Investigation of Actions and Fruits

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

17. Investigation of Actions and Fruits

(Acts)

1. bdag nyid legs par sdom pa dang/
gzhan la phan 'dogs byams sems gang/
de chos de ni 'di gzhan du/
'bras bu dag gi sa bon yin/

1. Restraining oneself well and loving thoughts that benefit others are the Dharma which is the seed of fruits here and elsewhere.

2. drang srong mchog gi las rnams ni/
sems pa dang ni bsams par gsungs/
las de dag gi bye brag ni/
rnam pa du mar yongs su bsgrags/

2. The great sage has taught all actions to be intention and what is intended. The specifics of those actions are well known to be of many kinds.

3. de la las gang sems pa zhes/
gsungs pa de ni yid gyir 'dod/
bsams pa zhes ni gang gsungs pa/
de ni lus dang ngag gir 'dod/

3. In this respect action spoken of as "intention" is regarded as being that of mind. That spoken of as "what is intended" is regarded as being that of body and speech.

4. ngag dang bskyod dang mi spong ba'i/
rnam rig byed min zhes bya gang/
spong ba'i rnam rig byed min pa/
gzhan dag kyang ni de bzhin 'dod/

4. Whatever (1) speech and (2) movements and (3) "unconscious not-letting-go," (4) other kinds of unconscious letting-go are also regarded like that.

5. longs spyod las byung bsod nams dang/
bsod nams ma yin tshul de bzhin/
sems pa dang ni chos de bdun/
las su mngon par 'dod pa yin/

5. (5) Goodness that arises from enjoyment / use and in the same manner (6) what is not goodness,[and] (7) intention. These seven dharmas are clearly regarded as action.

[This seven-fold division of acts is not traceable to any school of which I am aware. The simpler division into restraint and love found in v. 1 serves a similar purpose to vs. 4 & 5 and has the added advantage of leading into v. 6 through its mention of "fruits".]

6. gal te smin pa'i dus bar du/
gnas na las de rtag par 'gyur/
gal te 'gags na 'gag gyur pas/
ci ltar 'bras bu skyed par 'gyur/

6. If the action remained until the time of ripening, it would become permanent. If it stopped, by having stopped, how could a fruit be born?

7. myu gu la sogs rgyun gang ni/
sa bon las ni mngon par 'byung/
de las 'bras bu sa bon ni/
med na de yang 'byung mi 'gyur/

7. The continuum of sprouts and so on clearly emerges from seeds, and from that fruits. If there were no seeds, they too would not emerge.

8. gang phyir sa bon las rgyun dang/
rgyun las 'bras bu 'byung 'gyur zhing/
sa bon 'bras bu'i sngon 'gro ba/
de phyir chad min rtag ma yin/

8. Because continuums are from seeds and fruits emerge from continuums and seeds precede fruits, therefore, there is no annihilation and no permanence.

9. sems kyi rgyun ni gang yin pa/
sems las mngon par 'byung bar 'gyur/
de las 'bras bu sems lta zhig/
med na de yang 'byung mi 'gyur/

9. The continuum of mind clearly emerges from mind, and from that fruits. If there were no mind, they too would not emerge.

10. gang phyir sems las rgyun dang ni/
rgyun las 'bras bu 'byung 'gyur zhing/
las ni 'bras bu'i sngon 'gro ba/
de phyir chad min rtag ma yin/

10. Because continuums are from minds and fruits emerge from continuums and actions precede fruits, therefore, there is no annihilation and no permanence.

11. dkar po'i las kyi lam bcu po/
chos sgrub pa yi thabs yin te/
chos kyi 'bras bu 'di gzhan du/
'dod pa'i yon tan rnam lnga po/

11. The ten paths of white action are the means of practising Dharma. Here and elsewhere, the fruits of Dharma are the five kinds of sensual qualities.

12. gal te brtag pa der gyur na/
nyes pa chen po mang por 'gyur/
de lta bas na brtag pa de/
'dir ni 'thad pa ma yin no/

12. If it were as that investigation, many great mistakes would occur. Therefore, that investigation is not valid here.

13. sangs rgyas rnams dang rang rgyal dang/
nyan thos rnams kyis gang gsungs pa'i/
brtag pa gang zhig 'dir 'thad pa/
de ni rab tu brjod par bya/

13. I will fully declare the investigation which is taught by the Buddhas, Pratyekabuddhas and Sravakas, which is valid here.

[The explicit denunciation of v. 12 and the strident certainty of v. 13 are an uncharacteristically heavy-handed and wordy way of telling us that the "right" view is about to be given. Yet the text presents all voices with sympathy, suggesting a developmental account of ethics in Buddhism rather than a "we're right - you're wrong" version.]

14. dpang rgya ji ltar de bzhin chud/
mi za las ni bu lon bzhin/
de ni khams las rnam pa bzhi/
de yang rang bzhin lung ma bstan/

14. Just like a contract, irrevocable action is like a debt. In terms of realms, there are four types. Moreover, its nature is unspecified.

[nb. "nature" = Skt. prakrti = Tib. rang bzhin]

15. spong bas spang ba ma yin te/
sgom pas spang ba nyid kyang yin/
de phyir chud mi za ba yis/
las kyi 'bras bu skyed par 'gyur/

15. It is not let go of by letting go, but only let go of by cultivation. Therefore through irrevocability are the fruits of acts produced.

