English
AY Al TaswTaaeasat Aa wTAT asraana, STS aTTAT AS ATA | araizsty HY Araty kG Uh aed treats | wa aed Gwar at aaa Tat aeasTat ward wate 3 Vt aes ae WMid-wy Ta Tet sete. waar ace atte — aferafy art qvet aan | ara at TaSsataT Tea TIT TENT. aa a ATTA ATA at vat art awiiteer oftemssea qe ge a sa HTT. we waz ASNT afta ary ee GN : EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL 45 wears areca oiteasHea AeaTaTa Far aaa aearatta saTasa AY qa a agers autaea ONNER SUT GAIA Aaa. Aled Wa AE AAT qesaea GaMHeS AcaATa Fst BATA Aca ATA Saaes ACHAA Feat ae A Tate areltia. Atha Kho Bachchagotto paribhajako yena bhagawa tenupasankami, Upa sanka mttva bhagava saddhim sammodi, sammodaniyam Katham sara niyam Bittsarat- vaekam antam nisidi, ekam antam nisinno kho Bachch- hagotto paribhajoko Bhagavantam etadavocha—Kim nu Kho bho Gotam, Atthattdti. Evamutte Bhagavad tunht ahosi. Kim pana bho Gotama nattahattati dutiyampt Bhagavad tunhi ahosi. Atha kho Bachchha gotto part- bhajako utthaydsanapakkami. Atha Kho ayasma Anando achirapakkanto Bachchhagotte paribhajake Bhagavantam etadavocha Kim nu Kho Bhante Bhagava Bachchha- gottassa Paribhajakassa panhan puttham na Vyakasitt aham ananda Bachchhagottassa paribhajakassa atthat- tati puttho samano_ atthattat Vydkareyyam ye te Ananda Samané Brahmand sassada vada tesam etam saddhim abhavissa. Aham Bachchhagottassa partbha- jakassa natthattati puttho samano natthattati V yakarey- yam ye te Ananda samand Brahmand Uchchheda vada tesam etam saddhim abhavissa, Ahamchananda Bachchha gottassa Paribhajakassa atthattati puttho samand atthattati vyakareyyam api tu 46 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM me tam anulomam abhavissa nanassa upddaya savve dhamma anattdéti nohe tambhante Ahamchananda Bachchhagottassa Paribhajakassa Natthattati puttho samano natthattatt Vyakareyyam. Sammudhassa Ananda Bachchhagottassa bhiyyo sammohdya abhavissa ahame nina pubbe attd so etarhi natthiti.” “Once a Bachchagotta Paribrajaka went to Buddha, met Him and after talking pleasantly, sat aside and asked the question, “ Gotam, Is there a sou] 2” On this Gotam did not reply, but remained silent. Again he asked, “‘Gotam! Is there no soul.’” Then even he remained silent. Then, Bachchhagotta got up and went away. Just after his departure the Bhiksu Ananda asked the Lord, “ Why did you not reply to the questions of Bachchhagotta.” Then Lord Gotama said “ Ananda, if in reply to the question of Bachchhagotta ‘Is there a soul,’ I told him, ‘there is soul,’ then O Ananda I would have sided with those saints and Brahmans who maintain things (totally) indestructible : and Ananda! if I had replied to the question of Bachchhagotta ‘Is there no soul’ that ‘there js no soul,’ then I would have sided with those Saints and Brahmans who maintain that every thing is transitory and destructible. Ananda ! if I would have replied to the question of Bachchhagotta that there is soul, then would that Saying of mine be correct when I had said that for acquisition of Truth all things are not EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL 47 the soul. Ananda said it would have gone contrary to that. And Ananda! if I would have replied to the question of Bachchhagotta that there is no soul then he would have been perplexed thinking that he main- tained the soul which is denied now.” The above conversation requires a careful and deep thinking. The reason why Gotam Buddha did not reply to the questions of Bachchhagotta, and remained silent, appears to be, that he avoided a discussion on these points, and further his mode of silence showed to Bachchagotta that the soul cannot be known by talking, but has to be realized. His first reply to his near disciple Ananda shows that Gotam did not take a one-sided view, did not maintain that the soul was absolutely indestructible or destructible. As stated in Jain Philosophy, the soul according to him had both the attributes of permanent existence, and changeability. From the point of view of its nature, the soul is indestructible, while at the same time from its liability to change it is destructible. This is true of every existing sub- stance in the universe. If it be totally indestructible, no change is possible, if it is totally destructible, it cannot exist. We see that substances are ever existing and still changing. To maintain both the predicates is the real Truth. The Jain Saint Samantabhadra, in 48 _ JAINISM AND BupDHISM his book ‘‘ Aptamimamsa ” Says on this point as below :— meaarara sty fbkat arava | TTT RTCHTATA: TATU we AHA I BS Il ATR Tash erasers: | TATA HALA: GA: HBT ll 42 Il Nittyatve Kantdpaksepi Vikriyd nopapadyate, Prageva Kérakdbhavah Kva bramanam Kva tatphalam (37) Ksanikaikantapaksepi pretyabhavad yasambhavah, Pratyabhijuadyabhadvanna Karydrambhah Krutahphalam (41) ‘If a substance be said to be totally indestructible, than no condition or change is