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THE SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
Fat was not applied to any state after death, it was a term applied to a certain state of the life here. What Gautama meant by faarut is something attainable in this life, it is the sinless calm state of mind, the freedom from desires and passions, the perfect peace, goodness and wisdom which continuous self-culture can procure for man. As Rhys Davids puts it, “The Buddhist heaven is not death and it is not on death but it is on a virtuous life here and now that the Pitakas lavish those terms of ecstatic description
ich they apply to Arhat-ship as the goal of the excellent way and to Nirvana as one aspect of it."
(h) But is there no future bliss, no future heaven beyond the virtuous life here and now for those who have attained alo? This was a question which often puzzled Buddhists and they often pressed their great Master for a categorical answer. Gautama was an agnostic and to all questions about a future life after the attainment of factor his reply was: “I do not know. It is not given me to know.”
Malunkyaputta pressed this question on Gautama and desired to know definitively if the perfect Buddha did or did not live beyond the death. Gautama inquired, “Have I said 'come Malunkyaputta and be my disciple, I shall teach thee whether the world is everlasting or not everlasting'?" "That thou hast not said, sire”, replied Malunkyaputta. “Then”, said Gautama,“ do not press the enquiry."
Once king Prasenajit of Koshala during a journey between his two chief towns Saketa and Shravasti met the nun Khema renowned for her wisdom. The king paid his respect to her and said, “Venerable lady, does the perfect one exist after death?” She replied, “The Exalted one, O great king, has not declared that the perfect one exists after death.” “Then does the
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