So, Devamantiya, Anantakaya and Mankura went to Nagasena’s hermitage to accompany the monks to the palace. As they were walking along together Anantakaya said to Nagasena, “When, your reverence, I say, ‘Nagasena’ what is that Nagasena?”
“What do you think that Nagasena is?”
“The soul, the inner breath, which comes and goes.”
“But if that breath, having gone out, should not return would that man still be alive?”
“Certainly not.”
“And when those trumpeters and the like have blown their trumpets does their breath return to them?”
“No venerable sir, it doesn’t.”
“Then why don’t they die?”
“I am not capable of arguing with you sir, pray tell me how it is.”
“There is no soul in the breath. These inhalations and exhalations are merely constituent powers of the bodily frame.”
Then the elder talked to him on the Abhidhamma and Anantakaya was satisfied with his explanation.
[Note: Thera (elder) is nowadays normally used only for bhikkhus of ten or more years standing but Nāgasena was only seven rains.]
“What do you think that Nagasena is?”
“The soul, the inner breath, which comes and goes.”
“But if that breath, having gone out, should not return would that man still be alive?”
“Certainly not.”
“And when those trumpeters and the like have blown their trumpets does their breath return to them?”
“No venerable sir, it doesn’t.”
“Then why don’t they die?”
“I am not capable of arguing with you sir, pray tell me how it is.”
“There is no soul in the breath. These inhalations and exhalations are merely constituent powers of the bodily frame.”
Then the elder talked to him on the Abhidhamma and Anantakaya was satisfied with his explanation.
[Note: Thera (elder) is nowadays normally used only for bhikkhus of ten or more years standing but Nāgasena was only seven rains.]
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