Investigation of the Ennobling Truths
(return to list of Contents & Translation of "Mulamadhyamakakarika: Verses from the Centre")
24. Investigation of the Ennobling Truths
(Awakening)
1. gal te 'di dag kun stong na/
'gyur ba med cing 'jig pa med/
'phags pa'i bden pa bzhi po rnams/
khyod la med par thal bar 'gyur/
1. "If all were empty, nothing could come about or perish. It would follow for you that the four ennobling truths could not exist.
2. 'phags pai' bden pa bzhi med pas/
yongs su shes dang spang ba dang/
bsgom dang mngon du bya ba dang/
'thad par 'gyur ba ma yin no/
2. "Since the four ennobling truths would not exist, understanding, letting go, cultivating and realizing would no longer be valid.
3. de dag yod pa ma yin pas/
'bras bu bzhi yang yod ma yin/
'bras bu med na 'bras gnas med/
zhugs pa dag kyang yod ma yin/
3. "Since they would not exist, the four fruits would also not exist. If the fruits did not exist, there could be no abiding in the fruits. Experiencing them would also not exist.
4. gal te skyes bu gang zag brgyad/
de dag med na dge 'dun med/
'phags pa'i bden rnams med pa'i phyir/
dam pa'i chos kyang yod ma yin/
4. "If those eight beings did not exist, the Community would not exist. Since there would be no ennobling truths, the sublime Dharma could also not exist.
5. chos dang dge 'dun yod min na/
sangs rgyas ji ltar yod par 'gyur/
de skad stong pa nyid smra na/
dkon mchog gsum la gnod pa ni/
5. "If the Community and the Dharma did not exist, how could Buddha exist? When you talk of emptiness, the three Jewels are maligned.
6. byed cing 'bras bu yod pa dang/
chos ma yin dang chos yin dang/
'jig rten pa yi tha snyad ni/
kun la'ang gnod pa byed pa yin/
6. "The existence of actions and fruits, what is not Dharma and what is Dharma, the conventions of the world: all these too are maligned."
7. de la bshad pa khyod kyis ni/
stong nyid dgos dang stong nyid dang/
stong nyid don ni ma rtogs pas/
de phyir de ltar gnod pa yin/
7. An explanation for that: since you do not understand the need for emptiness, emptiness, and the point of emptiness, therefore in that way you malign.
8. sangs rgyas rnams kyis chos bstan pa/
bden pa gnyis la yang dag rten/
'jig rten kun rdzob bden pa dang/
dam pa'i don gyi bden pa'o/
8. The Dharma taught by Buddhas perfectly relies on two truths: the ambiguous truths of the world and the truths of the sublime meaning.
9. gang dag bden pa de gnyis kyi/
rnam dbye rnam par mi shes pa/
de dag sangs rgyas bstan pa ni/
zab mo'i de nyid rnam mi shes/
9. Those who do not understand the division into two truths, cannot understand the profound reality of the Buddha's teaching.
10. tha snyad la ni ma brten par/
dam pa'i don ni bstan mi nus/
dam pa'i don ni ma rtogs par/
mya ngan 'das pa thob mi 'gyur/
10. Without relying on conventions, the sublime meaning cannot be taught. Without understanding the sublime meaning, one will not attain nirvana.
11. stong pa nyid la blta nyes na/
shes rab chung rnams phung par byed/
ci ltar sbrul la bzung nyes dang/
rigs sngags nyes par bsgrub pa bzhin/
11. If their view of emptiness is wrong, those of little intelligence will be hurt. Like handling a snake in the wrong way, or casting a spell in the wrong way.
12. de phyir zhan pas chos 'di yi/
gting rtogs dka' bar mkhyen gyur nas/
thub pa'i thugs ni chos bstan las/
rab tu log par gyur pa yin/
12. Therefore, knowing how difficult it is for the weak to understand the depths of this Dharma, the heart of the Muni strongly turned away from teaching the Dharma.
13. skyon du thal bar 'gyur ba ni/
stong la 'thad pa ma yin pas/
khyod ni stong nyid spong byed pa/
gang de nga la mi 'thad do/
13. Since [those] erroneous consequences do not apply to emptiness, whatever rejections you make of emptiness do not apply to me.
