P.400

　　   without  perception  (a-samj~nin)" or "I shall  have

　　   neither perception  nor non-perception.  But one who

　　   is   educated,   abandons　　 ignorance　　 and   gets

　　   knowledge...   and  does  not  have   any  of  these

　　   thoughts."

　　　　  The passage quoted above shows that the attaa in

　　   which these recluses and Braahma.nas  believed could

　　   be in four different  ways connected  with  the five

　　   skandhas  and  this  connection  is  constant.   The

　　   existence  of an attaa without any reference  to the

　　   skandhas  was unthinkable.  This association  of the

　　   soul  with  the  skandhas   gave  rise   to  certain

　　   ego-centric　　 thoughts　　 in   which   both   these

　　   elements-the soul and the skandhas-are present, e.g.

　　   "I am this" "I shall be material" etc.

　　　　  Here we have a succinct  description  of a false

　　   view  that  draws  our  attention  to its  two  main

　　   features: 1) attaa  refers  to  an  individual  soul

　　   whose essence consists of an awareness of 'I' (22a);

　　   2) attaa is invariably  connected with the skandhas.

　　   Its  existence  is always  conceived  in association

　　   with skandhas.  This heresy, as already  noted, came

　　   to　　 be　　 known　　 as   satkaayad.r.s.ti　　 (Pali:

　　   Sakkaayadi.t.thi).  The term satkaaya  refers to the

　　   five aggregates of attachment (pa~ncupaadaanakkhand-

　　   haa) (23) and Satkaayad.r.s.ti  to a false view that

　　   fails  to see the skandhas  merely  as skandhas, but

　　   always views them through the prism of an attaa. The

　　   most subtle from of satkaayad.r.s.ti  is discernible

　　   in the feeling " I am" which lingers in anybody  who

　　   is spiritually below the status of an arhat.  He may

　　   no longer consciously believe in

　　   ────────────

　　   (22a) In  the  Alagaddupamasuttam  of  the  Majjhima

　　　　　　 Nikaaya  (PTS),  Vol.  I,  pp.138ff.  (Nalanda

　　　　　　 Ed.),  Vol.I, pp.185  ff.  We  read  that  the

　　　　　　 feelings of 'I' and 'mine' are interdependent.

　　　　　　 And with "I" and "mind" to be really and truly

　　　　　　 existing, the possibility  of this false  view

　　　　　　 would  also be there: "That is the world, that

　　　　　　 is attaa. I shall be after death, everlasting,