Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/242

Rh sets in the body after long life. Death is the dissolution of the body, which bore a name and form, and its disappearance, like the setting sun.

“From Ignorance springs action: from action springs consciousness: from consciousness spring Name and Form: from Name and Form spring the senses: from the senses springs contact: from contact springs sensation: from sensation springs desire: from desire springs attachment : from attachment springs existence: from existence springs a continuation of births: from birth springs a train of unavoidable suffering such as old age, disease, death, grief, lamentation, dejection and despair. (In this manlier) Desire acts (and reacts) in a circle ceaselessly. By the destruction of Ignorance, action is destroyed: by the destruction of action consciousness is destroyed: by the destruction of consciousness, Name and Form are destroyed: by the destruction of Name and Form, the senses are destroyed: by the destruction of the senses contact is destroyed: by the destruction of contact sensation is destroyed: by the destruction of sensation desire is destroyed: by the destruction of desire, attachment is destroyed: by the destruction of attachment existence is destroyed: by the destruction of existence Birth is destroyed: by the destruction of Birth disease, old age, death, grief, lamentation, dejection, despair and the like endless suffering will be destroyed. In this manner salvation (is effected).”

“Ignorance and action, these two being the cause of the rest, form the first Khanda (or section); consciousness, Name and Form, the senses, contact and sensation being the (immediate) effect of the foregoing (section) form the second Khanda; Desire, Attachment and existence, being the evil result of sensation form the third Khanda; Birth as well as disease, old age, and death all of which follow birth, form the fourth Khanda:

“Action and consciousness form the first Link (sandhi). Sensation and desire, faultlessly understood, form, the second Link. From good and evil deeds (or existence) to proceed to births is the third Link.

“The three kinds of birth are as follows:— Birth with consciousness but without (external) form: Without consciousness but