—  942  — 
of  support  and  supported  is  only  possible)  between  material  resisting  objects, 
occupying  a  separate  place,  and  this  is  not  admitted  by  you  (with  respect  to 
the  Soul  and  the  elements  it  is  supposed  to  support). 
Vaigesika.  But  the  Soul  may  be  a  support  in  another  sense? 
Vasubandhu.  In  what  sense? 
Vaigesika.  In  the  sense  in  which  the  element  «earth»  is  deenied  to  be 
the  substratum  of  odour  and  other  (sensible  qualities). 
Vasiibandhu.  Yes,  of  course!  This  example  is  very  much  to  my  satis- 
faction, because  I  hold  to  the  principle,  that  there  is  no  Soul!  Just  as  ther6 
is  no  earth  apart  from  odour  and  other  (sensible  qualities,  just  so  is  there  no 
Soul  apart  from  consciousness  and  mental  phenomena).  Who  indeed  has  ever 
had  any  definite  cognition  of  earth?  (It  is  simply  a  special  combination  of 
sensible  qualities  which  in  common  life  is  called  by  the  name  «earth».  A 
special  combination  of  mental  qualities  is  likewise  designated  by  the 
name  «I»). 
Vaigesika.  But  how  is  it  then  that  we  use  the  expression:  «earth 
possesses  odour  etc.»,  (i.  e.  we  distinguish  between  the  possessor  and  the  thing 
possessed)? 
Vasiibandhu.  We  use  it  in  order  to  distinguish  (earth  from  other  sub- 
stances). We  say  «earth  has  odour  etc.»  in  order  to  make  it  known  that  this 
very  odour  etc.  alone  and  nothing  else  is  called  «earth»,  just  as  we  use  the 
expression  «image  of  wood»,  (i.  e.  the  image  is  wood,  apart  from  the  wood 
there  is  no  image,  but  it  is  thus  distinguished  from  an  earthenware  image 
etc.). 
Again  supposing  there  is  a  Soul  which  produces  cognitions  under  the 
influence  of  a  variety  of  Forces,  why  then  are  all  cognitions  not  produced 
at  once? 
Vaigesika.  Because  the  stronger  Force  checks  the  influence  of  the 
others. 
Vasubandhu.  Why  then  does  not  this  stronger  Force  perpetually  pro- 
duce the  same  result? 
Vaigesika.  The  nature  of  these  (our)  Forces  is  just  the  same  as  that  of 
(yours)  Vital  Energy,  (it  is  not  constant,  but  always  changing). 
Vasubandhu.  But  then  what  is  the  use  of  surmising  the  existence  of 
a  Soul? 
Vaigesika.  The  existence  of  the  Soul  must  necessarily  be  admitted  (for 
the  following  consideration:)  memory  and  all  other  mental  phenomena 
belong  to  the  category  of  qualities  and  these  must  necessarily  be  inherent  in 
