42 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASTATIC SOCIETY, 



There are, Priests, some Samanas and Bramins who are 

 endless equivocators : who whenever they are questioned on 

 any subject equivocate and for four reasons avoid giving a 

 direct answer. Upon what principle or on what account are 

 these Samanas and Bramins endless equivocators, and when 

 questioned on any subject equivocate, and for four reasons 

 avoid giving a direct answer. There are, Priests, some Sa- 

 manas and Bramins who do not accurately understand either 

 what constitutes virtue or what constitutes vice ; such an 

 one not accurately understanding what is virtuous or what 

 is vicious thus reflects : I do not understand with accuracy 

 what actions are virtuous or what actions are vicious ; being 

 thus ignorant of the nature of vice and virtue, should I 

 pronounce an action to be virtuous or to be vicious, my de- 

 cision may be influenced by my feelings or desires, by my 

 discontent or displeasure, and under these circumstances I 

 may speak that which is not true, and that will be to me a 

 cause of grief, and that grief will endanger my spiritual 

 well being ; and thus he, fearing and abhorring falsehood, 

 will neither pronounce an action to be virtuous nor to be 

 vicious, but upon being questioned will escape from the 

 question and avoid all explanation. If questioned, Is it so? 

 he will reply I do not know. Is it thus ? I do not know. 

 Is it otherwise ? I do not know. Is it not? I do not know. 

 No, is it not ? I do not know. This Priests is the first rea- 

 son why some Sages and Bramins are endless equivocators, 

 and being questioned on any subject, equivocate and answer 

 wide of the subject. 



Secondly. Upon what principle or for what reason are 

 some Samanas and Bramins endless equivocators, and upon 

 being questioned on any subject escape from the question 

 and avoid all explanation. Priests, there are some Sama- 

 nas and Bramins who do not accurately understand what 

 constitutes virtue or what constitutes vice, such an one not 

 accurately understanding what is virtuous or what is vi- 

 cious thus reflects : I do not understand with accuracy what 

 actions are virtuous or what actions are vicious : being thus 

 ignorant of the nature of vice or virtue, if I pronounce an 

 action to be virtuous or to be vicious my decision may be 

 influenced by my feelings or desires, by my discontent or 

 displeasure, and influenced by these feelings I may form 

 an attachment to these objects : and attachment to any ob- 

 ject is productive of grief, and that grief will endanger my 

 spiritual welfare. He therefore fearing and abhorring attach- 

 ment to existent objects, will neither pronounce an action to 