possible. There cannot be any action, as there cannot be then the doer or object of any action. Neither can it be proved nor can it be believed in because there will be no modifi- cation even in knowledge. And if a substance is maintained to be totally destructible, then there can be rebirth, and no recognition: neither can any action be commenced, nor can any result be achieved.” A substance is to be understood by the many-sided view of Syadvdda Logic (syad—from some point of view Vada-speaking). Soul is indestructible as well as des- tructible, is the view to be inferred from Buddha’s first reply to Ananda. His reply to Ananda further shows that all the worldly conditions of the soul are transitory. If Bachhagotta had been told in reply that ‘there was soul,’ he might have taken the fleeting conditions to be EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL 49 the soul and may not have thought further, and if the reply had been that there was no Soul, he might have been bewildered and might have turned a materialist or an atheist. This description of Samyutta Nikaya clearly shows that Gotama believed in the soul, just in the same way as the Jains did. To take an illustration. As regards its composition, gold is indestructible, but as regards its modifications or conditions, it is destructible. Its own inherent attributes are permanent, but it may be moulded into any form, or changed into any alloy. Samyutta Nikdya of Sutta Pitaka “ Chando 13.” The Pali words are :-— aeitize are aan Meta AdATMT Aa SLOT ATHATA ASAACONT AAT ATU. Tasmddih dnanda attadipa Viharatha attasarand ananna sarand dhamma cdipa dhamma saranda ananna- saranda. “Therefore, O, Ananda, walk in the Isle of Self: Self is the safe refuge, there is no other place of safety. Dharma (Path of Nirvana) is the Isle. Dharma is the place of security. There is no other place of safety.” These above words show that one’s own pure soul should be taken to be an Island or a right resort, and the nature of soul which is Dharma should be taken as an Isle or a place of safety. 7 50 JAINISM AND BupDHIsm Majjhima Nikaya sutta pathana Mula pariyaya sutta. The whole sutta being carefully read would show that he who maintains that anything other than. the true self is the soul, is ignorant, while he who believes all the non-self to be the non-self is the wise. Let us give a quotation. atragia: & fhedeg, ated aeans aene. ard. ay at Wray TFA wea anes wergqaray frente arty qats qs atvwareanta, ware qatar afvara gata ar ater, qatar ar ater, qataat ar ater, gaia aft ar afin, Tata at ahedea: 4 feared ; afte ceenfa aaift...emd Sa. cara. ~ pathavim pathavito sanjanati, pathavim pathavito sanjnatva pathavim mannatt, pathaviyam mannati. pathavito mannati, pathavim meti> mannati pathavim abhinandati ; tam Kessahetu : aptjnatam tassati Vadami apam...tejam...Véyam.. -bhiti,...deve...dkdsanan cha- EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL 51 yatanam...... Vijnandanchaytanam.....dtttham....sutam.... abhinandati tam Kissa hetu-aparijnatam tassati vaddame, Yopi so bhikkhave bhikkhu anuttaram yogakhemam patthayamano viharati sopi pathavim pathavtto abhija- nati: pathavipathavito abhijnaya pathavim ma mannt, pathaviya ma manni, pathavito ma manni ; pathavim meti md manni, pathavim ma abhinandati ; tam ktssa hetw ; parijneyyam tassati vadami apam...tejam...vayam ...bhute...deve....akasanancha yatanam...dittha...sutam _..ma abhinandati tam kissa hetu ; part jneyyam tassatt vadamt. Bhagavan Gotam said, “He who is not learned in Arya Dharma (The Truth) knows earth as earth ; Knowing earth. as earth, he maintains earth (as him- self), he maintains (himself) in the earth, he maintains his use) from the earth, he maintains that earth belongs to him, he welcomes earth. In this way he deals with water, fire, air, all the worldly beings, celestials, space, consciousness (derived through senses and mind), all objects capable of being seen or heard. He welcomes them all: because he is ignorant, thus I say. And again O Monks! That Saint, who walks after having known that Nirvana is the best and realisable by concentration, also knows earth as earth; and having known earth as earth, he does not maintain earth (as himself), does not maintain (himself) in the earth, does not maintain (his use) from the earth, does not maintain earth to be his own, he does not welcome 52 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM earth, because he is the Knower, thus I say. Inthe same way he does not welcome water, fire, air, all the living beings, celestials, space, consciousness (impure), all objects seen and heard; because he is the Knower, so I say.’ 3 The above statement clearly declares that the pure Soul is what is Nirvéna. All else than Nirvana or pure Soul is non-Soul. This is called Prajna Vivéka, bheda vijnana i.e. Self-analysis or Self-discrimination. This is the way to Liberation.