Investigation of Rising and Passing

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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 (dgnos po/thing); also cf. svabhava and parabhava. So “appearance” and “disappearance” would capture the play on the two words. Not 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 // //