Tripiṭaka Arūpadhammavavatthānavagga
Analysis of Formless Dhammas Chapter
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“bhante nāgasena, ‘viññāṇan’ti vā ‘paññā’ti vā ‘bhūtasmiṁ jīvo’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā ca, udāhu ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, when it is said ‘consciousness’ or ‘wisdom’ or ‘the life principle in a being’, are these things distinct from each other in actuality, or only in name?”
“Vijānanalakkhaṇaṁ, mahārāja, viññāṇaṁ, pajānanalakkhaṇā paññā, bhūtasmiṁ jīvo nupalabbhatī”ti.
“Discrimination, your majesty, is a distinguishing characteristic of consciousness, discernment is a distinguishing characteristic of wisdom, and the life principle in a being cannot be found.”
“Yadi jīvo nupalabbhati, atha ko carahi cakkhunā rūpaṁ passati, sotena saddaṁ suṇāti, ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyati, jivhāya rasaṁ sāyati, kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusati, manasā dhammaṁ vijānātī”ti?
“If the life principle in a being cannot be found, then how is it that one sees a form with the eyes, hears a sound with the ears, smells an odour with the nose, tastes a flavour with the tongue, touches a tangible with the body, and knows a thought with the mind?”
“yadi jīvo cakkhunā rūpaṁ passati …pe… manasā dhammaṁ vijānāti, so jīvo cakkhudvāresu uppāṭitesu mahantena ākāsena bahimukho suṭṭhutaraṁ rūpaṁ passeyya, sotesu uppāṭitesu, ghāne uppāṭite, jivhāya uppāṭitāya, kāye uppāṭite mahantena ākāsena suṭṭhutaraṁ saddaṁ suṇeyya, gandhaṁ ghāyeyya, rasaṁ sāyeyya, phoṭṭhabbaṁ phuseyyā”ti?
“If the life principle sees form with the eyes, … and knows thought with the mind, then when the doors of the eyes are destroyed would not the life principle see form more clearly out there before it in the great space? When the ears, the nose, the tongue and the body are all destroyed, would it not hear a sound, smell an odour, taste a flavour, touch a tangible more clearly in the great space?”
“Tena hi, mahārāja, bhūtasmiṁ jīvo nupalabbhatī”ti.
“Well then, your majesty, the life principle in a being cannot be found.”