Investigation of Self and Things

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

18. Investigation of Self and Things

(Self)

1. /gal te phung po bdag yin na//skye dang ‘jig pa can du ‘gyur//gal te phung po rnams las gzhan//phung po’i mtshan nyid med par ‘gyur/

1. If the aggregates were self, it would be possessed of arising and decaying. If it were other than the aggregates, it would not have the characteristics of the aggregates.

2. /bdag nyid yod pa ma yin na//bdag gi yod pa ga la ‘gyur//bdag dang bdag gi zhi ba’i phyir//ngar ‘dzin nga yir ‘dzin med ‘gyur/

2. If the self did not exist, where could what is mine exist? In order to pacify self and what is mine, grasping I and grasping mine can exist no more.

3. /ngar ‘dzin nga yir ‘dzin med gang//de yang yod pa ma yin te//ngar ‘dzin nga yir ‘dzin med par//gang gis mthong bas mi mthong ngo/

3. The one who does not grasp at me and mine likewise does not exist.

Whoever sees the one who does not grasp at me and mine does not see.

[c-d are omitted on the grounds of their being a reiteration of a-b]

4. /nang dang phyi rol nyid dag la//bdag dang bdag gi snyam zad na//nye bar len pa ‘gag ‘gyur zhing//de zad pas na skye ba zad/

4. When one ceases thinking of inner and outer things as self and mine, clinging will come to a stop. Through that ceasing, birth will cease.

5. /las dang nyon mongs zad pas thar//las dang nyon mongs rnam rtog las//de dag spros las spros pa ni//stong pa nyid kyis ‘gag par ‘gyur/

5. Through the ceasing of action and affliction, there is freedom. Action and affliction [come] from thoughts and they from fixations. Fixations are stopped by emptiness.

6. /bdag go zhes kyang btags gyur cing//bdag med ces kyang bstan par ‘gyur//sangs rgyas rnams kyis bdag dang ni//bdag med ‘ga’ med ces kyang bstan/

6. It is said that “there is a self,” but “non-self” too is taught. The buddhas also teach there is nothing which is “neither self nor non-self.”

[Tsongkhapa (325) cites the Kasyapaparvrtti as a source here]

7. /brjod par bya ba ldog pa ste//sems kyi spyod yul ldog pas so//ma skyes pa dang ma ‘gags pa//chos nyid mya ngan ‘das dang mtshungs/

7. That to which language refers is denied, because an object experienced by the mind is denied. The unborn and unceasing nature of reality is comparable to nirvana.

[Tsongkhapa (326) explains that c-d are an answer to the question implied in 5c-d, i.e. “how does emptiness stop fixations?”]

8. /thams cad yang dag yang dag min//yang dag yang dag ma yin nyid//yang dag min min yang dag min//de ni sangs rgyas rjes bstan pao/

8. Everything is real, not real; both real and not real; neither not real nor real: this is the teaching of the Buddha.

9. /gzhan las shes min zhi ba dang//spros pa rnams kyis ma spros pa//rnam rtog med don tha dad min//de ni de nyid mtshan nyid do/

9. Not known through others, peaceful, not fixed by fixations,

without conceptual thought, without differentiation: these are the characteristics of suchness.

10. /gang la brtan te gang ‘byung ba//de ni re zhig de nyid min//de las gzhan pa’ang ma yin phyir//de phyir chad min rtag ma yin/

10. Whatever arises dependent on something else is at that time neither that very thing nor other than it. Hence it is neither severed nor permanent.

11. /sangs rgyas ‘jig rten mgon rnams kyi//bstan pa bdud rtsir gyur pa de//don gcig ma yin tha dad min//chad pa ma yin rtag ma yin/

[Buddhapalita commentary gives: /don gcig min don tha dad min//chad pa ma yin rtag min pa//de ni sangs rgyas ‘jig rten gyi//mgon po’i bstan pa bdud rtsi yin/]

11. That ambrosial teaching of the buddhas, those guardians of the world, is neither the same nor different, neither severed nor permanent.

[Buddhapalita commentary: Not the same, not different, not severed, not permanent - that is the ambrosial teaching of the buddha, the guardian of the world.]

12. /rdzogs sangs rgyas rnams ma byung zhing//nyan thos rnams kyang zad pa na//rang sangs rgyas kyi ye shes ni//sten* pa med las rab tu skye/

[*Lha: rten. Buddhapalita: brten pa med. Ts. sten. Skt: asamsargat.]

12. When perfect buddhas do not appear, and when their disciples have died out, the wisdom of the self-awakened ones will vividly arise without reliance.

bdag dang chos brtag pa zhes bya ba ste rab tu byed pa bco brgyad pa'o // //