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238
Christian Lindtner
Jambu-jyoti
nothing real, for that is contradicted by the (Buddhist's] own philosophical position,
[A "soul"] held to be momentary will continue [unchanged) when it is not connected to a cause of destruction. And if there is no destruction [of the soul] from any other [external cause) then violence also can have no cause.
Therefore (violence] either always exists or never exists. An occasional existence would, of course, have to depend on a prime cause.
Nor can someone) who interrupts the continuum [of the "soul"] actually cause harm to the "soul"). This is because such a ("soul"] cannot be produced since [according to the Bauddhas) it only exists in a relative sense.
Nor can a particular moment [of the "soul" be produced] by the (very) same (moment), for that would create uncertainty. Thus, in fact, the (moment to be produced] would shave to] be considered (the same as] the one producing, because it serves as material cause.
And if the given [moment) has the status of producing harm (upon another moment of the soul], then there would be no (moment) that did not produce harm. Thus it would never stop doing so, because it is invariably producing [harm).
7.
It must be considered carefully why there is a mentioning of this [namely non-violence] in the scripture. The object to which it refers must, indeed, be meaningful !
8.
If there is no such thing as (non-violence), then truth, etc. are not really possible, for our Muni has said that the [other virtues) are there to protect this (namely non-violence, ahimsā).
XVI. Eight Verses Adorning the Thesis that (the Soul] is Permanent
and Impermanent
1.
Only if the soul is in fact permanent and impermanent, different from and not different from the body, will violence and so on make sense, for there is (only) then no contradiction.
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