The History of Buddhist Thought c16.48

c16.48

An ignorant, untrained man considers body and the other khandhas, and thinks, “ this is mine, I am this, this is my self,” and forms the heresy, “ the world is the self. Hereafter I shall become permanent, stable, eternal, unchangeable, and so I shall stay for ever. This is mine, this am I, this is my self.” The enlightened disciple says, “ This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self,” and does not worry about what does not exist. A monk may hold this heresy, and then hear a Buddha or a disciple of his preaching the doctrine directed to the destruction of heresies, the quieting of all the aggregates, the giving up of all material of rebirth, the annihilation of craving, to cessation and Nirvāṇa. Then he thinks he will be cut off and annihilated. One who does not hold that heresy never thinks whether he will be annihilated or not, and does not lament. If there were an ātman, there would be something of mine belonging to an ātman; but as an ātman and something belonging to an ātman do not exist in truth and reality, this view that the world is the ātman is simply and entirely the doctrine of fools. Buddha is then represented as replying to the charge that his doctrine implies the annihilation, destruction, and non-existence of an existent being. “In the past and now I teach pain and the cessation of pain. If herein others abuse, revile, and annoy the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata does not feel anger, displeasure, or discontent of mind. And if others honour, revere, exalt, and worship the Tathāgata, he does not feel joy, happiness, and exultation of mind. He thinks, ‘it is on account of what I came to comprehend long ago that such things are done.’”