CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 53 



having no attachments. Priests, these doctrines of the Ta- 

 tagato 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 Tatagato. 



Priests, there are some Samanas and Bramins who speak 

 concerning the extinction of sorrow (or Nirwana) while in 

 a state of existence, (a) and in five modes teach that living 

 beings may enjoy perfect happiness, (b) Upon what prin- 

 ciple and on what account do some Samanas and Bramins 

 speak respecting the extinction of sorrow while in a state of 

 existence, and in five modes teach that living beings may 

 enjoy perfect happiness ? Priests, there are some Samanas 

 and Bramins who affirm and believe this and say, When- 

 ever, Friends, the soul has a full, complete and perfect en- 

 joyment of the five senses, then the soul attains in the pre- 

 sent state the perfection of happiness. Thus some teach 

 that perfect happiness may be experienced by a living be- 

 ing in the present state of existence. 



Another will reply and say, Friend, I do not deny that 

 there is such a state as you mention, but the soul does not 

 then obtain a perfect deliverance from sorrow : for, Friend 

 the enjoy ment-s of sensual pleasures are impermanent, sour- 

 ces of suffering, are of a changeable nature, and from their 

 inconstancy produce sorrow, weeping, pain, discontent and 

 vexation. If the soul, free from sensuality and crime, obtain 

 the happiness produced by the first course of profound me- 

 ditation, and live in the enjoyment of an investigating an 

 enquiring mental abstraction, then, Friend, the soul obtains 

 the perfection of happmess. Thus some teach that perfect 

 happines may be experienced by a living being. 



(a) §&> *6§}3 23o Nirwana in the present state of existence. 

 The Comment explains Nirwana to mean, the extinction of sor- 

 row. This Budha affirms can only be effected by the cessation 

 of existence. I translate &£jieoo by extinction of sorrow. The 

 words in the comment are Ditt'ha Dammo. means the present 

 state of existence, and is equivalent to 44 In whatever state he 

 may have attained existence." Ditt-'hi'Damma Nibbana is, the 

 subjection (or removal) of sorrow in the present state of exis- 

 tence. 



(6) Perfect happiness. £2<5©§& S)D© «8<ab33<> the most excel- 

 lent (or complete) removal of sorrow in the present state of ex- 

 istence 



