Vol. 11 · pages 276–280

257 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III 20. But for argument’s sake let it be granted that a thing exists although it is invisible. 21. The best illustration of it is electricity. It exists although it is invisible. 22. This argument is not enough. 23. An invisible thing must show itself in some other form that is visible. Then alone it can be called real. 24. But if an invisible thing does not show itself in any visible form then it is not a reality.’ 25. We accept reality of electricity although it is invisible because of the results it produces. 26. Electricity produces light. From light we accept the reality of electricity although it is invisible. 27. What does this invisible Brahma produce? Does it produce any visible results ? 28. The answer is in the negative. 29. Another illustration may be given. In law too it is common to adopt as a basic concept a fiction— a proposition, the existence of which is not proved but which is assumed to be true. 30. And we all accept such a legal fiction. 31. But why is such a legal fiction accepted? 32. The reason is that a legal fiction is accepted because it gives a fruitful and just result. 33. “Brahma is a fiction. What fruitful result does it give ? ” 34. Vasettha and Bharadvaj were silent. 35. To drive the argument home he turned to Yasettha and asked “Have you seen Brahma ? ” 36. “Is there a single one of the Brahmanas versed in three Vedas who has ever seen Brahma face to face ? ” 37. “No, indeed, Gautama.” 38. “Is there a single one of the teachers of the Brahmanas versed in the three Vedas who have seen Brahma face to face ? ” 39. “No, indeed, Gautama.” 40. “Is there, Vasettha, a single one of the Brahmanas upto the seventh generation who has seen Brahma face to face ? ”

258 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III 41. “No, indeed, Gautama.” 42. “Well then, Vasettha—did the ancient Rishis of the Brahmanas—did even they speak thus, saying : ‘We know it, we have seen it, where Brahma is, whither Brahma is ?’ 43. “Not so, Gautama.” 44. The Buddha continued his questioning of the two Brahmin boys and said : 45. “Now what think you, Vasettha ? Does it not follow, this being so, that the talk of the Brahmanas about union with Brahma turns out to be foolish talk ? 46. “Just, Vasettha, as when a string of blind men are clinging one to the other, neither can the foremost see, nor can the middle one see, nor can the hindmost see—just even so, methinks, Vasettha, is the talk of the Brahmanas all but blind talk ? The first sees not, the middle one sees not, nor can the last one. The talk of these Brahmanas turns out to be ridiculous, mere words, a vain and empty thing. 47. “Just, Vasettha, as if a man should say, ‘How I long for, how I love the most beautiful woman in this land.’ 48. “And people should ask him, ‘Well ! good friend ! This most beautiful woman in the land, whom you thus love and long for, do you know whether that beautiful woman is a noble lady or a Brahmin woman, or of the trader class, or a Sudra ? ’ 49. “But when so asked, he would answer: ‘No.’ 50. “And when people should ask him, ‘Well! good friend! This most beautiful woman in all the land, whom you love and long for, do you know what the name of that most beautiful woman is, or what her family name, whether she be tall or short or of medium height, dark or brunette or golden in colour, or in what village or town or city she dwells ?’ But when so asked, he would answer : ‘No.’ 51. “Now what think you, Vasettha? Would it not turn out that being so, that the talk of that man was foolish talk ?” 52. “In sooth, Gautama, that would be so,” said the two Brahmins.

259 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III 53. So Brahma is not real and any religion based upon it is useless. § 4. Belief in Soul is Not Dhamma 1. The Buddha said that religion based on soul is based on speculation. 2. Nobody has seen the soul or has conversed with the soul. 3. The soul is unknown and unseen. 4. The thing that exists is not the soul but the mind. Mind is different from the soul. 5. Belief in soul He said is unprofitable. 6. A religion based on soul is therefore not worth having. 7. It only ends in creating superstition. 8. The Buddha did not leave the question there. He discussed it in all its aspects. 9. Belief in the existence of soul is as common as the belief in the existence of God. 10. Belief in the existence of soul was also a part of the Brahmanic Religion. 11. In the Brahmanic Religion the soul is called Atma or Atman. 12. In the Brahmanic Religion, Atman is the name given to an entity which was held to be abiding separate from the body, but living inside the body constantly existing from the moment of his birth. 13. Belief in the soul included other beliefs, connected with it. 14. The soul does not die with the body. It takes birth in another body when it comes into being. 15. The body serves as an external clothing for the soul. 16. Did the Buddha believe in the soul? No. He did not. His doctrine about the soul is called An-atta, no soul. 17. Given a disembodied soul various questions arise : What is the soul ? Where did it come from ? What becomes of it on the death of the body ? Where does it go ? In what form does it exist “hereafter.”

260 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III How long does it remain there ? These questions the Buddha tried to argue out with the upholders of the doctrine of the soul. 18. He first tried to show how vague was the idea about the soul by his usual method of cross-examination. 19. He asked those who believed in the existence of the soul, what the soul was like in size and in shape. 20. To Ananda he said the declarations concerning the soul are abounding. Some declare : “My soul has a form and it is minute.” Others declare the soul to have form and to be boundless and minute. Others declare it to be formless and boundless. 21. “In so many ways, Ananda, are declarations made concerning the soul.” 22. “How is the soul conceived by those who believe in the soul ?” was another question raised by the Buddha. Some say, “My soul is feeling.” Others say, “Nay, my soul is not feeling, my soul is not sentient” ; or again : “Nay, my soul is not feeling, nor is it non-sentient ; my soul has feeling, it has the property of sentience.” Under such aspects as these is the soul conceived. 23. The Buddha next asked those who believed in the existence of the soul as to the condition of the soul after the death of the body. 24. He also raised the question whether the soul was visible after the death of the body. 25. He found infinite number of vague statements. 26. Does the soul keep its form after the death of the body ? He found that there were eight different speculations. 27. Does the soul die with the body ? There were innumerable speculations on this. 28. He also raised the question of the happiness or misery of the soul after the body is dead. Is the soul happy after the death of the body? On this also the Recluses and Brahmins differed. Some said it was altogether miserable. Some said it was happy. Some said it is both happy and miserable and some said it is neither happy nor miserable.

261 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III 29. His answer to all these theories about the existence of the soul was the same which he gave to Cunda. 30. To Cunda he said : “Now, Cunda, to those recluses and Brahmins, who believe and profess any one of these views, I go and say this : ‘Is this so, friends?’ And if they reply: ‘Yes. This alone is true, any other view is absurd.’ I do not admit their claim. Why is this ? Because persons hold different opinions on such questions. Nor do I consider this (or that) view on a level with my own, let alone higher.” 31. Now the more important question is what were the arguments of the Buddha against the existence of the soul. 32. The general arguments he advanced in support of his denial of the soul were the same as those which he advanced in support of his denial of the existence of God. 33. He argued that the discussion of the existence of the soul is as unprofitable as the discussion of the existence of God. 34. He argued that the belief in the existence of the soul is as much against the cultivation of Samma Ditthi as the belief in the existence of God. 35. He argued that the belief in the existence of the soul is as much a source of superstition as the belief in God is. Indeed in his opinion the belief in the existence of a soul is far more dangerous than the belief in God. For not only does it create a priesthood, not only is it the origin of all superstition but it gives the priesthood complete control over man from birth to death. 36. Because of these general arguments it is said that the Buddha did not express any definite opinion on the existence of the soul. Others have said that he did not repudiate the theory of the existence of the soul. Others have said that he was always dodging the issue. 37. These statements are quite incorrect. For to Mahali he did tell in most positive terms that there is