16. gal te spong bas spang ba dang/
las 'pho ba yis 'jig 'gyur na/
de la las 'jig la sogs pa'i/
skyon rnams su ni thal bar 'gyur/

16. If it perished through being let go of by letting go and the transcendence of the action, then faults would follow such as the perishing of actions.

17. khams mtshungs las ni cha mtshungs dang/
cha mi mtshungs pa thams cad kyi/
de ni nyid mtshams sbyor ba'i tshe/
gcig pu kho nar skye bar 'gyur/

17. The very [irrevocability] of all actions in similar or dissimilar realms, that one alone is born when crossing the boundary [i.e. reborn].

18. mthong ba'i chos la rnam gnyis so/
thams cad* las dang las kyi de/
tha dad par ni skye 'gyur zhing/
rnam par smin kyang gnas pa yin/

[Ts. *kun kyi]

18. In the visible world there are two kinds. Actions of all [types] and that [irrevocability] of actions are produced as different things and remain [so?] even on ripening.

19. de ni 'bras bu 'pho ba dang/
shi bar gyur na 'gag par 'gyur/
de yi rnam dbye zag med dang/
zag dang bcas par shes par bya/

19. When the fruit is transcendent and when one dies, that ceases. One should know its divisions to be without-corruption and with-corruption.

20. stong pa nyid dang chad med dang/
'khor ba dang ni rtag pa min/
las rnams chud mi za ba'i chos/
sangs rgyas kyis ni bstan pa yin/

20. Emptiness is not annihilation and samsara is not permanent. The dharma of the irrevocability of actions is taught by the Buddha.

21. gang phyir las ni skye ba med/
'di ltar rang bzhin med de'i phyir/
gang phyir de ni ma skyes pa/
de phyir chud zad mi 'gyur ro/

21. Because actions are not born, in this way they have no nature. Therefore, because they are not born, therefore they are irrevocable.

22. gal te las la rang bzhin yod/
rtag par 'gyur par the tshom med/
las ni byas pa ma yin 'gyur/
rtag la bya ba med phyir ro/

22. If actions existed [by] nature, without doubt they would be permanent. Actions would not be done [by an agent] because what is permanent cannot be done.

23. ci ste las ni ma byas na/
ma byas pa dang phrad 'jigs 'gyur/
tshangs spyod gnas pa ma yin pa'ang/
de la skyon du thal bar 'gyur/

23. If actions were not done [by anyone], one would fear meeting what [one] has not done. Also the fault would follow for that [person] of not dwelling in the pure life.

24. tha snyad thams cad nyid dang yang/
'gal bar 'gyur bar the tshom med/
bsod nams dang ni sdig byed pa'i/
rnam par dbye ba'ang 'thad mi 'gyur/

24. All conventions also without doubt would be contradictory. Also the distinction between doing good and evil would not be valid.

25. de ni rnam smin smin gyur pa/
yang dang yang du rnam smin 'gyur/
gal te rang bzhin yod na ni/
gang phyir las gnas de yi phyir/

25. [When] the ripening of that [action] has ripened it would ripen again and again, because if it existed [by] nature, it would [always] remain.

26. las 'di nyon mongs bdag nyid la/
nyon mongs de dag yang dag min/
gal te nyon mongs yang dag min/
las ni yang dag ci ltar yin/

26. This action has the character of affliction and afflictions are not real. If affliction is not real, how can action be real?

27. las dang nyon mongs pa dag ni/
lus rnams kyi ni rkyen du bstan/
gal te las dang nyon mongs pa/
de stong lus la ci ltar brjod/

27. Actions and afflictions are taught to be the conditions for bodies. If actions and afflictions are empty, how can one speak of bodies?

28. ma rig bsgrib pa'i skye bo gang/
sred ldan de ni za ba po/
de yang byed las gzhan min zhing/
de nyid de yang ma yin no/

28. People who are obscured by ignorance, those with craving, are the consumers [of the fruits of action]. They are not other than those who do the action and they are also not those very ones.

29. gang gi phyir na las 'di ni/
rkyen las byung ba ma yin zhing/
rkyen min las byung yod min pa/
de phyir byed pa po yang med/

29. Because the action does not emerge from conditions and does not emerge from non-conditions, therefore, the agent too does not exist.

30. gal te las dang byed med na/
las skyes 'bras bu ga la yod/
ci ste 'bras bu yod min na/
za ba po lta ga la yod/

30. If neither the action nor the agent exists, where can there be a fruit of the action? If the fruit does not exist, where can the consumer exist?

31. ci ltar ston pas sprul ba ni/
rdzu 'phrul phun tshogs kyis sprul zhing/
sprul pa de yang sprul pa na/
slar yang gzhan ni sprul pa ltar/

31. Just as a teacher creates a creation by a wealth of magical powers, and just as if that creation too created, again another would be created,

32. de bzhin byed po das las gang/
byas pa'ang sprul pa'i rnam pa bzhin/
dper na sprul pas sprul gzhan zhig/
sprul pa mdzad pa de bzhin no/

32. Like this, whatever action too done by that agent [is ]also like the aspect of a creation. It is just like, for example, a creation creating another creation.

33. nyon mongs las dang lus rnams dang/
byed pa po dang 'bras bu dag/
dri za'i grong khyer lta bu dang/
smig rgyu rmi lam 'dra ba yin/

33. Afflictions, actions and bodies and agents and fruits are like a city of gandharvas, a mirage, a dream.

las brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa bcu bdun pa'o //