. O priests, a pleasant sensation originates in dependence on contact with pleasant objects; but when that contact with pleasant objects ceases, the feeling sprung from that contact, the pleasant sensation that originated in dependence on contact with pleasant objects ceases and comes to an end. O priests, an unpleasant sensa

1 Visuddhi-Magga, chap. xx.: By "The way in which it is obtained” is meant conception; by "The way in which it is laid away again" is meant death.

tion . . . an indifferent sensation originates in dependence on contact with indifferent objects; but when that contact with indifferent objects ceases, the feeling sprung from that contact, the indifferent sensation that originated in dependence on contact with indifferent objects ceases and comes to an end.

"Just as, O priests, heat comes into existence and flame into being from the friction and concussion of two sticks of wood, but on the separation and parting of these two sticks of wood the heat sprung from those two sticks of wood ceases and comes to an end: in exactly the same way, O priests, a pleasant sensation originates in dependence on contact with pleasant objects; but when that contact with pleasant objects ceases, the feeling sprung from that contact, the pleasant sensation that originated in dependence on contact with pleasant objects ceases and comes to an end. An unpleasant sensation . . . an indifferent sensation originates in dependence on contact with indifferent objects; but when that contact with indifferent objects ceases, the feeling sprung from that contact, the indifferent sensation that originated in dependence on contact with indifferent objects ceases and comes to an end.

Perceiving this, O priests, the learned and noble disciple conceives an aversion for contact, conceives an aversion for sensation, conceives an aversion for perception, conceives an aversion for the predispositions, conceives an aversion for consciousness. And in conceiving this aversion he becomes divested of passion, and by the absence of passion he becomes free, and when he is free he becomes aware that he is free; and he knows that rebirth is exhausted, that he has lived the holy life, that he has done what it behooved him to do, and that he is no more for this world.

§ 19. WHAT IS UNITY OR ONE?

Translated from the Jātaka (ii.25718), and constituting Birth-Story 244.

"What he sees he does not wish for." This was related by The Teacher while dwelling in Jetavana monastery, and it was concerning a certain wandering ascetic who ran

away.

It seems this ascetic had not found any one throughout the whole continent of India to refute his propositions; and coming to Savatthi, he inquired, "Who is able to debate with me?" On hearing it said, "The Supreme Buddha is able,' he went to Jetavana monastery, surrounded by a crowd of people. There he saw The Blessed One in the midst of the four classes of his disciples teaching them the Doctrine; and he propounded to him his questions.

Then The Teacher answered him, and in return asked, "What constitutes a unit?" And he, being unable to reply, rose up and ran away.

And they of the assembly said,

"Reverend Sir, you silenced the wandering ascetic with the question concerning the unit.”

Said The Teacher,

"Not now for the first time, O lay disciples, have I silenced him with the question concerning the unit; formerly also did I do so."

So saying, he related the by-gone occurrence :

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was ruling at Benares, the Future Buddha was born in the family of a Brahman of that kingdom. When he was come of age, he renounced pleasures and adopted the life of a holy recluse, and dwelt for a long time in the Himalaya Mountains. And descending from the hills, he made his abode in a leaf-hut close by a market-village, at a bend of the Ganges.

And a certain wandering ascetic who had not found any one throughout the whole continent of India to refute his pro

positions, came to that market-village, and inquired, “Is there any one here able to debate with me?" And hearing that the Future Buddha was able, he went to his dwelling-place, surrounded by a crowd of people, and greeting him politely, sat down.

And the Future Buddha said to him,

"Will you have a drink of Ganges water, fragrant with the scent of the forest?"

Thereupon the wandering ascetic began volubly to debate, saying,

"What is the Ganges? Is the sand the Ganges? Is the water the Ganges? Is the hither bank the Ganges? Is the further bank the Ganges?"

But the Future Buddha said to him,

"If you except the water, the sand, the hither bank, and the further bank, where can you find any Ganges?"

The wandering ascetic was confounded, and rose up and ran away.

When he was gone, the Future Buddha began teaching the Doctrine to the assembly that was seated about, and spoke the following stanzas:

Here:

"What he sees he does not wish for,
But something that he does not see;
Methinks that he will wander long,
And what he wishes, not obtain.

"He is not pleased with what he gets;
No sooner gained, it meets his scorn.
Insatiate are wishes all!

The wish-free, therefore, we adore!

What he sees:· The water etc. which he sees, he does not wish to regard as the Ganges.

But something that he does not see: But he wishes for a Ganges he does not see, for one abstracted from water etc.

Methinks that he will wander long: ·- Methinks thus: "This wandering ascetic, in his search for such a Ganges, will wander long; or if, in the same manner as for this Ganges abstracted from water etc., he is in