CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



29 



gato. What, Priests, are these things profound, difficult to 

 be perceived, hard to be comprehended, tranquillizing and 

 excellent, not attainable by reason, subtle and worthy of 

 being known by the wise, which the Tatagato has ascer- 

 tained by his own wisdom and which he publicly makes 

 known, and concerning which he may speak who correctly 

 declares the real excellencies of the Tatagato. 



There are, Priests, some Samanas and Bramins, who medi- 

 tate on past events, and who deduce doctrines from things 

 which formerly existed: («) they, in eighteen forms declare 

 a variety of opinions connected with the past. 



Upon what principles or for what reasons do these Samanas 

 and Bramins, who meditate on past events, and who deduce 

 doctrines from things which formerly existed, declare in 

 eighteen forms, a variety of opinions respecting the past ? 



Priests, some Samanas and Bramins hold the eternity of 

 existences, (b) and in four forms affirm that the soul (c) and 

 the world are of eternal duration. 



Upon what principle or for what reason do these Sama- 

 nas and Bramins hold the eternity of existences, and in 

 four forms affirm that the soul and the world are of eternal 

 duration. 



Here, Priests, a Samana or Bramin subjects his passions, 

 and is constant and persevering in the practice of virtue, 

 he by profound and correct meditation attains that mental 

 tranquillity by which he retraces many former states of ex- 

 istence ; that is, one birth (ef) two births, three births, four 



(a) gg) 3353455 eBaaa g£)&!s>o^&i®&n pubbanta kappika pub- 

 bantanu dithino §3© pubba formei, ^3xd anta boundary, ad&ssn 

 kappika thinkers : those who endeavour to ascertain the origin 

 and former state of things, and whose doctrines are the result of 

 such investigations. 



(b) ee©353S3 035, sassata wada eaessec? sassata eternal, or eternity, 

 ©9<3, wada speakers, declarers, from ©9$ wada to speak. 



(c) ep&Sttea© ^(30255© attanancha lokancha cpOKD atta properly 

 signifies "the self" The comment mentions two forms in which 

 ^£>553 is understood, d^oc ^&5>3<5\£)€) rupan attachewa, the soul 

 being a material form : and <^0«£>sdo es^^o e5o£>a<^<5 §.«$<8s,e3o ^ 

 &5)3<^S© wedanan sannyan sankare winnyanan attachewa the 

 soul being sensation, perception, reason and consciousness- By 

 GQO&io lokan must be understood the universe at large, and not 

 this world alone. The Sassata Wada therefore held, that both 

 mind and matter existed from eternity and would exist to 

 eternity. 



(d) jati or birth, signifies? the commencement of existence 

 in any state, whether from the womb of a mother, as men ; or 



