Investigation of Birth, Abiding and Perishing
(return to list of Contents & Translation of "Mulamadhyamakakarika: Verses from the Centre")
7. Investigation of Birth, Abiding and Perishing
[Skt. title is "investigation of the compounded - samskrita"]
(Birth)
1. gal te skye ba 'dus byas na/
de la mtshan nyid gsum ldan 'gyur/
ci ste skye ba 'dus ma byas/
ji ltar 'dus byas mtshan nyid yin/
1. If birth were compounded, it would possess the three characteristics [of a compound]. If birth were uncompounded, how would it be a characteristic of a compound?
2. skye la sogs gsum so so yis/
'dus byas mtshan nyid bya bar ni/
nus min gcig la dus gcig tu/
'dus pa yang ni ji ltar rung/
2. The three such as birth cannot individually be that which characterises compounds. How is it possible for one at one time to be compounded [of all three]?
3. skye dang gnas dang 'jig rnams la/
'dus byas mtshan nyid gzhan zhig ni/
gal te yod na thug med 'gyur/
med na de dag 'dus byas min/
3. If birth, abiding and perishing had an other characteristic of being compounded, this would be endless. If not, they would not be compounded.
4. skye ba'i skye bas rtsa ba yi/
skye ba 'ba' zhig skyed par byed/
rtsa ba'i skye bas skye ba yi/
skye ba'ang skyed par byed pa yin/
4. The birth of birth gives birth to the root birth alone. The root birth also is that which gives birth to the birth of birth.
5. gal te khyod kyi skye ba'i skyes/
rtsa ba'i skye ba skyed byed na/
khyod kyi rtsa bas ma bskyed des/
de ni ji ltar skyed par byed/
5. If your birth of birth gives birth to the root birth, how does that which is not yet born from your root give birth to that [root birth]?
6. gal te khyod kyi rtsa ba yis/
bskyed pa de yis rtsa skyed na/
des ma bskyed pa'i rtsa ba des/
de ni ji ltar skyed par byed/
6. If that which is born from your root birth gives birth to the root, how does that root which is born from that give birth to that [from which it is born]?
7. gal te ma skyes pa de yis/
de skyed pa ni byed nus na/
khyod kyi skye bzhin pa de yis/
de skyed par ni 'dod la rag/
7. If that which has not been born is able to give birth to that, that of yours which is being born should be able to give birth to that.
[v. 4-7: This is a clear example of another hand interfering with the text. Not only is it incapable of being reset as poetry, it is incompatible with the style of the verses that precede and especially those that follow. Also cf. MMK 1: 7-9]
8. ji ltar mar me rang dang gzhan/
snang bar byed pa de bzhin du/
skye ba'ang rang dang gzhan gyi dngos/
gnyis ka skyed par byed pa yin/
8. Just as lamplight illuminates itself and others, likewise birth too gives birth to both itself and the thing of others.
["itself and the thing of others" is the clumsy Tibetan form of svaparaatma, cf. svabhava / parabhava.]
9. mar me dang ni gang dag na/
de 'dug pa na mun pa med/
mar mes ci zhig snang bar byed/
mun pa sel bas snang byed yin/
9. Wherever lamplight is present there is no darkness. What does lamplight illuminate? It illuminates by dispelling darkness.
10. gang tshe mar me skye bzhin pa/
mun pa dang ni phrad med na/
ji ltar mar me skye bzhin pas/
mun pa sel bar byed pa yin/
10. If, when lamplight is being generated, it does not encounter darkness, how does the generation of lamplight dispel darkness?
11. mar me phrad pa med par yang/
gal te mun pa sel byed na/
'jig rten kun na gnas pa'i mun/
'di na gnas pa des sel 'gyur/
11. If darkness is dispelled even though it does not encounter lamplight, this [lamplight] dwelling here would eliminate the darkness that dwells in all the worlds.
12. mar me* rang dang gzhan gyi dngos/
gal te snang bar byed 'gyur na/
mun pa'ang rang dang gzhan gyi dngos/
sgrib par 'gyur bar the tshom med/
[Ts. *mes]
12. If lamplight illuminated itself and the thing of others, darkness too would without doubt obscure itself and the thing of others.
13. skye ba 'di ni ma skyes pas/
rang gi bdag nyid ji ltar skyed/
ci ste skyes pas skyed byed na/
skyes na ci zhig bskyed du yod/
13. How can unborn birth give birth to itself? If the born gives birth, when it has been born, what would be born?
14. skyes dang ma skyes skye bzhin pa/
ji lta bur yang mi skyed pa/
de ni song dang ma song dang/
bgom pas rnam par bshad pa yin/
14. The born and the unborn, the being born do not in any way give birth. That has been explained by the gone, not gone and going.
15. gang tshe skye ba yod pa na/
skye bzhin 'di 'byung med pa'i tshe/
ji ltar skye la brten nas ni/
skye bzhin zhes ni brjod par bya/
15. When being born does not arise in what is born, then how can one say "[it is] being born in dependence on the born"?
16. rten cing 'byung ba gang yin pa/
de ni ngo bo nyid kyis zhi/
de phyir skye bzhin nyid dang ni/
skye ba yang ni zhi ba nyid/
16. Whatever is dependently arising, that is by nature pacified. Therefore, being born and what is born too are pacified.
