Part 1 - On the division of molecules, etc.

308. Bhante! Followers of other faith say,...till strive to establish that ‘moving’ is not moved...till‘exhausting’ is not exhausted.

309. That two matter molecules¹⁷³ do not stick to each other; and why do they not stick to each other?—because there are no minute water-bodies between the two, and so two matter molecules do not stick to each other.

310. That three matter molecules stick to one another; and why the three stick to one another?—because there are minute water-bodies in the three; and so three matter molecules stick to oṇe another; if divided, there may be two divisions, and also three divisions; with two divisions, one part will have three halves and the other part will have three halves; and with three divisions, one by one, the three matter molecules remain apart; And so...till four.

311. That five matter molecules stick to one another; and sticking together, they usher in a state of misery (karma); that state of misery is permanent, waxing first, and then waning.

312. That expression before it is uttered is language; expression when it is being uttered is not language; after the time of utterance, if not uttered, it is language (again).

313. Now, the expression, which is language before it is uttered, which ceases to be language when it is being uttered, and, which, after the time of utterance, if not uttered, is language—so, is it language when spoken, or when not spoken? Surely, (according to them), language when not spoken, not language when spoken.

314. That past action is misery; action being done is not misery; after the time of action, if not done, it is not misery.

315. Now, the past action which is misery, which ceases to be misery when it is being done, and, which, after the time of doing, if not done, is misery—is it misery when being done, or when being not done? Surely, (according to them), misery when not being done, not so when being done—thus (they say) is to be said.

316 Not doing is misery, not touching is misery, not doing what is to be done is‘misery; for not doing, do the two- to four-organ beings, flora-bodies, five-organ beings and static beings suffer pain—thus be it said.

Q. 317. Bhante!—Are these all correct?

A. 317. Gautama! The assertions of the followers of other faith,...till static beings suffer pain, are incorrect. I reaffirm, Gautama, moving is moved,...till exhausting is exhausted.

318. That two matter molecules stick to each other; why the two stick to each other?—because there are minute water-bodies between the two; and so two matter molecules stick to each other; if divided, they make two; and then there is one matter molecule on one side, and there is one matter molecule on the other side.

319. That three matter molecules stick to one another; why the three stick to one another?—because there are minute water-bodies in them; and so three matter molecules stick to one another; if divided, there may be two divisions, and also three divisions; with two divisions, there is one matter molecule in one part, and a bunch of two making a skandha in the other; with three divisions, one by one, the three matter molecules remain apart, and so...till four.

320. That five matter molecules stick to one another; and by sticking to one another they make a skandha; and that skandha is transcient, and it waxes and it wanes.

321. That expression before it is uttered is not language; expression when it is being uttered is language; after the time of utterance, if not uttered, it is not language.

322. Now, the expression which is not language before it is uttered, which is language when being uttered, and, which after the time of utterance, if not uttered, is not language—is it language when spoken, or when not spoken?—surely, language when spoken, not language when not spoken.

323. That past action is not misery; this is to be taken to be similar to language,...till when done, it is misery, and when not done, it is not misery. Thus it needs be stated.

324. Doing is misery, touching is misery, doing what is being done is misery; for, because of doing, the two- to four-organ beings, flora-bodies, five-organ beings and static beings¹⁷⁴ suffer pain. Thus it needs be stated¹⁷⁵.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

173. To unite and to separate is the characteristic trait of matter. The smallest unit of matter, of which no further division is possible, is molecule.

174. According to the commentators,

prāṇāḥ dvi tricatuḥ proktāḥ bhutāstu taravaḥ smṛtāḥ jīvāḥ pañcendriyāḥ jñeyāḥ śeṣāḥ sattvā udīritāḥ

[Two-, three- and four- organ beings are called ‘prāṇa’; flora-bodies are ‘bhūta’; five-organ beings are ‘jīva’; the static beings, viz., earth-bodies, water-bodies, air-bodies and fire-bodies are ‘sattva’.]

175. The Lord thus refuted both niyati-vāda (fatalism) and yadṛcchā-vāda (determinism).