Verse 1853-1856

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

पारम्पर्येण साक्षाद्वा कार्यकारणतां गतम् ।
यद्रूपं वर्त्तमानस्य तद्विजानन्ति योगिनः ॥ १८५३ ॥
अनुगच्छन्ति पश्चाच्च विकल्पानुगतात्मभिः ।
शुद्धलौकिकविज्ञानैस्तत्वतोऽविषयैरपि ॥ १८५४ ॥
तद्धेतुफलयोर्भूतां भाविनीं चैव सन्ततिंसन्नतिं ।
तामाश्रित्य प्रवर्त्तन्तेऽतीतानागतदेशनाः ॥ १८५५ ॥
समस्तकल्पनाजालरहितज्ञानसन्ततेः ।
तथागतस्य वर्त्तन्तेऽनाभोगेनैव देशनाः ॥ १८५६ ॥

pāramparyeṇa sākṣādvā kāryakāraṇatāṃ gatam |
yadrūpaṃ varttamānasya tadvijānanti yoginaḥ || 1853 ||
anugacchanti paścācca vikalpānugatātmabhiḥ |
śuddhalaukikavijñānaistatvato'viṣayairapi || 1854 ||
taddhetuphalayorbhūtāṃ bhāvinīṃ caiva santatiṃsannatiṃ |
tāmāśritya pravarttante'tītānāgatadeśanāḥ || 1855 ||
samastakalpanājālarahitajñānasantateḥ |
tathāgatasya varttante'nābhogenaiva deśanāḥ || 1856 ||

The mystics cognise that form of the ‘present’ thing which, directly or indirectly, has become either an effect, or a cause; subsequently, they follow it up with conceptual cognitions, which are purely common (secular) in character, and which are really without objects (without a real objective back-ground).—Thus it is that, on the basis of the said past and future series of causes and effects, proceed all teachings regarding the past and the future.—As for the tathāgata himself, his teachings proceed without circumlocution; because the series of his cognitions are entirely devoid of the webs of conceptual content.—(1853-1856)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been asked by the Opponent (under Text 1789)—“How have Mystics distinct cognitions of the Past and Future?”

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verses 1853-1856 above]

It has become the ‘Effect’ in relation to the ‘Past’,—and ‘Cause’ in relation to the ‘Future’,

‘Vikalpānugatātmabhiḥ’—i.e. with Conceptual (Determinate) Cognitions.

‘Really without objects’;—because the Specific Individuality of things cannot be envisaged by Cognitions associated with verbal expressions.

‘Tat’—Thus, Therefore.

On the basis of the Past and Future series of Causes and Effects,—proceed all teachings regarding the Past and the Future,—from such Mystics as have not yet reached the Purest (Highest) stage.

As regards the Blessed Lord Himself, He does not even have the purely secular cognition,—because He is always calm and collected on account of the destruction of all Illusion and Ignorance; and all that is Conceptual is the product of Ignorance and Illusion. This has been thus declared—‘Conceptual Content itself having assumed the form of Ignorance proceeds to impose its own form in the shape of the External world’.—So that, under the influence of the whole mass of His previous Meditations, Piety and Knowledge, His nature has become like that of the Cintāmaṇi-gem; hence His teachings proceed without circumlocution of any kind.—(1853-1856)