________________ 476 E. Steinkellner perty, and the rendering of the term as "real identity" or just "identity" is appropriate. Methodically speaking, it is a legitimate and desirable procedure to try to understand a theorem by basing oneself on Dharmakirti's work alone. It is sometimes- e. g. where we suspect a development of a theory in Dharmakirti's works-the only approach possible, as I shall show on another occasion. But when the commentators differ from the results deduced out of Dharmakirti's statements alone, we have to give, in addition, a convincing explanation for that difference/ If we do not, or cannot account for this difference of interpretation in a historically reasonable way, our interpretation of Dharmakirti's statements may only be a mis-interpretation and certainly needs to be re-examined.
