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CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



revolutions of a kalpa, ten revolutions of a kalpa: I re- 

 member that I lived in such a place, that I had such a 

 name, was of such a family, had such an appearance, had 

 such a maintenance, and experienced such and such joys and 

 sorrows : at the termination of my life I departed thence 

 and was born in such a place, there also I had such a name, 

 was of such a family, had such an appearance, had such a 

 maintenance, and experienced such and such joys and sor- 

 rows. At the termination of my life I departed thence and 

 was born here. In this way and manner I retrace various 

 states of previous existence. By this I know that the soul and 

 the world are eternal, unproductive of newly existing sub- 

 stances, and but they remain as a mountain peak, unshaken, 

 imperishable. Living beings pass away, they transmigrate ; 

 they die, they are born ; but they continue, as eternal. This, 

 Priests, is the second reason why some Samanas and Bra- 

 mins are Sassata Wada, and affirm that the soul and the 

 world are of eternal duration. 



Thirdly, upon what principles or for what reasons do 

 some Samanas and Bramins hold the eternity of existences, 

 and affirm that the soul and the world are of eternal du- 

 ration. 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 various states of 

 previous existence ; that is, during ten revolutions of a kal- 

 pa, twenty revolutions of a kalpa, thirty revolutions of a 

 kalpa, or forty revolutions of a kalpa. He remembers, I 

 lived in such a place, had such a name, was of such a family, 

 had such an appearance, had such a maintenance, and expe- 

 rienced such and such joys and sorrows. At the termi- 

 nation of my life I departed thence and was born in such 

 a place : there also I had such a name, was of such a fa- 

 mily, had such an appearance, had such a maintenance, and 

 experienced such and such joys and sorrows. At the ter- 

 mination of my life I departed thence and was born here. 

 In this way and manner he retraces various states of pre- 

 vious existence, and says, The soul and the world are eter- 

 nal, unproductive of newly existing substances, but they 

 remain as a mountain peak, unshaken, imperishable. Liv- 

 ing beings pass away, they transmigrate ; they die, they 

 are born ; but they continue, as being eternal. How does 

 this appear ? I have subjected my passions, and being con- 

 stant and persevering in the practice of virtue have attained 

 that mental tranquillity by which I retrace various states 



