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II, 2, 3
INTELLIGENCE AND WISDOM.
67
manence of all beings, of the suffering inherent in individuality, and of the non-existence of any soul?.'
• Then what would have become of his delusions on those points.'
When intelligence has once arisen, that moment delusion has died away.'
Give me an illustration.' 'It is like the lamp, which when a man has brought into a darkened room, then the darkness would vanish away, and light would appear.'
'And what, Nagasena, on the other hand, has then become of his wisdom ?'
When the reasoning wisdom has effected that which it has to do, then the reasoning ceases to go on. But that which has been acquired by means of it remains-the knowledge, to wit, of the impermanence of every being, of the suffering inherent in individuality, and of the absence of any soul.'
'Give me an illustration, reverend Sir, of what you have last said.'
It is as when a man wants, during the night, to send a letter, and after having his clerk called, has a lamp lit, and gets the letter written. Then, when that has been done, he extinguishes the lamp. But though the lamp had been put out the writing would still be there. Thus does reasoning cease, and knowledge remain.
Give me a further illustration.' 'In Eastern districts [43] the peasants have a custom of arranging five pots full of water behind
1 That is, he might still be wrong on matters of mere worldly knowledge, but would be clear in his mind as to the fundamental truths of religion. Compare the analogous distinctions often drawn as to the inspiration of Scripture, or the infallibility of the Pope.
F 2
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