Nagarjuna (5)
Andre Boulanger
Mulamadhyamakakarika of Nagarjuna
Translated by Jay L Garfield
Oxford University Press, 1995
V. Examination of Elements
1. Prior to a characteristic of space
There is not the slightest space.
If it arose prior to the characteristic
Then it world, absurdly, arise without a characteristic.
2. A thing without a characteristic
Has never existed.
If nothing lacks a characteristic,
Where do characteristics come to be?
3. Neither in the uncharacterized nor in the characterized
Does a characteristic arise.
Nor does it arise
In something different from these two.
4. If characteristics do not appear,
Then it is not tenable to posit the characterized object.
If the characterized object is not posited,
There will be no characteristic either.
5. From this it follows that there is no characterized
And no existing characteristic.
Nor is there any entity
Other that the characterized and the characteristic.
6. If there is no existent thing,
Of what will there be nonexistence?
Apart from existent and nonexistent things
Who knows existence and nonexistence?
7. Therefore, space is not an entity.
It is not a nonentity.
Not characterized, not without character.
The same is true of the other five elements.
8. Fools and reificationists who perceive
The existence and nonexistence
Of objects
Do not see the pacification of objectification.
Charles Early
G T
On Thu, 19 Feb 1998 10:05:55 -0700,
"Andre Boulanger" <arb...@worldnet.att.net>
of AT&T WorldNet Services
wrote in talk.religion.buddhism, 48 Lines, about:
=== Nagarjuna (5) ===
How about the Introduction ?
Can we get it too ?
Thanks.
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With metta, G T
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