Извѣстія  Роееійской  Акадѳміи  Наукъ.  1919. 
(Bulletin  de  PAcademie  des  Sciences  de  Russie). 
The  Soul  theory  of  the  Buddhists. 
By  Th.  Stch.erbatsky  (Scerbatskoj). 
(Presented  to  the  Academy  6  November  1918). 
In  that  magnificent  compendium  of  Buddhist  doctrine,  which  the  illu- 
strious Vasubandhu  compiled  at  the  close  of  the  Vth  century  A.  D.  under  the 
title  of  Abhidharmakoca  we  find  attached  to  the  last  chapter,  as  a  kind 
of  conclusion  of  the  whole  work,  a  special  appendix  devoted  to  the  much 
controverted  question  about  the  Buddhist  denial  of  the  existence  of  Soul T. 
The  work  opens  with  the  statement  that  in  order  to  attain  Salvation  a 
thorough  discrimination  of  the  Elements  (dharma)  which  are  active  in  the 
process  of  life  is  indispensable,  and  then  proceeds  to  make  an  exposition  of 
these  Elements,  their  classification  and  characteristics  (I  and  II  chapters). 
It  then  goes  on  in  the  III  chapter  to  enumerate  the  different  kinds  of  li- 
ving beings  or  worlds  produced  by  the  play  of  the  elementary  forces  just  des- 
cribed. The  following  two  chapters  (IV  and  V)  are  devoted  to  an  investiga- 
tion into  the  general  cause  which  brings  the  world  into  movement  and  the 
special  causes  that  are  feeding  the  process  of  life  (karma  and  anucaya).  Thus 
these  five  chapters  represent  what  may  be  termed  the  statics  and  dynamics  of 
the  ordinary  world  process  (duhkha  and  samudaya).  The  remaining  three 
chapters  are  concerned  with  the  purification  of  this  life  or,  more  precisely,  with 
the  pacification  of  its  movement  (nirodha  and  märga).  Chapter  VI  contains 
a  picture  of  the  Buddhist  Saint  (äryapudgala)  and  the  last  two  chapters 
(VII  and  VIII)  are  dealing  with  the  general  and  the  special  causes  of  saint- 
liness,  viz.  immaculate  wisdom  (prajhä  amalä)  and  transic  meditation  (sa- 
mädhi).  Among  all  the  analysed  elements  of  existence  no  Soul  i.  e.  no  per- 
manent principel,  representing  some  unity  between  the  separate  elements  of 
i  Its  full  title  is:  as^amakocasthauasambaddhah  pudgalavmigcayah. 
Щвѣетіл  P.  A.  IT.  19J9,  —  823  —  55 
