—  844  — 
[§  9.  Further  arguments  of  the  У atsiputrlyas  in  favour 
of  the  existence  of  some  kind  of  Individual,  stated  and 
answered]. 
ioo.  a.  7.  Vatsiputriya.  Some  Individual  necessarily  must  exist,  (because  there 
are  apparitional  spontaneous  self-births 35.  The  denial  of  spontaneous  births 
has  been  (condemned  in  Scripture,  as  one  of)  the  wrong  views. 
Vasubandhu.  Who  has  ever  denied  spontaneous'  births !  In  conformity 
with  the  explanation  given  by  Buddha,  we  maintain  that  they  do  exist, 
(Buddha  has  said  namely  that  if  the  elements  develop  into  a  new  life  spon- 
taneously, the  result  is  a  self  born  apparition).  Hence  what  has  been  con- 
demned as  a  wrong  view  is  (the  denial  of  this  explanation,)  the  denial  of 
the  fact  that  such  an  apparition  in  a  new  existence  is  a  (mere)  transformation 
in  an  unbroken  chain  of  appearing  elements,  because  an  apparition  consists 
out  of  elements36.  But  supposing  you  were  in  the  right,  and  I  am  really  guilty 
of  the  fault  you  are  imputing  to  me,  namely  the  heresy  of  denying  the  exi- 
stence of  an  Individual37,  what  would  happen?  I  never  could  get  rid  of  it! 
For  only  two  ways  are  taught  towards  perfection:  insight  into  the  four 
Truths  of  Perfection  and  Ecstasy  or  the  practice  of  the  Holy  Path.  Neither 
will  be  applicable  in  my  case.  Insight  into  the  Truths  will  not  do,  because 
such  an  heresy  is  not  mentioned  in  them,  on  the  contrary  we  find  the  oppo- 
site view  —  the  heresy  of  Wrong  Personalism  —  mentioned.  And  as  to  the 
way  of  practice  it  is  not  capable  of  clearing  up  wrong  views  altogether88. 
ioo.  b.  2.  Vatsiputriya.  But  the  Individual  cannot  be  identical  with  the  elements 
of  a  personal  life,  because  (Scripture  mentions  the  Individual  as  a  unit). 
There  is  a  passage:  «when  one  whole  individual  appears  in  the  world,  it 
is  born»39. 
Vasubandhu.  This  is  wrong !  A  unit  may  also  be  used  as  a  conventional 
substitute  for  a  multitude,  as  f.  i.  «one»  corn  of  sesam,  «one»  corn  of  rice 
(for  a  multitude  of  atoms),  or  «one»  heap  of  corn  (for  a  multitude  of  grains) 
and  «one»  word  (for  a  combination  of  sounds). 
And  again,  since  you  admit  that  the  Self  is  something  that  is  being 
born  (into  phenomenal  existence)  you  must  admit  that  it  cannot  be  something 
permanent.  (Elements  that  are  subject  to  birth  never  are  permanent) 40. 
Vatsiputriya.  (It  is  permanent  in  a  way,  for  «being  born»  is  here  used 
in  another  sense).  The  elements  are  (momentary)  apparitions  which  did 
not  exist  in  the  former  moment,  but  the  Self  is  not  born  in  this  way. 
Vasubandhu.  How  then? 
