Investigation of Connections
(return to list of Contents & Translation of "Mulamadhyamakakarika: Verses from the Centre")
14. Investigation of Connections
(Connection)
1. blta bya lta ba lta ba po/
gsum po de dag gnyis gnyis dang/
thams cad kyang ni phan tshun du/
phrad par 'gyur ba yod ma yin/
1. The seen, the seeing and the seer: these three do not mutually connect [as] pairs or all [together].
2. de bzhin 'dod chags chags pa dang/
chags par bya ba nyon mongs pa/
lhag pa rnams dang skye mched kyi/
lhag ma'ang rnam pa gsum gyis so/
2. Likewise desire, desiring and the desired, the remaining afflictions and also the remaining sense-fields do [not connect] by three aspects.
3. gzhan dang gzhan du phrad 'gyur na/
gang phyir blta bya la sogs la/
gzhan de yod pa ma yin pa/
de phyir phrad par mi 'gyur ro/
3. If the other connects to the other, because the seen and so forth do not exist [as] other, therefore there is no connection.
4. blta bya la sogs 'ba' zhig la/
gzhan nyid med par ma zad kyi/
gang yang gang dang lhen cig tu/
gzhan par nyid du mi 'thad do/
4. Not only are the seen and so forth alone not existing as other, it is invalid for anything simultaneous with something to be other [than it].
5. gzhan ni gzhan la brtan te gzhan/
gzhan med par gzhan gzhan mi 'gyur/
gang la brten te gang yin pa/
de ni de las gzhan mi 'thad/
5. The other is other in dependence upon the other. Without the other, the other would not be other. It is invalid for whatever is dependent on something to be other than that.
6. gal te gzhan ni gzhan las gzhan/
de tshe gzhan med par gzhan 'gyur/
gzhan med par ni gzhan 'gyur ba/
yod min de yi phyir na med/
6. If the other was other than the other, then, without the other, it would be other. Without the other it would not be other. Therefore, it does not exist.
7. gzhan nyid gzhan la yod ma yin/
gzhan ma yin la'ang yod ma yin/
gzhan nyid yod pa ma yin na/
gzhan nam de nyid yod ma yin/
7. Otherness does not exist in the other. Nor does it exist in what is not other. If otherness does not exist, neither the other nor that itself exists.
8. de ni de dang phrad pa med/
gzhan dang gzhan yang phrad mi 'gyur/
phrad bzhin pa dang phrad pa dang/
phrad pa po yang yod ma yin/
8. That does not connect with that. The other too does not connect with the other. The connecting, the connection and the connector too do not exist.
phrad pa brtag pa zhes bya ste rab tu byed pa bcu bzhi pa'o //