—  849  — 
Buddha  was  not  omniscient.  But  the  Lord  guessed  the  hidden  aim  and  gave 
no  direct  answer.  He  only  said:  «as  a  matter  of  fact  it  can  be  living  or  dead, 
since  this  depends  upon  your  will»). 
For  the  same  reason  Buddha  did  not  solve  the  four  questions  regarding 
the  end  of  the  Universe.  These  questions  have  the  same  import  as  the  pre- 
ceding four  questions. 
(Vatsiputnya.  How  do  you  know  that  these  four  questions  about  the 
end  of  the  world  have  the  same  meaning  as  the  questions  about  its  eternity 
etc.)? 
Vasubandhu.  (I  know  it)  because  the  wandering  ascetic  Vatsa*8 
after  having  proposed  (the  first  set  of  four  questions)  proceeded  again  to  ask: 
«are  you  maintaining  that  all  «wrorlds»  (i.  e.  all  sentient  beings)  are  able  to 
find  escape  or  only  a  part  of  them  (i.  e.  are  there  «worlds»  eternal  and  non- 
eternal)?  Ananda  the  Elder  (who  was  present)  made  the  remark:  «Vatsa! 
you  have  already  asked  the  Lord  about  these  questions.  Why  are  you  now 
repeating  them,  changing  only  the  words  ?»  (We  know  therefore  that  the 
second  set  of  four  questions  have  the  same  meaning  as  the  first). 
(Vatsiputnya.  And  why  was  the  question  about  the  existence  of  a 
Buddha  after  death  refused  an  answer)? 
Vasubandhu.  For  the  same  reason!  Because  taking  into  consideration 
the  intention  of  the  questioner  a  (simple)  answer  was  not  possible.  The 
latter  namely  in  asking  his  question,  was  surmising  that  the  term  «Buddha» 
denoted  the  (absolute)  Soul  liberated  (from  all  bonds  of  transient  existence. 
Since  the  existence  of  such  a  Soul  was  not  admitted,  it  was  impossible  to 
answer  whether  it  did  or  did  not  exist  after  the  death  of  the  body). 
Now  we  must  (in  our  turn)'  ask  those  who  are  admitting  the  existence 
(of  a  Soul  in  the  shape  of)  an  Individual:  why  did  Buddha  speaking  about 
the  living  Individual  declare  that  it  did  exist  (meaning  all  its  elements 
existing  at  a  certain  moment)?  Why  did  he  refuse  to  answer  the  question 
about  its  existence  after  death? 
Vatsiputnya.  Because  he  feared  to  be  misunderstood  as  admitting  the  102.  b.  7 
existence  of  eternal  (elements).  (5ä— 9). 
Vasubandhu.  How  is  that?  (Buddha  has  made  declarations  regarding 
future  and  former  existences  without  fearing  to  be  accused  of  admitting  eter- 
nal life).  «The  time  will  come,  ö  Maitreya,  said  he,  when  you  will  become 
the  absolute  Saint,  the  perfectly  accomplished  Buddha!»  And  upon  an  other 
occasion,'  when  one  of  his  followers  passed  away,  he  made  a  declaration 
about  his  former  existence,  saying:  «he  was  born  formerly  as  such  and  such 
Швѣстія  P.  A  fl  1919. 
