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III, 7, 16.
SOUL.
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But if there be no such thing as a soul, what is it then which sees forms with the eye, and hears sounds with the ear, and smells odours with the nose, and tastes tastes with the tongue, and feels touch with the body, or perceives qualities with the mind ?'
The Elder replied: 'If there be a soul (distinct from the body) which does all this, then if the door of the eye were thrown down (if the eye were plucked out) could it stretch out its head, as it were, through the larger aperture and with greater range) see forms much more clearly than before ? Could one hear sounds better if the ears were torn away, or smell better if the nose were cut off, or taste better if the tongue were pulled out, or feel touch better if the body were destroyed ?'
[87] 'Certainly not, Sir.' •Then there can be no soul inside the body.' *Very good, Någasena !'
16. The Elder said: 'A hard thing there is, o king, which the Blessed One has done.'
And what is that?' "The fixing of all those mental conditions which depend on one organ of sense, telling us that such is contact, and such sensation, and such idea, and such intention, and such thought".'
Give me an illustration.' 'Suppose, o king, a man were to wade down into the sea, and taking some water in the palm of his hand, were to taste it with his tongue. Would he
givo by the ‘life (or perhaps living principle, givitâ) inside the forms produced out of the four elements.'
* Phasso, vedanå, sañña, ketanâ, kitta m.
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