Investigation of Extremes of Before and After

(return to list of Contents & Translation of "Mulamadhyamakakarika: Verses from the Centre")

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//