Investigation of Extremes of Before and After

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11. Investigation of Extremes of Before and After

(Before)

1. /sngon mtha’ mngon nam zhes zhus tshe/ /thub pa chen pos min zhes gsungs/ /’khor ba thog ma tha med de/ /de la sngon med phyi ma med/

1. When asked, “is a before-extreme evident?” the great Muni said, “it is not.” Samsara has no beginning, no end; it has no before, no after.

2. /gang la thog med tha med par/ /de la dbus ni ga la yod/ /de phyir de la snga phyi dang/ /lhan cig rim pa mi ‘thad do/

2. For that without beginning [and] end, where can a middle be in that? Therefore, it is not possible for it to have before, after, and simultaneous phases.

3. /gal te skye ba snga gyur la/ /rga shi phyi ma yin na ni/ /skye ba rga shi med pa dang/ /ma shi bar yang skye bar ‘gyur/

3. If birth were before and aging/death after, there would be birth without aging/death and also without dying one would be born.

4. /gal te skye ba ‘phyi ‘gyur la/ /rga shi snga ba* yin na ni/ /skye ba med pa’i rga shi ni/ /rgyu med par ni ji ltar ‘gyur/

[*Lha ma]

4. If birth were after and aging/death before, how could there be an uncaused aging/death which has no birth?

5. /skye ba dang ni rga shi dag/ /lhan cig rung ba ma yin te/ /skye bzhin pa ni ‘chi ‘gyur zhing/ /gnyis ka rgyu med can du ‘gyur/

5. It is not suitable for birth and aging/death to be simultaneous; that which is being born would be dying and both would be without cause.

6. /gang la snga phyi lhan cig gi/ /rim pa de dag mi srid pa’i/ /skye ba de dang rga shi de/ /ci yi phyir na spro* bar byed/

[Lha *spros]

6. Why fixate on that birth, that aging/dying, for which the phases of before, after, simultaneity are impossible?

7. /‘khor ba ‘ba’ zhig sngon gyi mtha’/ /yod ma yin par ma zad kyi/ /rgyu dang ‘bras bu nyid dang ni/ /mtshan nyid dang ni mtshan gzhi nyid/

7. It is not just samsara alone that has no before-extreme, cause and fruit themselves, and characteristics and the basis for characteristics themselves,

8. /tshor dang tshor po nyid dang ni/ /don yod gang dag ci yang rung/ /dngos rnams thams cad nyid la yang/ /sngon gyi mtha’ ni yod ma yin/

8. feeling and the feeler, whatever is suitable to bear meaning, also all things have no before-extreme.

/sngon dang phyi ma’i mtha’ brtag pa zhes bya ste rab tu byed pa bcu gcig pa’o//