1217 Verse 1797-1798

Original

नित्यस्य हेतुता पूर्वं क्रमाक्रमविरोधतः ।
निषिद्धा संस्कृतत्वं हि व्यक्तं नित्ये निरास्पदम् ॥ १७९७ ॥
स्कन्धादिव्यतिरिक्तस्य कारित्रस्योपवर्णने ।
स्वसिद्धान्तविरोधश्च दुर्निवारः प्रसज्यते ॥ १७९८ ॥

nityasya hetutā pūrvaṃ kramākramavirodhataḥ |
niṣiddhā saṃskṛtatvaṃ hi vyaktaṃ nitye nirāspadam || 1797 ||
skandhādivyatiriktasya kāritrasyopavarṇane |
svasiddhāntavirodhaśca durnivāraḥ prasajyate || 1798 ||

The idea of the eternal thing being a cause has already been rejected before—on the ground of the impossibility of its effects appearing either successively or simultaneously. as for being embellished, this is clearly impossible in an eternal thing.—When ‘activity’ is described as something different from the ‘phases’ and other things (postulated by Buddhists), there is the irresistible contradiction of your own doctrines.—(1797-1798)

Kamalaśīla

The following might be urged:—“If eternality is a potency,—then how can the two Reasons—‘being cause’ and ‘being embellished’—escape from being not incompatible with the contrary of the Probandum?”

This is answered in the following—[see verses 1797-1798 above]

‘Before’—i.e. under the chapter on the ‘Permanence of Things All that is ‘embellished’ has been held to be non-eternal, hence the character of being embellished cannot belong to an eternal entity;—this is clearly understood.

Further, when the ‘Activity’ is described as something different from the ‘Phases’ (Skandhas) and the ‘Inner Receptacles’ (Āyatanaṣ),—there is clear contradiction of your own (Buddhist) doctrine; as the Blessed Lord has declared as follows—“All things, O Brāhmaṇa, are included in the Five ‘Phases’ and the Twelve ‘Receptacles’ and the Eighteen ‘Substances’.”—(1797-1798)