Investigation of Rising and Passing

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

21. Investigation of Rising and Passing

(Disappearance)

1. 'jig pa 'byung ba med par ram/
lhan cig yod pa nyid ma yin/
'byung ba 'jig pa med par ram/
lhan cig yod pa nyid ma yin /

1. Passing does not exist without or together with rising. Rising does not exist without or together with passing.

[The Sanskrit terms sambhava ('byung ba - rising) and vibhava ('jig pa - passing) are related to bhava (dngos po - thing); also cf. svabhava and parabhava. So "appearance" and "disappearance" would capture the play on the two words. Note also that in verses 15-16 the Tib. 'byung - 'jig does not translate sambhava / vibhava, but udaya / vyaya].

2. 'jig pa 'byung ba med par ni/
ji lta bur na yod par 'gyur/
skye ba med par 'chi bar 'gyur/
'jig pa 'byung ba med par med /

2. How can passing exist without rising? Is there death without birth? There is no passing without rising.

3. 'jig pa 'byung dang lhan cig tu/
ji ltar yod pa nyid du 'gyur/
'chi ba skye dang dus gcig tu/
yod pa nyid ni ma yin no /

3. How could passing exist together with rising? Death does not exist at the same time as birth.

4. 'byung ba 'jig pa med par ni/
ji lta bur na yod par 'gyur*/
dngos po rnams la mi rtag nyid/
nam yang med pa ma yin no /

[Lha. *ji ltar yod pa nyid du 'gyur]

4. How could rising exist without passing? Things are never not impermanent.

5. 'byung ba 'jig dang lhan cig tu/
ji ltar yod pa nyid du 'gyur/
skye ba 'chi dang dus gcig tu/
yod pa nyid ni ma yin no /

5. How could rising exist together with passing? Birth does not exist at the same time as death.

6. gang dag phan tshun lhan cig gam/
phan tshun lhan cig ma yin par/
grub pa yod pa ma yin pa/
de dag grub pa ji ltar yod /

6. How can those that are not established either mutually together or not mutually together be established?

7. zad la 'byung ba yod ma yin/
ma zad pa la'ang 'byung ba med/
zad la 'jig pa yod ma yin/
ma zad pa la'ang 'jig pa med /

7. The finished does not rise; the unfinished too does not rise; the finished does not pass; the unfinished too does not pass.

8. dngos po yod pa ma yin par/
'byung dang 'jig pa yod ma yin/
'byung dang 'jig pa med par ni/
dngos po yod pa ma yin no /

8. Rising and passing do not exist without the existence of things. Things do not exist without the existence of rising and passing.

9. stong la* 'byung dang 'jig pa dag/
'thad pa nyid ni ma yin no/
mi stong pa la'ang 'byung 'jig dag/
'thad pa nyid ni ma yin no /

[Lha. *las. Ts. *la]

9. Rising and passing are not possible for the empty; rising, passing are not possible for the non-empty also.

10. 'byung ba dang ni 'jig pa dag/
gcig pa nyid du* mi 'thad do/
'byung ba dang ni 'jig pa dag/
gzhan nyid du yang** mi 'thad do /

[Lha. *ni. **gzhan pa nyid du'ang]

10. Rising and passing cannot possibly be one; rising and passing also cannot possibly be other.

11. 'byung ba dang ni 'jig pa dag/
mthong ngo snyam du khyod sems na/
'byung ba dang ni 'jig pa dag/
gti mug nyid kyis mthong ba yin /

11. If you think that you can see rising and passing, rising and passing are seen by delusion.

12. dngos po dngos las mi skye ste/
dngos po dngos med las mi skye/
dngos med dngos med mi skye ste/
dngos med dngos las mi skye'o /

12. Things are not created from things; things are not created from nothing; nothing is not created from nothing; nothing is not created from things.

13. dngos po bdag las mi skye ste/
gzhan las skye ba nyid ma yin/
bdag dang gzhan las skye ba ni/
yod min* ji ltar skye bar 'gyur /

[Lha. *na]

13. Things are not created from themselves, nor are they created from something else; they are not created from [both] themselves and something else. How are they created?

14. dngos po yod par khas blangs na/
rtag dang chad par lta bar ni/
thal bar 'gyur te dngos de ni/
rtag dang mi rtag 'gyur phyir ro /

14. If you assert the existence of things, the views of eternalism and annihilationism will follow, because things are permanent and impermanent.

15. dngos po yod par khas blangs kyang/
chad par mi 'gyur rtag mi 'gyur/
'bras bu rgyu yi 'byung 'jig gi/
rgyun de srid pa yin phyir ro /

15. If you assert the existence of things, eternalism and annihilationism will not be, because the continuity of the rising and passing of cause -effect is becoming.

16. 'bras bu rgyu yi* 'byung 'jig gi/
rgyun de srid pa yin 'gyur na/
'jig la yang skye med pa'i phyir/
rgyu ni chad par thal bar 'gyur /

[Lha. *gal te 'bras rgyu'i]

16. If the continuity of the rising and passing of cause-effect is becoming, because what has passed will not be created again, it will follow that the cause is annihilated.

17. dngos po ngo bo nyid yod na/
dngos med 'gyur bar mi rigs so/
mya ngan 'das pa'i dus na chad/
srid rgyun rab tu zhi phyir ro /

17. If things exist essentially, it would be unreasonable [for them] to become nothing. At the time of nirvana [they] would be annihilated, because the continuity of becoming is totally pacified.

18. tha ma 'gags par gyur pa na/
srid pa dang po rigs mi 'gyur/
tha ma 'gags par ma gyur tshe/
srid pa dang po rigs mi 'gyur /

18. If the end stops, it is unreasonable for there to be a beginning of becoming. When the end does not stop, it is unreasonable for there to be a beginning of becoming.

19. gal te tha ma 'gag bzhin na/
dang po skye bar 'gyur na ni/
'gag bzhin pa ni gcig 'gyur zhing/
skye bzhin pa yang gzhan du 'gyur /

19. If the beginning is created while the end is stopping, the stopping would be one and the creating would be another.

20. gal te 'gag bzhin skye bzhin dag/
lhan cig tu yang rigs min na/
phung po gang la 'chi 'gyur ba/
de la skye ba* 'byung 'gyur ram /

[Lha. *ba'ang]

20. If it is also unreasonable for stopping and creating to be together, aren't the aggregates that die also those that are created?

21. de ltar dus gsum dag tu yang/
srid pa'i rgyun ni mi rigs na/
dus gsum dag tu gang med pa/
de ni ji ltar srid pa'i rgyun /

21. Likewise, if the continuity of becoming is not reasonable at any of the three times, how can there be a continuity of becoming which isnon-existent in the three times?

'byung ba dang 'jig pa brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa nyi shu gcig pa'o //