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[316] {Prajñāpanasūtra 1255. "Complete, Venerable One! Does a white particle, having obtained a lotus particle, become transformed into its nature? " "Yes, Gautama! A white particle, having obtained a lotus particle, does not become transformed into its nature, etc. (all the same should be said as before)." [Pr.] "Venerable One! For what reason is it said that a white particle (having obtained a lotus particle) does not become transformed (into its nature and into its color, smell, taste, and touch)?" [U.] "Gautama! As long as it is only a form or only a reflection (that it appears like a lotus particle), it is (in reality) a white particle, certainly it is not a lotus particle. The white particle, remaining there (in its own nature), attains a decline (inferiority). For this reason, Gautama! It is said that it does not become transformed (into the nature of a lotus particle, having obtained it)." The fifth topic of the particle-word is complete. [1255 Pr.] [1255 U.]
The transformation of particles into each other is explained in these five sūtras (sū. 1251 to 1255), where it is forbidden for one particle to obtain another particle and become transformed into its nature. How and what is the solution to the contradictory statements? Here there is a doubt that in the previous sūtras (sū. 1220 to 1225, fourth topic, the right to transformation), it is ordained that black, etc. particles become transformed into the nature of blue, etc. particles and into their color, smell, taste, and touch, but here their transformation into that form is forbidden. These two statements are contradictory. What is the solution? The commentator, while solving this, says that the transformation that was ordained earlier is with respect to the animals and humans, and the transformation that is forbidden in these sūtras is with respect to the gods and the hell-beings. Thus, both statements are not contradictory because they are from different perspectives. Gods and hell-beings remain in the same particle from the last moment of their previous birth until the first moment of their next birth. That is, the particle that they had in the last moment of their previous birth remains the same in their present god-birth or hell-birth and also remains in the first moment of their next birth. For this reason, even when the substances of black, etc. particles of gods and hell-beings come into contact with each other, they do not transform each other into their own nature.