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3. VĂYUBHUTI REGARDING BODY-SOUL
Hearing that Indrabhūti and Agnibhuti had become monks, a third Vayubhūti came to have great faith in, and respect for, Mahāvīra. He very humbly decided to approach Mahāvīra respectfully and place his difficulties before him. But so overawed was he by Mahāvīra's personality and extra-ordinary knowledge that he could not utter a word as he stood before him, even as the latter accosted him by his name and gotra as Váyubhūti Gautama. Mahāvīra realising this said, “You have a doubt as to the identity of the soul and yet you do not ask me. 'Is the soul identical with the body or is it different from it ?'--This is your problem. You do not understand the meaning of the texts and hence you are confounded” (1645-1649).
Before discussing the meaning of the words of the Veda, Mahāvīra explains in very clear words Väyubhūti's own difficulty to him. Väyubhūti believes that the soul is an epi-phenomenon resulting from the aggregate of the four elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air. The wine-spirit is not found in the constituents of wine severally, but being non-existent previously it comes into existence when there is a conglomeration of them; similarly consciousness is not found in the elements severally, but emerges when these elements form an aggregate. Wine-spirit remains in existence for some time and then on the means of its destruction being present it perishes. So also consciousness not existent in the elements severally, comes into existence in the aggregate, remains for some time and then disappears wben this conglomeration is disturbed. Thus consciousness is an attribute of the aggregate of the elements. There is the relation of identity between the attribute and what possesses it for this relation of attribute-substance cannot exist between things that are different. Hence Väyubhūti is inclined to regard the body and soul as identical. But statements like 'Na ha vai sasarīrasya....'
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