Jewel Garland Tantra

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

5. Investigation of the Elements

(Space)

1. nam mkha'i mtshan nyid snga rol na/
nam mkha' cung zad yod ma yin/
gal te mtshan las snga gyur na/
mtshan nyid med par thal bar 'gyur/

1. Not the slightest bit of space exists prior to the characteristics of space. If [space] existed prior to its characteristics, it would follow that it would be without characteristics.

2. mtshan nyid med pa'i dngos po ni/
'ga' yang gang na'ang yod ma yin/
mtshan nyid med pa'i dngos med na/
mtshan nyid gang du 'jug par 'gyur/

2. A thing without characteristics does not exist anywhere at all. If a thing without characteristics does not exist, to what do characteristics extend?

3. mtshan nyid med la mtshan nyid ni/
mi 'jug mtshan nyid bcas la min/
mtshan bcas mtshan nyid med pa las/
gzhan la'ang 'jug par mi 'gyur ro/

3. Characteristics do not extend to that which has no characteristics; nor to what possesses characteristics. They also cannot extend to something other than what either possesses or does not have characteristics.

4. mtshan nyid 'jug pa ma yin na/
mtshan gzhi 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
mtshan gzhi 'thad pa ma yin na/
mtshan nyid kyang ni yod ma yin/

4. If characteristics do not extend [to something] , something characterized would be impossible. If something characterized is impossible, characteristics too would not exist.

5. de phyir mtshan gzhi yod min te/
mtshan nyid yod pa nyid ma yin/
mtshan gzhi mtshan nyid ma gtogs pa'i/
dngos po yang ni yod ma yin/

5. Therefore, something characterized does not exist and characteristics do not exist. There also does not exist a thing which is apart from being something characterized or a characteristic.

6. dngos po yod pa ma yin na/
dngos med gang gi yin par 'gyur/
dngos dang dngos med mi mthun chos/
gang gis dngos dang dngos med shes/

6. If there is not a thing, of what can there be a non-thing? By whom are the opposites thing and non-thing known [as] a thing and a non-thing?

[Ts. 140 understands "a thing" to refer to the obstructive matter of which space, as a negation and hence a non-thing, is a negation of.]

7. de phyir nam mkha' dngos po min/
dngos med ma yin mtshan gzhi min/
mtshan nyid ma yin khams lnga po/
gzhan gang dag kyang nam mkha' mtshungs/

7. Therefore, space is not a thing; it is not a non-thing; it is not something characterized; it is not a characteristic. The other five elements too are similar to space.

8. blo chung gang dag dngos rnams la/
yod pa nyid dang med nyid du/
blta ba des ni blta bya ba/
nye bar zhi ba zhi mi mthong/

8. Those of small minds see things as existent and non-existent. They do not behold the utter pacification of what is seen.

khams brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa lnga pa'o//