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the fire element returns to the fire body, it goes to the fire body; the air element returns to the air body, it goes to the air body.’ Into space the faculties pass. Men, with the bier as fifth, carry the dead. Up to the cremation ground footprints are seen. Dove-colored the bones become. Scattered the offerings are. This giving is a mere convention. Their talk is empty, false lamentation, whoever speaks of existence. Both fools and wise, with the body's breaking up, are cut off, perish, do not exist after death? Our teachings, venerable sir, have the Blessed One as their root... "Monks, when there is form, taking form as a basis, clinging to form, such a view arises – 'There is no giving, no offering... with the body's breaking up, they are cut off, perish, do not exist after death.' When there is feeling... when there is perception... when there are formations... when there is consciousness, taking consciousness as a basis, clinging to consciousness, such a view arises – 'There is no giving, no offering... with the body's breaking up, they are cut off, perish, do not exist after death.'" "What do you think, monks, is form permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... would such a view arise without clinging to it – 'There is no giving, no offering... with the body's breaking up, they are cut off, perish, do not exist after death'?" "No, venerable sir." "Is feeling... perception... formations... consciousness permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... would such a view arise without clinging to it – 'There is no giving, no offering... with the body's breaking up, they are cut off, perish, do not exist after death'?" "No, venerable sir." "And that which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered by the mind – is that too permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... would such a view arise without clinging to it – 'There is no giving, no offering... whoever speaks of existence; both fools and wise, with the body's breaking up..." they are utterly cut off, they perish, they do not exist after death?’ ‘No, venerable sir.’ ‘When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple’s doubt is abandoned in these matters, his doubt is abandoned in suffering, … his doubt is abandoned in the path leading to the cessation of suffering – this, bhikkhus, is called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, fixed, bound for enlightenment.’ The fifth. 6. The Discourse on Doing At Savatthi. ‘When what exists, bhikkhus, by grasping what, by clinging to what, does such a view arise – ‘For one who acts, who causes to act, who cuts, who causes to cut, who cooks, who causes to cook, who grieves, who causes to grieve, who wearies, who causes to weary, who trembles, who causes to tremble, who takes life, who takes what is not given, who breaks into houses, who plunders, who commits burglary, who stands on the highway, who goes to another’s wife, who speaks falsehood – for one who acts, no evil is done. Even if one were to make the living beings on this earth into a single heap of flesh, a single pile of flesh, with a razor-edged discus, there is no evil from that cause, there is no coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the south bank of the Ganges; killing, causing to kill, cutting, causing to cut, cooking, causing to cook, there is no evil from that cause, there is no coming of evil. Even if one were to go to the north bank of the Ganges; giving, causing to give, sacrificing, causing to sacrifice, there is no merit from that cause, there is no coming of merit. By giving, by self-control, by restraint, by truthfulness, there is no merit, there is no coming of merit.’ ‘For us, venerable sir, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root… ‘When form exists, bhikkhus, by grasping form, by clinging to form, such a view arises – ‘For one who acts, who causes to act… there is no merit, there is no coming of merit.’ When feeling exists… When perception exists… When formations exist… When consciousness exists, by grasping consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, such a view arises – ‘For one who acts, who causes to act… there is no merit, there is no coming of merit.’ of merit. “What do you think, monks, is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, venerable sir.” …(as before)… “Would such a view arise, without clinging to it: ‘For one who acts… …(as before)… there is no merit, there is no coming of merit’?” “No, venerable sir.” “Feeling… perception… formations… consciousness is it permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, venerable sir.” …(as before)… “Would such a view arise, without clinging to it: ‘For one who acts, who causes to act… …(as before)… there is no merit, there is no coming of merit’?” “No, venerable sir.” “And this seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered by the mind— is that too permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, venerable sir.” …(as before)… “Would such a view arise, without clinging to it: ‘For one who acts, who causes to act… …(as before)… there is no merit, there is no coming of merit’?” “No, venerable sir.” “When, monks, an noble disciple’s doubt in these matters is abandoned, his doubt in suffering is abandoned… …(as before)… his doubt in the path leading to the cessation of suffering is abandoned— this, monks, is called an noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not subject to downfall, certain, bound for enlightenment.” The Sixth. 