AcceptingtheprevalentBrahminicaldoctrinethatthewholecosmos, celestial, terrestrial, andinfernal,withitspopulationofgodsandothercelestialbeings, ofsentientanimals, ofMaraandhisdevils,isincessantlyshiftingthroughrecurringcyclesofproductionanddestruction, ineachofwhicheveryhumanbeinghashistransmigratoryrepresentative,Gautamaproceededtoeliminatesubstancealtogether;andtoreducethecosmostoamereflowofsensations,emotions, volitions, andthoughts, , onthesurfaceofastreamofwater, weseeripplesandwhirlpools, whichlastforawhileandthenvanishwiththecausesthatgaverisetothem, sowhatseemindividualexistencesaremeretemporaryassociationsofphenomenacirclingroundacentre,"likeadogtiedtoapost." Inthewholeuniversethereisnothingpermanent, ;andinverytruth, notonlywe, butallthings, intheworldswithoutendofthecosmicphantasmagoria, aresuchstuffasdreamsaremadeof.
Whatthenbecomesofkarma? , fromthesteeltoapieceofnickel, asitmaybestrengthenedorweakenedbytheconditionstowhichitissubjectedwhileresidentineachpiece,, Gautamadoubtlesshadabetterguaranteefortheabolitionoftransmigration, whennowrackofsubstance, eitherofAtmanorofBrahma, wasleftbehind; when, inshort, amanhadbuttodreamthathewillednottodream, toputanendtoalldreaming.
Thisendoflife', sincethebestoriginalauthoritiestellusthereisneitherdesirenoractivity,noranypossibilityofphenomenalreappearanceforthesagewhohasenteredNirvana, itmaybesafelysaidofthisacmeofBuddhisticphilosophy—"therestissilence."