14. gang la stong pa nyid rung ba/
de la thams cad rung bar 'gyur/
gang la stong nyid mi rung ba/
de la thams cad mi rung 'gyur/
14. Those for whom emptiness is possible, for them everything is possible. Those for whom emptiness is not possible, for them everything is not possible.
15. khyod ni rang gi skyon rnams ni/
nga la yongs su sgyur byed pa/
rta la mngon par zhon bzhin du/
rta nyid brjed par gyur pa bzhin/
15. You are transferring your own mistakes onto me. This is like mounting a horse but forgetting about the horse itself.
16. gal te dgnos rnams rang bzhin las/
yod par rjes su lta byed na/
de lta yin na dngos po rnams/
rgyu rkyen med par khyod lta'o/
16. If you view all things as existing from their own nature, then you would view all things as not having causes and conditions.
17. 'bras bu dang ni rgyu nyid dang/
byed pa po dang byed dang bya/
kye ba dang ni 'gag pa dang/
'bras bu la yang gnod pa byed/
17. Cause and effect itself, agents, tools and acts, production and cessation, the effects too would be undermined.
18. rten cing 'brel par 'byung ba gang/
de ni stong pa nyid du bshad/
de ni brten nas gdags pa ste/
de nyid dbu ma'i lam yin no/
18. Whatever is contingently related, that is explained as emptiness. That is contingently configured; it is the central path.
19. gang phyir rten 'byung ma yin pa'i/
chos 'ga'ng yod pa ma yin pa/
de phyir stong pa ma yin pa'i/
chos 'ga'ng yod pa ma yin no/
19. Because there are no things at all, which are not contingently emergent, therefore, there are no things at all, which are not empty.
20. gal te 'di kun mi stong na/
'byung ba med cing 'jig pa med/
'phags pa'i bden pa bzhi po rnams/
khyod la med par thal bar 'gyur/
20. If all were not empty, nothing could come about or perish. It would follow for you that the four ennobling truths could not exist.
21. rten cing 'byung ba ma yin na/
sdug bsngal yod par ga la 'gyur/
mi rtag sdug bsngal gsungs pa de/
rang bzhin nyid la yod ma yin/
21. If things were not contingently emergent, how could anguish exist? Impermanent things are taught to be anguish; in their very own nature they do not exist.
22. rang bzhin las ni yod min* na/
ci zhig kun tu 'byung bar 'gyur/
de phyir stong nyid gnod byed la/
kun 'byung yod pa ma yin no/[* error?]
22. If it did exist from its own nature, why would it have an origin? Therefore, for those who undermine emptiness, it can have no origin.
23. sdug bsngal rang bzhin gyis yod la/
'gog pa yod pa ma yin no/
rang bzhin nyid ni yongs gnas phyir/
'gag la'ang gnod pa byed pa yin/
23. If anguish existed by its own nature, there could be no cessation. Because its own nature would be totally present, cessation too would be undermined.
24. lam la rang bzhin yod na ni/
bsgom pa 'thad par mi 'gyur te/
ci ste lam de bsgom byas na/
khyod kyi rang bzhin yod ma yin/
24. If the path existed by its own nature, cultivation would not be appropriate. If the path is to be cultivated, your own nature cannot exist.