7. Discourse on Cause 212. At Sāvatthī. “When what exists, monks, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view arise: ‘There is no cause, there is no condition for the defilement of beings. Without cause, without condition, beings are defiled. There is no cause, there is no condition for the purification of beings. Without cause, without condition, beings are purified. There is no strength, there is no energy, there is no human might, there is no human endeavor. All beings, all creatures, all existences, all lives, are powerless, strengthless, without energy, determined by destiny, by conjunction, by nature, experiencing pleasure and pain in the six classes of birth’?” “Our teachings, venerable sir, are rooted in the Blessed One…” …(as before)… “When form exists, monks, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view arises: indeed arises: 'There is no cause, there is no condition... experiencing pleasure and pain.' When there is feeling... when there is perception... when there are formations... when there is consciousness, taking consciousness as basis, clinging to consciousness, such a view arises: 'There is no cause, there is no condition... experiencing pleasure and pain.' "What do you think, monks, is form permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... subject to change. Would such a view arise, without taking it as basis: 'there is no cause, there is no condition... experiencing pleasure and pain'?" "No, venerable sir." "Feeling... perception... formations... consciousness, are they permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... would such a view arise, without taking it as basis: 'there is no cause, there is no condition... experiencing pleasure and pain'?" "No, venerable sir." "And that which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered by the mind, is that permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir... would such a view arise, without taking it as basis: 'there is no cause, there is no condition... experiencing pleasure and pain'?" "No, venerable sir." "When, monks, a noble disciple's doubt regarding these matters is abandoned, his doubt about suffering is abandoned... his doubt about the path leading to the cessation of suffering is abandoned— this, monks, is called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, certain of enlightenment, destined for enlightenment." The Seventh. 8. The Great View Discourse 213. At Sāvatthī. "When what exists, monks, taking what as basis, clinging to what, does such a view arise: 'These seven bodies are unmade, unmade in kind, uncreated, uncreating, barren, standing firm like a pillar, standing firm like a post; they do not move, they do not change, they do not harm one another; they are not capable of one another's..." for happiness, or for suffering, or for happiness and suffering. Which are the seven? The earth-body, the water-body, the fire-body, the air-body, happiness, suffering, and life as the seventh. These seven bodies are unmade, uncreated, unformed, unfashioned, barren, standing firm like a pillar, fixed like a post. They do not move, they do not change, they do not harm one another. They are not capable of happiness for one another, or suffering for one another, or happiness and suffering for one another. Even he who cuts off a head with a sharp weapon, does not deprive anyone of life. The weapon merely passes through the interval between the seven bodies. Moreover, there are fourteen hundred thousand principal wombs, sixty hundreds, and six hundreds, five hundreds of actions, and five actions, three actions, and action and half-action, sixty-two paths, sixty-two intermediate aeons, six classes of rebirth, eight stages of human existence, forty-nine hundreds of Ājīvakas, forty-nine hundreds of wanderers, forty-nine hundreds of Nāga abodes, twenty hundreds of faculties, thirty hundreds of hells, thirty-six dust-elements, seven wombs of percipient beings, seven wombs of non-percipient beings, seven wombs of Nigaṇṭhas, seven gods, seven humans, seven ghosts, seven lakes, seven precipices, seven precipices and seven hundreds of precipices, seven dreams, seven dreams and seven hundreds of dreams, eighty-four hundred thousand great aeons, through which fools and wise alike will wander and transmigrate and make an end of suffering. There is no such thing as: "By this virtue, or by this vow, or by this ascetic practice, or by this holy life, I shall bring to maturity an unripe action;