The Religions of India c19.116

c19.116

The questions in regard to Buddha’s view of soul, immortality, and religion are answered to our mind as clearly in the following passages as Buddha desired they should be. ‘Unwisely does one consider: “Have I existed in ages past . . . shall I exist in ages yet to be, do I exist at all, am I, how am I? This is a being, whence is it come, whither will it go?” Consideration such as this is walking in the jungle of delusion. These are the things one should consider: “This is suffering, this is the origin of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the way that leads to the cessation of suffering.” From him that considers thus his fetters fall away’ (*Sabbāsava*). In the *Vangīsa-sutta* Buddha is asked directly: “Has this good man’s life been vain to him, has he been extinguished, or is he still left with some elements of existence; and how was he liberated?” and he replies: “He has cut off desire for name and form in this world. He has crossed completely the stream of birth and death.” In the *Salla-sutta* it is said: “Without cause and unknown is the life of mortals in this world, troubled, brief, combined with pain. . . As earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals.” One should compare the still stronger image, which gives the very name of *nir-vāna* (‘blowing out’) in the *Upasīvamānavapucchā*: “As a flame blown about by wind goes out and cannot be reckoned as existing, so a sage delivered from name and body disappears, and cannot be reckoned as existing.” To this Upasīva replies: “But has he only disappeared, or does he not exist, or is he only free from sickness?” To which Buddha: “For him there is no form, and that by which they say he is exists for him no longer.” One would think that this were plain enough.