25. gang tshe sdug bsngal kun 'byung dang/
'gog pa yod pa ma yin na/
lam gyis sdug bsngal 'gog pa ni/
gang zhig 'thob par 'gyur bar 'dod/
25. When anguish, origins and cessation cannot exist, what ceasing of anguish could one seek to attain by the path?
26. gal te rang bzhin nyid kyis ni/
yongs su shes pa ma yin na/
de ni ci ltar yongs shes 'gyur/
rang bzhin gnas pa ma yin nam/
26. If non-understanding existed by its very own nature, how could one ever understand? Doesn't it abides by nature?
27. de bzhin du ni khyod nyid kyi/
spang dang mngon du bya ba dang/
bsgom dang 'bras bu bzhi dag kyang/
yongs shes bzhin du mi rung ngo/
27. In the same way, your letting go, realizing, cultivating and the four fruits too are as impossible as understanding.
28. rang bzhin yongs su 'dzin pa yi/
'bras bu rang bzhin nyid kyis ni/
'thob pa min pa gang yin de/
ci ltar 'thob pa nyid du 'gyur/
28. How can any fruits, which totally hold their own nature and by their own nature are unattained, be attained?
29./
'bras bu med na 'bras gnas med/
zhugs pa dag kyang yod ma yin/
gal te skyes bu gang zag brgyad/
de dag med na dge 'dun med/
29. If the fruits did not exist, there could be no abiding in the fruiTs. Experiencing them would also not exist. If those eight beings did not exist, the Community would not exist.
30. 'phags pa'i bden rnams med pa'i phyir/
dam pa'i chos kyang yod ma yin/
chos dang dge 'dun yod min na/
sangs rgyas ci ltar yod par 'gyur/
30. Since there would be no ennobling truths, the sublime Dharma could also not exist. If the Community and the Dharma did not exist, how could Buddha exist?
31. khyod kyi* sangs rgyas byang chub la/
ma brten par yang thal bar 'gyur/
khyod kyi byang chub sangs rgyas la/
ma brten par yang thal bar 'gyur
31. It would also follow that your Buddha does not depend on awakening. It would also follow that your awakening does not depend on Buddha.
32. khyod kyi rang bzhin nyid kyis ni/
sangs rgyas min pa gang yin des/
byang chub spyod la byang chub phyir/
bstsal yang byang chub 'thob mi 'gyur/
32. For you, someone who by his very nature is not Buddha could not attain awakening however much he strove in the practice of awakening for the sake of awakening.
33. 'ga' yang chos dang chos min pa/
nam yang byed par mi 'gyur te/
mi stong ba la ci zhig bya/
rang bzhin la ni bya ba med/
33. No one would ever do what is Dharma and what is not Dharma. What can that which is not empty do? Inherent nature is inactive.
34. chos dang chos min med par yang/
'bras bu khyod la yod par 'gyur/
chos dang chos min rgyus byung ba'i/
'bras bu khyod la yod ma yin/
34. Even without Dharma and not-Dharma, you would have the fruits. You would not have the fruits which have arisen from the causes of Dharma and not-Dharma.
35. chos dang chos min rgyus byung ba'i/
'bras bu gal te khyod la yod/
chos dang chos min las 'byung ba'i/
'bras bu ci phyir stong ma yin/
35. If you have the fruits which have arisen from the causes of Dharma and not-Dharma, why are the fruits which have arisen from the Dharma and not-Dharma not empty?
36. rten cing 'brel par 'byung ba yi/
stong pa nyid la gnod byed gang/
'jig rten pa yi tha snyad ni/
kun la'ang gnod pa byed pa yin/
36. Whoever undermines emptiness which is contingent emergence also undermines all the conventions of the world.
37. stong pa nyid la gnod byed na/
bya ba ci yang med 'gyur zhing/
rtsom pa med pa'i bya bar 'gyur/
mi byed pa yang byed por 'gyur/
37. If one undermines emptiness, there would be no actions at all and actions without an author and agents who do not act.
38. rang bzhin yod na 'gro ba rnams/
ma skyes pa dang ma 'gags dang/
ther zug tu ni gnas 'gyur zhing/
gnas skabs sna tshogs bral bar 'gyur/
38. If there were inherent nature, all beings would be unborn and unceasing, would be fixed in place forever, separated from the variety of situations.
39. gal te stong pa yod min na/
ma thob 'thob par bya ba dang/
sdug bsngal mthar byed las dang ni/
nyon mongs thams cad spong ba'ang med/
39. If [things] were not empty, there could be no attainment of what had not been attained, no ending of anguish and no letting go of all actions and afflictions.
40. gang gis rten cing 'brel par 'byung/
mthong ba des ni sdug bsngal dang/
kun 'byung dang ni 'gog pa dang/
lam nyid de dag mthong ba yin/
40. He who sees contingent emergence sees anguish and origins and cessation and the path itself.
'phags pa'i bden pa brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa nyi shu bzhi pa'o //