stable, unchanging  -  this  is the  eternalist

　　　　   veiw-point." Cf. S. Part III, pp.98-99; 182

　　   (28) Diigha  Nikaaya, Vol. I ( PTS  Ed. By  T.W.Rhys

　　　　   Davids)  London,   1973,   pp.13-14;   T.W.Rhys

　　　　   Davids,  Dialogues   of  the  Buddha,  Part  I,

　　　　   pp.27-28(PTS, London, 1977)

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.403

　　   I was born of such  a name (eva.m-naamo), of such  a

　　   lineage  and caste (eva.m-gotto, eva.m-va.n.no).(29)

　　   My  food  was  such  (eva.m-aahaaro)  .  I  was  the

　　   experiencer　　 of   such　　 pleasures　　 and   pains

　　   (evam-sukha-dukkha-pa.tisa.mvedii) and  had  such  a

　　   span  of life  (evam-aayu-pariyanto).  Falling  from

　　   there  I was born  here."  (30) Thus  they  remember

　　   their  past existences  in full detail.  And each of

　　   them  says  to  himself:"sassato  attaa  ca loko  ca

　　   va~njho   kuta.t.tho   esika.t.thaayi.thito,  te  ca

　　   sattaa sandhaavanti sa.msaranti cavanti upapajjanti,

　　   atthi tveva sassata-saman  ti." (31) T.W.Rhys Davids

　　   translates as follows: "The soul is eternal; and the

　　   world giving birth to nothing new, is steadfast as a

　　   moutain-peak, as a pillar  firmly  fixed;  and  that

　　   though these living creatures transmigrate  and pass

　　   away, fall from one state of existence and spring up

　　   in another, yet they are (atthi) for ever and ever."

　　   (32)

　　　　  Though   this  translation   tallies   with  the

　　   traditional Buddhist explanation, it is difficult to

　　   accept  it, as it raises  some  problems.  From  the

　　   legend  we have seen that the living beings  in this

　　   world could only remembers the details of their past

　　   lives here.  And an awareness of an unchangeable 'I'

　　   (cf.  I was born  with such  a name etc.) links  all

　　   these  past  lives  together  and gives  rise to the

　　   notion of an eternal soul (attaa). The same soul was

　　   thought  to be born  again  and  again  as different

　　   individuals. The attaa and sattaa are not identical.

　　   The skandhas are admitted to be different in each of

　　   these births, though the attaa characterised  by the

　　   awareness of an'I' remains unchanged.

　　　　  The above  translation  from Rhys Davids  of the

　　   stock  description  of  'Saa'svatavaada  is  not  in

　　   aggreement　　 with　　 the   implications　　 of   the