________________
II, 3, 3.
CAUSATION
Book II. CHAPTER 3.
1. The king said: "What is the root, Nagasena, of past time, and what of present, and what of future time?'
Ignorance. By reason of Ignorance came the Confections, by reason of the Confections consciousness, by reason of consciousness name-and-form, by reason of name-and-form the six organs of sense ?, by reason of them contact, by reason of contact sensation, by reason of sensation thirst, by reason of thirst craving, by reason of craving becoming, by reason of becoming birth, by reason of birth old age and death, grief, lamentation, sorrow, pain, and despair. Thus is it that the ultimate point in the past of all this time is not apparent.'
You are ready, Nâgasena, in reply.'
2. The king said: “You say that the ultimate point of time is not apparent. Give me an illustration of that.'
Suppose, O king, a man were to plant in the ground a tiny seed, and that it were to come up as a shoot, and in due course grow, develope, and mature until it produced a fruit. [51] And then the man, taking a seed from that fruit, were again to plant it in the ground, and all should happen as before. Now would there be any end to this series?'
Certainly not, Sir.'
1 Salâyata nâni, that is the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body (as the organ of touch), and mind (or, as we should say, brain).
Diglized by Google
