Nagarjunian analysis

Select quotes and sayings from the asian sage of 1900 years ago of dialectical analysis science

NAGARJUNA:

"If you analyze by spatial division (digbheda) even the atom (paramanu) is seen to possess parts (bheda). That which is analyzed into parts (amsa), how can that logically be an atom?" (there were no microscopes way back then!)

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"svata eva hi yo nasti bhava sarvo 'sti kas tada|

para ity ucyate yo 'yam  na vina  svasvabhavatah||"

Of course, when a thing does not exist quite by itself how, then

can it exist as a whole? That thing which is called 'other' does not exist without its own-being."

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"na svato napi parato na dvabhyam napy ahetutah|

utpanna jatu vidyante bhava kva 'cana ke cana||"

"Nowhere are such things which ever originated; neither by themselves, nor by others, nor by both, nor are they without a cause."

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"catvarah pratyaya hetur alambanam anantaram|

tathaivadhipateyam ca pratyayo nasti pancamah||"

"There are four relativities, viz. cause, support, nonmediation, and predominance,

there is no fifth relativity."

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"sa yadi svabhavatah syad graho na syat praititya sambhutah|

yas ca pratitya bhavati graho nanu sunyata saiva||"

"If seeing were to be in identity, it would not originate in relativity

The thing originating in relativity is void itself"

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"bhavayas ced aprasiddhir  abhavo naiva sidhyati|

bhavayas hy anyathabhavam abhavam bruyate janah||"

"If existence remains not established, absence cannot be established;

because people say that absence is an existence existing otherwise."

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"yadi astitvam prakrtya syan na bhaved asya nastita|

prakrter anyathabhavo na hi jatupapadyate||"

"If a thing has existence by nature, then its non-existence would not be possible; as nature can never justifiability become otherwise."

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"tat tat prapya yad utpannam notpannam tat svabhavatah|

svabhavena yan notpannam utpannam nama tat katham||"

"That which has arisen dependently on this and that, that has not arisen substantially. That which has not arisen substantially, how can it literally be called 'arisen'?"

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"Composite and non-composite (asamskrta) are not many (aneka),and are not one (eka), are not being (sat), are not nonbeing(asat) and are not being-non-being (sadasat). All possibilities are comprised within this scheme."

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"Pratitya yad yad bhavati na hi tavat tad eva taat|

na canyad api tat tasman nocchinnam napi  sasvatam||"

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"ekivhavena va siddhir nanabhavena va yayoh|

na vidyate tayoh siddhih katham nu khalu vidyate||"

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The aggregates are not the self, they are not in it,

it is not in them, without them it is not, It is not mixed with

the aggregates like fire and fuel, Therefore, how can the self exist?

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A person is not earth, not water, not fire, not wind, not space,

not consciousness and not all of them;

What person is there other than these?

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"svasman na jayate bhava parasman  nobhayad api|

na san nasan na sadasan kutah kasyodayas tada||"

"A thing is not born from itself, something else or both,

whether it be existent, non-existent, or existent and non-existent.

How then can anything arise?"

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"krtakam vastu no jatam tada kim vartamanikam|

kasya nasad atitam syad utpitsuh kim apeksate||"

"If a composite thing is not born, how then can it be present?

From the destruction of what could it be in the past? How can it

be related when about to arise (as in a future)?"

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"utpanno 'api na cotpanno yadvan mayago matah|

utpannam ca tatha visvam anutpannam ca tattvah||"

"Just as we are convinced that an illusory elephant, though apparently born, is however not born, thus the whole world is apparently born but in reality unborn"

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"jnane sati yatha jneyam jneye jnanam tatha sati|

yatrobhayam anutpannam iti buddham tadasti kim||"

"Just as there is cognizable when there is cognition, there is cognition when there is cognizable. Where both of them are unborn what then is there to be understood?"

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"na sann utpadyate bhavo napy asan sadasan na ca|

na svato napi parato na dvabhyam jayate katham||"

"Existent thing does not arise, nor does a non-existent

nor an existent and non-existent, neither from itself, [something] else nor both. How can it be born [at all]?"

…………...…………………………..…….

na san, nasan, na sadasan dharmo nirvartate yada I

katham nirvartako hetur evam sati hi yujyate II

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"yadi ca na bhavetsvabhavo dharmanam nihsvabhava ityeva|

namapi bhavennaivam nama hi nirvastukam nasti||"

"If the things had no intrinsic nature, then even the name 'absence of intrinsic nature' would not exist (nihsvabhava ity evam namapi bhaven naivam); for there is no name without an object [to be named] (nama hi nirvastukam nasti)."

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"yasca pratityabhavo bhavanam sunyateti sa prokta|

yasca pratityabhavo bhavati hi tasyasvabhavatvam||"

"That the nature of things which is dependent is called voidness,

for that nature which is dependent is devoid of an intrinsic nature."

…………..…………………………………………………….

"All things in every respect being devoid of identity, do not exist in causes or relativity or in their totality or in isolation."

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"Since all things all together lack substance (svabhava) either in causes or conditions (hetupratyaya) or their totality (samagri)  or separately, therefore they are empty (sunya)."

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some key points:

"This is not found to be true with the object encountered. This is not true because, 'the world through beginningless ignorance, confuses the object imputed with the basis of imputation."

"Consciousness is unreal like mirage and magic." "the object of consciousness cannot exist apart from consciousness." 

"[...being imputed by thought and existing as its own reality are contradictory.]"

"Since, if it is asked how (it is possible) to say that in your opinion the idea is the knowable (object), (it is to be answered: that it is so) because souls, bodies, senses, objects, ideas, minds, activities, faults, reincarnations, consequences (of actions). sufferings, emancipations have been said (by you) to be knowable (objects), therefore both are not existent."

Lao Tse:

"Kind Prince, what do you think? Are the world of ideas and the real world one and the same?"

"Venerable teacher, there is no such thing as a world of ideas.  The world of ideology is merely a distorted reflection of the mind. It is a mental delusion, a deviation of the real world."

Reviews

[Vasilees Sybissyl]

This is mind blowing. Hindu texts are mind blowing. I've been looking for a way to bring them to the world's attention, but I guess you have already started it!! Keep doing this!!

Love,
Vasilees.