—  851  — 
ting.  Obscured  by  Ignorance  (and  bound  by  a  Craving  for  lite)  they  are  wande- 
ring about  (through  birth  and  death)». 
Vasubandhu,  But  how  do  they  migrate? 
Vatsiputrlya.  By  abandoning  one  set  of  elements  and  taking  up  a 
new  one. 
Vasubandhu.  This  theory  has  already  been  dispensed  with.  (We  have 
proved  that  life  is  going  on  like  a  moving  fire  which  is  consuming  a 
prairy).  Although  it  is  disappearing  at  every  moment  it  neverthless  is  called 
a  wandering  fire  on  account  of  its  continuity.  Just  so  does  a  multitude  of 
sets  of  elements  conventionally  called  «living  beings»  wander  (to  future 
birth  and  death)  on  account  of  (the  element  of)  Craving  for  life. 
Vatsiputriya.  If  this  (so  called  living  being  is  a  mere)  combination  of  юз  ь.  i 
elements  (without  any  real  Ego),  how  could  the  Lord  have  declared:  «at  (6a~7)- 
that  time  I  have  been  living  as  Sunetra,  the  (venerable)  teacher»? 
Vasubandhu.  Why  should  he  not? 
Vatsiputriya,  Because  the  elements  (of  a  former  existence)  are  not  the 
same  (as  the  present  ones). 
Vasubandhu.  What  is  it  then  (that  is  now  Buddha  and  was  formerly 
Sunetra)? 
Vatsiputriya,  The  Individual. 
Vasubandhu,  (Impossible  because  it)  would  be  eternal !  Therefore  when 
Buddha  says  «I  myself  was  this  (teacher  Sunetra)»,  he  means  that  (his 
past  and  his  present)  belong  to  one  and  the  same  lineage  (of  momentary  exi- 
stences, he  does  not  mean  that  the  former  elements  did  not  disappear).  Just 
as  when  we  say  «this  same  fire  which  has  been  seen  consuming  (that  thing) 
has  reached  (this  object)»,  (the  fire  is  not  the  same,  but  overlooking  this  diffe- 
rence we  indirectly  call  fire  the  continuity  of  its  moments  L  e.  rebirths). 
Again  supposing  that  a  (real)  Self  is  existing,  (this  Self  being  very  subtle)  юз.  ь.  з. 
only  Buddhas  will  perceive  it  quite  clearly.  Having  thus  perceived  it  they 
will  be  imbued  with  a  very  strong  belief  in  it,  and  since  according  to  Scrip- 
ture «the  idea  of  a  Self  is  followed  by  the  idea  of  «mine»»,  they  —  the 
Buddhas  —  will  preeminently  believe  that  the  elements  of  their  lives  belong 
to  them,  and  this  will  constitute  their  heresy  of  Wrong  Personalism.  Further, 
where  the  wrong  idea  of  «mine»  has  found  its  place,  there  arises  a  craving 
for  all  that  is  supposed  to  be  «mine».  Thus  it  will  happen  that  (these  would 
be  Buddhas)  corrupted  by  the  strongest  bonds  of  a  passionate  love  for  their 
own  persons  and  belongings  will  postpone  their  Salvation  into  remote  future! 
(i.  e.  will  never  become  Buddhas!) 
Извѣстіа  P.A.H.  1513, 
