The Soul in Buddhism_06 - 08

The king said,
“Is there anyone who is not reborn after death?”
“Yes there is. The one who has no defilement is not reborn after death; the one who has defilement is reborn.”
“Will you be reborn?”
“If I die with attachment in my mind, yes; but if not, no.”

“Does one who escapes from rebirth do so by the power of wise attention?”
“He escapes both by wise attention and by wisdom, confidence, virtue, mindfulness, energy, and concentration.”
“Is wise attention the same as wisdom?”
“No. Animals have wise attention but they do not have wisdom.”

“What, Nāgasena, is the characteristic mark of wise attention (yoniso manasikaro); and what that of wisdom (panna)?”
“Taking hold is the mark of wise attention, cutting off is the mark of wisdom.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“How do barley reapers reap the barley?”
“They grasp the barley into a bunch with the left hand and, with a sickle in the right hand, they cut the barley.”
“Just so, O king, the recluse takes hold of his mind with wise attention and cuts of the defilement with wisdom.”