not an individual  soul.  The Aatman  is the supreme

　　   reality, the  only  Being  that  is  beyond  speech,

　　   beyond  the reach  of mind and the notion  of space.

　　   And such an Aatman  can by no strech  of imagination

　　   be equated  with any of the skandhas.  In short, the

　　   sassato  attaa  of the Buddhist  scriptures  and the

　　   Aatman  of  the  Upanisads   are  two  diametrically

　　   opposing points of view.

　　　　  So long we have discussed  scriptural  materials

　　   which are more or less descriptive in nature. Now we

　　   pay   attention   to  a  more   critical   type   of

　　   Aagama-Nikaaya  passages  which acquaint us with the

　　   reasons for the rejection of different types of ataa

　　   heresies, and thereby  provide  us with  some  extra

　　   details regarding these heresies.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  IV

　　　　  We have  seen  that  four kinds  of relationship

　　   between the attaa and the skandhas  were recognised.

　　   Out of these only one type of relationship viz. that

　　   of identity  between  the  attaa  and the  skandhas,

　　   finds  prominent  mention  in the Nikaayas  and  the

　　   Aagamas.  This  appears  to have  been  the dominant

　　   heresy at the

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.409

　　   time of the Buddha.  Only  in a few cases  the early

　　   buddhist   canon   takes  note  of  other  types  of

　　   relationship, viz.  attaa has skandhaka  or attaa is

　　   not a particular type of skandhaka. Again the nature

　　   and contents  of such  a criticism  of attaa  heresy

　　   vary depending  on the type  of persons  for whom it

　　   was meant.  The discourses  which  are held  for the

　　   benefit  of the Buddhist  monks are quite  different

　　   from those meant for non-Buddhist asceties.

　　　　  With these preliminary  remarks  we will proceed

　　   to arrange the relevant materials  according  to the

　　   type of heresies criticised  and the type of persons

　　   addressed.

　　   A: Criticism  of heresies  meant  for  the  Buddhist

　　　　 monks

　　　　  i) Rejection  of Satkaayad.r.s.ti: The sa^myutta

　　   passage  referred  to  above  is  a  plain  form  of

　　   instruction　　 discarding　　 the　　 heresy　　 of