[Ts. 174-6 gives a good summary of the identity of dependent arising and emptiness with citations, including (174): "Whoever sees dependent and relational arising sees the Dharma; whoever sees the Dharma sees the Buddha." and (175) "What is born from conditions is unborn. By its very nature it has no birth. What is dependent on conditions is said to be empty. He who knows emptiness is conscientious (bag yod)"]
17. gal te dngos po ma skyes pa/
'ga' zhig gang na yod gyur na/
de ni skye 'gyur dngos po de/
med na ci zhig skye bar 'gyur/
17. If any unborn thing existed anywhere, on being born that [unborn] thing would not exist. If so, what would be born?
18. gal te skye ba de yis ni/
skye bzhin pa ni skyed byed na/
skye ba de ni skye ba lta/
gang zhig gis ni skyed par byed/
18. If that which has been born gives birth to what is being born, what [other thing] that has been born would be giving birth to that which has been born?
19. gal te skye ba gzhan zhig gis/
de skyed thug pa med par 'gyur/
ci ste skye ba med skye na/
thams cad de bzhin skye bar 'gyur/
19. If another [thing] that has been born gives birth [to it], this would be endless. If it is born without [another] which has been born [OR if it is born without being born], everything would be born like that [i.e. causelessly].
20. re zhig yod dang med pa yang/
skye bar rigs pa ma yin zhing/
yod med nyid kyang ma yin zhes/
gong du bstan pa nyid yin no/
20. Thus it is not reasonable for what exists or does not exist to be born. It has been shown above that there is no existent or non-existent.
21. dngos po 'gag bzhin nyid la ni/
skye ba 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
gang zhig 'gag bzhin ma yin pa/
de ni dngos por mi 'thad do/
21. It is not tenable for a thing that is perishing to be born. It is not tenable for that which is not perishing to be a thing.
22. dngos po gnas pa mi gnas te/
dngos po mi gnas gnas pa min/
gnas bzhin pa yang mi gnas te/
ma skyes gang zhig gnas par 'gyur/
22. A thing that has remained does not remain. A thing that has not [yet] remained does not remain. That which is remaining also does not remain. What unborn [thing] can remain?
23. dngos po 'gag bzhin nyid la ni/
gnas pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
gang zhig 'gag bzhin ma yin pa/
de ni dngos por mi 'thad do/
23. It is not possible for a thing that is perishing to remain. It is not possible for that which is not perishing to be a thing.
24. dngos po thams cad dus kun tu/
rga dang 'chi ba'i chos yin na/
gang dag rga dang 'chi med par/
gnas pa'i dngos po gang zhig yod/
24. If all things at all times are aging and dying phenomena, what things are there which could remain without aging and dying?
25. gnas pa gnas pa gzhan dang ni/
de nyid kyis kyang gnas mi rigs/
ji ltar skye ba rang dang ni/
gzhan gyis bskyed pa ma yin bzhin/
25. It is not reasonable for what remains to remain due to something else that remains or due to itself. This is like how what has been born is not given birth to by itself or another. [cf. v.18-19]
26. 'gags pa 'gag par mi 'gyur te/
ma 'gags pa yang 'gag mi 'gyur/
'gag bzhin pa yang de bzhin min/
ma skyes gang zhig 'gag par 'gyur/
26. What has ceased does not cease. What has not ceased also does not cease. Likewise what is ceasing also does not. What unborn [thing] can cease? [cf. v. 22]
27. re zhig dngos po gnas pa la/
'gag pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
dngos po mi gnas pa la yang/
'gag pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
27. It is not possible for a thing which has remained to cease. It is also not possible for a thing which has not remained to cease.
[past tense "has remained" follows Skt. (K .175). Tib. and Ts. 183 could read: "It is not possible for a thing which remains to cease. It is also not possible for a thing which does not remain to cease."]
28. gnas skabs de yis gnas skabs ni/
de nyid 'gag pa nyid mi 'gyur/
gnas skabs gzhan gyis gnas skabs ni/
gzhan yang 'gag pa nyid mi 'gyur/
28. A particular state [of something] does not cause that particular state itself to cease. Moreover, another particular state does not cause that particular state to cease.
[Ts. 184 illustrates this with the example of milk and curds (butter), i.e.: milk does not cause milk to cease, nor do curds cause milk to cease.]
29. gang tshe chos rnams thams cad kyi/
skye ba 'thad par mi 'gyur ba/
de tshe chos rnams thams cad kyi/
'gag pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
29. When the birth of all phenomena is not possible, then the cessation of all phenomena is not possible.
30. re zhig dngos po yod pa la/
'gag pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
gcig nyid na ni dngos po dang/
dngos po med pa 'thad pa med/
30. Cessation is not possible in an existent thing. Thingness and nothingness are not possible in one.
31. dngos po med par gyur pa la'ang/
'gag pa 'thad par mi 'gyur ro/
mgo gnyis pa la ji ltar ni/
gcad du med pa de bzhin no/
31. Cessation is not possible also in what is not a thing. This is similar to how there is no cutting off a second head. [i.e. a person cannot be beheaded twice]
32. 'gag pa rang gi bdag nyid kyis/
yod min 'gag pa gzhan gyis min/
ji ltar skye ba rang dang ni/
gzhan gyis skyed pa ma yin bzhin/
32. Cessation does not exist by its own self, nor does cessation [exist] by something else. This is like how what has been born is not given birth to by itself or another [cf. 25]
33. skye dang gnas dang 'jig pa dag/
ma grub phyir na 'dus byas med/
'dus byas rab tu ma grub pas/
'dus ma byas ni ji ltar 'grub/
33. Because birth and remaining and perishing are not established, there is no conditioned. Because the conditioned is utterly unestablished, how can the unconditioned be established?
34. rmi lam ji bzhin sgyu ma bzhin/
dri za'i grong khyer ji bzhin du/
de bzhin skye dang de bzhin gnas/
de bzhin du ni 'jig pa gsungs/
34. Like a dream, like a magician's illusion, like a city of gandharvas, likewise birth and likewise remaining, likewise perishing are taught.
skye ba dang gnas pa dang 'jig pa brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa bdun pa'o//