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CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



not know. What ! No ? I do not know, If lie be asked, 

 Will there be no future state of being ? Is there both a fu- 

 ture state and yet not a future state. Does a future state 

 neither exist nor yet not exist ? Are there beings who ob- 

 tain existence without the intervention of parents ? Are 

 there no such beings ? Do such beings exist and yet not 

 exist ? Do such being neither exist nor yet not exist ? Are 

 their joys and sorrows the result of previous conduct ? or 

 are there no such joys and sorrows ? Are there joys and 

 sorrows and yet (in other existences) no such joys and sor- 

 rows ? Are such joys and sorrows neither experienced nor 

 yet not experienced ? Do beings live after death ? do they 

 not exist? Do they exist and yet not exist? Do they neither 

 exist nor yet become non-existent? To these he will reply 

 Do you question me on these subjects : when I experience 

 them then I will explain them. But are they so ? I do not 

 know. Are they thus ? I do not know. Are they otherwise ? 

 I do not know. Are they not ? I do not know. What ! Not 

 know ? I do not know. This is the fourth reason, Priests, 

 why some Samanas and Bramins are endless prevaricators, 

 and on being questioned on any subject equivocate and 

 answer wide of the subject. 



Priests, these Samanas and Bramins are endless prevari- 

 cators, and upon being questioned on any subject prevaricate 

 and for four reasons answer wide of the question. If, Priests, 

 any Samana or Bramin is an equivocator and upon being 

 questioned on any subject answers wide of the subject it is 

 on account of these four reasons or on account of some of 

 them : there are no reasons for this beside these four. 



These doctrines, Priests, are fully understood by the Ta- 

 tagato : he knows the causes of their being held and the ex- 

 perience upon which they are founded. He also knows 

 other things far more excellent than these, but that know- 

 ledge has not been derived from sensual impressions. He, 

 with knowledge not derived from the impressions on the 

 senses, is fully acquainted with that by which both the im- 

 pressions and their cause become extinct, and distinctly 

 perceiving the production, the cessation, the advantages, 

 the evils, and the extinction of the sensations, is perfectly 

 free having no attachments. Priests, these doctrines of the 

 Tatagato are profound, difficult to be perceived, hard to be 

 comprehended, tranquillizing, excellent, not attainable by 

 reason, subtle and worthy of being known to the wise. 

 These the Tatagato has ascertained by his own wisdom, and 



