—  831  —  ' 
I' 
(which  we  know  it  always  does  contain)11.  But  if  there  were  no  difference  at 
I  all,  then  the  substance  that  burns  and  the  something  that  singes  would  be  (one 
and  the  same  substance).  This  illustrates  (the  relation  betweenthe  Individual  04Д>.б  (iOa-2) 
and  its  elements).  If  the  elements  of  a  personal  life  are  absent,  we  do  not 
use  the  term  Individual.  Nevertheless  we  neither  can  maintain  that  the  Indi- 
I  vidual  is  something  different  from  its  component  elements,  nor  can  we  assert 
!  that  they  are  identical.  (In  the  first  case)  the  consequence  would  be  an  eternal 
(Soul),  (in  the  second)  its  total  absence. 
Vasiibandhu.  Indeed!  Then  please  explain  what  in  your  opinion  is  fuel  94.b.7(i0a-7) 
and  what  is  fire?  Thereupon  I  should  like  you  to  explain,  what  it  does  mean 
that  the  name  fire  is  applied  to  something  «conditioned»  by  the  presence 
of  burning  fuel? 
Vatsiputrtya.  This  requires  no  explanation  !  Fuel  is  the  matter  that 
burns  and  fire  is  that  which  singes.  That  is  all ! 
Vasiibandhu.  This  is  just  the  thing  I  should  like  you  to  explain :  what 
is  the  matter  that  is  consumed  by  fire,  and  what  is  it  that  consumes  it? 
Vatsiputrlya.  Now,  as  used  in  common  life  (these  terms  have  the  mea- 
ning of  wood  and  flames).  When  wood  or  any  other  fuel  is  bursting  into  flames, 
people  say:  «this  it  fueb,  «it  is  burning».  With  regard  to  the  flames  they 
say:  «this  is  fire»,  «it  singes».  Flames  and  intense  heat  are  the  agency  which 
burns  i.  e.  destroys  fuel  in  that  sense  that  the  continuity  of  its  existence 
undergoes  a  change,  (it  is  turned  into  ashes).  But  (from  the  scientifical  point 
of  view,  both  fuel  and  fire)  are  composed  of  (exactly  the  same  set)  of  eight 
primary  constituents  (the  sole  difference  consisting  in  the  circumstance  that 
in  fire  the  caloric  element  is  more  prominent  than  in  fuel) 11 .  If  the  production 
of  fire  is  conditioned  by  the  presence  of  fuel,  it  is  just  as  the  production  of 
curds  which  is  conditioned  (by  the  previous  existence)  of  milk,  or  the  milk's 
sour  taste  which  is  conditioned  by  its  previous  sweet  taste. 
Vasubandhu.  But  then,  if  the  expression  «conditioned  by  the  existence 
of  fuel»  has  this  meaning,  fuel  and  fire  are  altogether  different  things,  because 
they  are  produced  at  different  moments.  If  you  mean  that  the  production  of 
an  Individual  is  conditioned  by  its  component  elements  in  the  same  way, 
then  it  must  be  something  different  from  them  and  at  the  same  time  something 
non-permanent,  (since  it  has  a  cause).  But  if  you  understand  the  caloric  element  * 
in  the  burning  fuel  to  represent  alone  the  fire,  and  the  other  three  constituents 
of  matter — which  are  inseparable  from  this  element — to  represent  the  fuel, 
then  indeed  it  is  established  that  they  must  be  different,  since  they  differ  in 
