Vol. 11 · pages 281–285

262 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III no such thing as a soul. That is why his theory of the soul is called Anatta, i.e., non-soul. 38. Apart from the general arguments against the existence of the soul, the Buddha had a special argument against the existence of the soul which he regarded as fatal to the theory of the soul. 39. His theory against the existence of the soul as a separate entity is called Nama-Rupa. 40. The theory is the result of the application of the Vibhaja test, of sharp, rigorous analysis, of the constituent elements of Sentient Being otherwise called Human Personality. 41. Nama-Rupa is a collective name for a Sentient Being. 42. According to the Buddha’s analysis, a Sentient Being is a compound thing consisting of certain physical elements and certain mental elements. They are called Khandas. 43. The Rupa Khanda primarily consists of the physical elements such as earth, water, fire and air. They constitute the Body or Rupa. 44. Besides Rupa Khanda, there is such a thing as Nama Khanda which goes to make up a Sentient Being. 45. This Nama Khanda is called Vinana, or consciousness. This Nama Khanda includes the three mental elements : Vedana (sensation springing from contact of the six senses with the world), Sanna (perception); Sankhara (states of mind). Chetana (consciousness) is sometimes spoken of along with the three other mental states as being one of them. A modern psychologist would say that consciousness is the mainspring from which other psychological phenomena arise. Vinana is the centre of a sentient being. 46. Consciousness is result of the combination of the four elements, Prithi, Apa, Tej and Vayu. 47. An objection is raised to this theory of consciousness propounded by the Buddha. 48. Those who object to this theory ask, “How is consciousness produced ? ”

263 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III 49. It is true that consciousness arises with birth and dies with death. All the same, can it be said that consciousness is the result of the combination of the four elements ? 50. The Buddha’s answer was not that the coexistence or aggregation of the physical elements produces consciousness. What the Buddha said was that wherever there was rupa or kaya there was consciousness accompanying it. 51. To give an analogy from science, there is an electric field and wherever there is an electric field it is always accompanied by a magnetic field. No one knows how the magnetic field is created or how it arises. But it always exists along with the electric field. 52. Why should not the same relationship be said to exist between body and consciousness ? 53. The magnetic field in relation to the electric field is called an induced field. Why cannot consciousness be called an induced field in relation to Rupa-Kaya. 54. The Buddha’s argument against the soul is not yet complete. He had further to say something of importance. 55. Once consciousness arises man becomes a sentient being. Consciousness is, therefore, the chief thing in man’s life. 56. Consciousness is cognitive, emotional and volitional. 57. Consciousness is cognitive when it gives knowledge, information, as appreciating or apprehending, whether it be appreciation of internal facts or of external things and events. 58. Consciousness is emotional when it exists in certain subjective states, characterized by either pleasurable or painful tones, when emotional consciousness produces feeling. 59. Consciousness in its volitional stage makes a being exert himself for the attainment of some end. Volitional consciousness gives rise to what we call will or activity.

264 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III 60. It is thus clear that all the functions of a sentient being are performed by the sentient being through and as a result of consciousness. 61. After this analysis the Buddha asked what are the functions which are left to be performed by the soul ? All functions assigned to the soul are performed by consciousness. 62. A soul without any function is an absurdity. 63. This is how the Buddha disproved the existence of the soul. 64. That is why the existence of the soul cannot be a part of Dhamma. § 5. Belief in Sacrifices is Not—Dhamma (i) 1. The Brahmanic religion was based upon sacrifices. 2. Some sacrifices were classified as Nittya and other sacrifices were classified as Naimitik. 3. The Nittya sacrifices were obligations and had to be performed whether one got any fruit therefrom or not. 4. The Naimittitik sacrifices were performed when the performer wanted to gain something by way of worldly advantage. 5. The Brahmanic sacrifices involved drinking, killing animals and merry-making. 6. Yet these sacrifices were held as religious observances. 7. The Buddha declined to regard a religion based on sacrifices as worth having. 8. He has given his reasons to many a Brahmin who went to have a controversy with him as to why sacrifices were not part of religion. 9. It is reported that there were three Brahmins who had a controversy with him on the subject. 10. They were Kutadanta, Ujjaya and the third was Udayin. 11. Kutadanta the Brahmin requested the Blessed

265 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III One to tell him what he thought about the value of a sacrifice. 12. The Blessed One said: “Well then, O Brahmin, give ear and listen attentively and I will speak.” 13. “Very well, sir,” said Kutadanta in reply ; and the Blessed One spoke as follows : 14. “Long ago, O Brahmin, there was a king by name Maha Vigeta, mighty, with great wealth and large property; with stores of silver and gold, of aids to enjoyment, of goods and corn ; with his treasure-houses and his garners full. 15. “Now when King Maha Vigeta was once sitting alone in meditation he became anxious at the thought: ‘I have in abundance all the good things a mortal can enjoy. The whole wide circle of the earth is mine by conquest to possess. It were well if I were to offer a great sacrifice that should ensure me weal and welfare for many days.’ 16. “Thereupon the Brahmin who was chaplain said to the king : ‘The king’s country, sire, is harassed and harried. There are dacoits abroad who pillage the villages and townships and who make the roads unsafe. Were the king, so long as that is so, to levy a fresh tax, verily his majesty would be acting wrongly. 17. “ ‘But perchance his majesty might think : ‘ I’ll soon put a stop to these scoundrels’ game by degradation and banishment, and fines and bonds and death !’ But their licence cannot be satisfactorily put a stop to. The remnant left unpunished would still go on harassing the realm. 18. “ ‘Now there is one method to adopt to put a thorough end to this order. Whosoever there be in the king’s realm who devote themselves to keeping cattle and the farm, to them let His Majesty the King give food and seed-corn. Whosoever there be in the king’s realm who devote themselves to trade, to them let His Majesty the King give capital. Whosoever there be in the king’s realm who devote themselves to government service, to them let His Majesty the King give wages and food.

266 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III 19. “ ‘ Then those men, following each his own business, will no longer harass the realm; the king’s revenue will go up; the country will be quiet and at peace; and the populace, pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children in their arms, will dwell with open doors without fear.’ 20. “Then King Maha Vigeta, O Brahmin, accepted the word of his chaplain, and did as he had said. And those men, following each his business, harassed the realm no more. And the king’s revenue went up. And the country became quiet and at peace. And the populace, pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children in their arms, dwelt with open doors. 21. “When peace and order was restored, King Maha Vigeta had his chaplain called again and said : ‘The disorder is at an end. The country is at peace. I want to offer that great sacrifice—let the Venerable One instruct me how—for my weal and my welfare for many days.’ 22. “The chaplain, replying to the king, said, ‘Be it so. Let His Majesty the King send invitations to those in the town and the country in his realm who are Kshatriyas, vassals of his; who are ministers and officials of his or who are Brahmins of position, or who are householders of substance, saying: ‘I intend to offer a great sacrifice. Let the Venerable Ones give their sanction to what will be to me for weal and welfare for many days.’ 23. “Then the king, O Brahmin Kutadanta, accepted the word of his chaplain, and did as he had said. And they each—Kshatriya and Ministers and Brahmins and householders—made a like reply: ‘Let His Majesty the King celebrate the sacrifice. The time is suitable, O King ! ’ 24. “King Vigeta was wise and gifted in many ways. And his chaplain was equally wise and gifted. 25. “The chaplain, O Brahmin, before the sacrifice had begun, explained to the king what it would involve. 26. “ ‘Should His Majesty the King, before