These that have been mentioned, and that have material
forms, cannot possibly be the causes (of the immaterial Soul and its
immaterial accompaniments of perception, memory, and the like). The
identity of immaterial existences with objects that are material cannot
be comprehended. (Hence objects that are themselves material cannot by
any means be causes for the production of things immaterial).--Some are
of opinion that there is rebirth and that it is caused by Ignorance, the
desire for acts, cupidity, heedlessness, and adherence to other faults.
They say that Ignorance (Avidya) is the soul. Acts constitute the seed
that is placed in that soil. Desire is the water that causes that seed to
grow, in this way they explain rebirth. They maintain that that ignorance
being ingrained in an imperceptible way, one mortal body being destroyed,
another starts up immediately from it; and that when it is burnt by the
aid of knowledge, the destruction of existence itself follows or the
person attains to what is called Nirvana. This opinion also is erroneous.
[This is the doctrine of Buddhists]. It may be asked that when the being
that is thus reborn is a different one in respect of its nature, birth,
and purposes connected with virtue and vice why should I then be regarded
to have any identity with the being that was? Indeed, the only inference
that can be drawn is that the entire chain of existences of a particular
being is not really a chain of connected links (but that existences in
succession are unconnected with one another).[806] Then, again if the
being that is the result of a rebirth be really different from what it
was in a previous phase of existence, it may be asked what satisfaction
can arise to a person from the exercise of the virtue of charity, or from
the acquisition of knowledge or of ascetic power, since the acts
performed by one are to concentrate upon another person in another phase
of existence (without the performer himself being existent to enjoy
them?) Another result of the doctrine under refutation would be that one
in this life may be rendered miserable by the acts of another in a
previous life, or having become miserable may again be rendered happy. By
seeing, however, what actually takes place in the world, a proper
conclusion may be drawn with respect to the unseen.[807] The separate
Consciousness that is the result of rebirth is (according to what may be
inferred from the Buddhistic theory of life) differen