“Worthy Gotama, when asked all these questions, you say: ‘It doesn’t apply.’ I fail to understand this point, worthy Gotama; I’ve fallen into confusion. And I’ve now lost even the degree of clarity I had from previous discussions with the worthy Gotama.”

“No wonder you don’t understand, Vaccha, no wonder you’re confused. For this principle is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. It’s hard for you to understand, since you have a different view, creed, and belief, and another discipline and denomination. Well then, Vaccha, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

What do you think, Vaccha? Suppose a fire was burning in front of you. Would you know: ‘This fire is burning in front of me’?” “Yes, I would, worthy Gotama.” “But Vaccha, suppose they were to ask you: ‘This fire burning in front of you: what does it depend on to burn?’ How would you answer?” “I would answer like this: ‘This fire burning in front of me burns in dependence on grass and logs as fuel.’” “Suppose that fire burning in front of you was extinguished. Would you know: ‘This fire in front of me is quenched’?” “Yes, I would, worthy Gotama.”