dn23:18.1 “Even though the worthy Kassapa says this, still I think that
dn23:18.2 there is no afterlife.”
dn23:18.3 “Can you prove it?”
dn23:18.4 “I can.”
dn23:18.5 “How, exactly, chieftain?”
dn23:18.6 “Suppose they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal and present him to me, saying,
dn23:18.7 ‘Sir, this is a bandit, a criminal.
dn23:18.8 Punish him as you will.’
dn23:18.9 I say to them,
dn23:18.10 ‘Well then, worthy sir, take this man’s life without damaging his outer skin, inner skin, flesh, sinews, bones, or marrow. Hopefully we’ll see his soul escaping.’
dn23:18.11 They agree, and do what I ask.
dn23:18.12 When he’s nearly dead, I tell them to
dn23:18.13 lay him on his back in hope of seeing his soul escape.
dn23:18.14 They do so.
dn23:18.15 But we don’t see his soul escaping.
dn23:18.16 I tell them to
dn23:18.17 lay him bent over,
dn23:18.18 to lay him on his side,
dn23:18.19 to lay him on the other side;
dn23:18.20 to stand him upright,
dn23:18.21 to stand him upside down;
dn23:18.22 to strike him with fists,
dn23:18.23 stones,
dn23:18.24 rods,
dn23:18.25 and swords;
dn23:18.26 and to give him a good shaking in hope of seeing his soul escape.
dn23:18.27 They do all these things.
dn23:18.28 But we don’t see his soul escaping.
dn23:18.29 For him the eye itself is present, and so are those sights. Yet he does not experience that sense-field.
dn23:18.30 The ear itself is present, and so are those sounds. Yet he does not experience that sense-field.
dn23:18.31 The nose itself is present, and so are those smells. Yet he does not experience that sense-field.
dn23:18.32 The tongue itself is present, and so are those tastes. Yet he does not experience that sense-field.
dn23:18.33 The body itself is present, and so are those touches. Yet he does not experience that sense-field.
dn23:18.34 This is how I prove that
dn23:18.35 there is no afterlife.”

