50 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



They teach that the soul is material, or that it is imma- 

 terial, or that it partakes both of materiality and immate- 

 riality, or that it is neither material nor yet immaterial: — 

 that it will be finite, or that it will be infinite ; or that it 

 will partake both of finity and infinity, or that it is neither 

 finite nor yet infinite, and that thus it will have an eternal 

 existence after death between consciousness and uncon- 

 sciousness. 



Priests, these Samanas and Bramins affirm there is a fu- 

 ture state of being neither conscious nor unconscious, and 

 in eight modes teach that the soul will hereafter exist in a 

 state between consciousness and unconsciousness. If any 

 Samanas or Bramins affirm that there is a future state of 

 being, neither conscious nor unconscious, and teach that the 

 soul will hereafter exist in a state between consciousness 

 and unconsciousness, it is in these eight modes, or in some 

 of them : for there are none besides these. 



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 causes 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 publicly makes them known. Of these he may speak 

 who correctly declares the real excellencies of the Tata- 

 gato. 



There are, Priests, some Samanas and Bramins who affirm 

 that existence is destroyed, and who teach in seven modes 

 that beings are cut off, destroyed, annihilated. Upon what 

 principle and upon what account do these Samanas and 

 Bramins affirm that existence is destroyed, and teach, in 

 seven modes that living beings are cut off, destroyed, anni- 

 hilated ? There are, Priests, some Samanas and Bramins 

 who thus affirm and believe, and say, Friend, the soul is 

 material, formed of the four elements, generated by the pa- 

 rents: upon the dissolution of the body, it is eut off, des- 



