Although these are ordinarily referred to as sentient beings, there are spiritual elements in their real natures, which place them in a category only imperfectly described by the term “sentient beings”; but possessing also evident material qualities, it might be an error to assert that these are not “sentient beings”; hence the declaration of the Lord Buddha, “they are merely termed sentient beings.”—_Chinese Annotation_. [Chapter 22] Subhuti enquired of the Lord Buddha, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! did the Lord Buddha, in attaining to supreme spiritual wisdom, obtain nothing of a real or tangible nature?” The Lord Buddha replied, saying: “In attaining to supreme spiritual wisdom, not a vestige of Law or doctrine was obtained,[1] and therefore it is termed ‘supreme spiritual wisdom.’” [1]“To affirm the existence of anything real or tangible in the nature of the Law, would be tantamount to being firmly bound by the Law; but to affirm that ‘not even the vestige of Law or doctrine was obtained,’ is the equivalent of being absolutely free from the Law.”—_Yen-Ping_ (a Chinese monk). “Buddha said: ‘True, true, Subhuti! I, as possessed of this heart, have come into the condition above described. This term the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart, is but a mere name.’”—_Kin-Kong-King_. Beal. [Chapter 23] The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “This Law is coherent and indivisible,[1] it is neither ‘above’ nor ‘below,’[2] therefore it is termed ‘supreme spiritual wisdom.’ It excludes such arbitrary ideas as an entity, a being, a living being, or a personality; but includes every Law pertaining to the cultivation of goodness.[3] Subhuti, what were referred to as ‘Laws pertaining to goodness,’ these the Lord Buddha declared are not in reality ‘Laws pertaining to goodness,’ they are merely termed ‘Laws pertaining to goodness.’”[4] [1] The Abbé Dubois in his valuable book, _Hindu Manners, Customs, and Ceremonies_, carefully observes that amongst the attributes which the Jains ascribe to the Supreme Being, the first is that He is “one” and “indivisible”; and this observation of the learned Abbé becomes quite illuminating, when we remember the intimate relationship which has existed between the Jains and the Law of Buddha. [2] “Within it first arose desire, the primal germ of mind, Which nothing with existence links, as sages searching find. The cord, transversely stretched, that spanned this universal frame, Was it beneath? was it above? can any sage proclaim?” “Progress of the Vedic religion towards abstract conceptions of the Deity.” J. Muir (_Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society_).