16 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



that all sentient beings existed from eternity, and would 

 continue transmigrating for ever; and that in whatever 

 changed circumstances they may appear the identity of the 

 beings is preserved, it is "a living soul" that transmigrates. 

 So far as I understand Budha he is opposed to both these 

 views. Respecting the origin of present existing beings, 

 he teaches, that they are new existences depending on a 

 preceding cause, viz. the merits and demerit of a previous 

 existence. Each one is represented as a tree produced from 

 the fruit of another tree, but not the identical tree from 

 which the seed was taken. Concerning the perpetuity of 

 the series, Budha teaches, that upon the attainment of a 

 specified degree of wisdom and holiness, the series will 

 terminate. 



2. The doctrine that some beings are eternal and self ex- 

 istent, while others have a derived existence. This he de- 

 nies, as every being forms only a link in an infinite series, 

 so far as the past is concerned ; and in this respect all sen- 

 tient beings stands on an equality. Under the same head is 

 included the immortality of certain Gods without liability 

 to transmigration. This he denies, affirming that every be- 

 ing is mutable, and subject to transmigration, until to use 

 his own metaphor, the stalk of existence is cut off by the 

 sword of wisdom, when not only transmigration but exis- 

 tence ceases. The last of this class holds the eternal du- 

 ration of the soul : this he denies, as in the world named 

 epcs sa^53 w^o asannya satta, there is neither mind, intellect 

 or conciousness, but merely a living body without sensation. 



3. The doctrines held by the reasoners on the finity or 

 infinity of space I do not clearly understand, and therefore 

 cannot state in what respects Budha differs from them : al- 

 though he involves them all in the same condemnation. 



4. The Equivocators differ from Budha in this, that he 

 affirms all his doctrines to be clearly and distinctly enun- 

 ciated, without any disguise. 



5. The qpG3©53§^er^.25w ad'hicha samuppannika differ 

 from Budha in teaching that there is no cause of any kind 

 for the existence of sentient beings, whereas he declares 

 there is a moral cause, deduced from awijja, or ig- 

 norance. 



Of the forty four who philosophize respecting the future 

 the notices are short, sixteen hold a future conscious exis- 

 tence enduring for ever : eight, an ever-during uncon- 

 scious existence, an eternal sleep; and eight an eternal 



