Verse 589

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

समानज्वालासंभूतेर्यथा दीपेन विभ्रमः ।
नैरन्तर्यस्थितानेकसूक्ष्मवित्तौ तथैकधा ॥ ५८९ ॥

samānajvālāsaṃbhūteryathā dīpena vibhramaḥ |
nairantaryasthitānekasūkṣmavittau tathaikadhā || 589 ||

Just as in the case of the lamp it is only a series of similar flames which brings about the illusion (of its being one); so [in the case of the mountain also], there is an illusion of unity, even though what are really cognised are several subtle entities appearing in close juxtaposition.—(589)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The Opponent might argue that—“if there were no Composite substance, how could a man with open eyes have the notion of ‘one mountain’ in reference to what are only so many Atoms?”

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 589 above]

In such things as the Lamp, it is the series of successively appearing similar flames that give rise to the illusion of there being ‘one lamp’,—though in reality there are several flames,—in the same manner, in the case of the mountain, what are really cognised are many small and smaller entities appearing in close juxtaposition, and this gives rise to the illusion of ‘oneness’, So that there is no incongruity at all.—(589)