________________
130
AŅUOGADDĀRĀIM
[SUTTAS 367
(Suppose) there is a particular person, a son of a tailor, who is young, strong, is at a proper period of time, youthful, without disease and with steady forearm; has strong hands, and feet, with developed sides, back and thighs, has the two arms just like the bolt of a twin and a pair of tala tree (palmyra tree); has the skin of his body made massive (by) hitting by means of leather-stick (cammettaga), wooden club and fist; is capable of physical exercise of scaling, swimming and running quickly; is possessed of internal energy; knows what to do, is clever, learned, proficient, wise, skilful and expert in minute arts. He takes up a big piece of cotton cloth or a silken cloth and quickly (sayaraham) tears á cubit of it. Here a questioner asked the teacher thus : Is the time, taken by the son of a tailor quickly to tear a cubit of the big piece of cotton cloth or the silken cloth, equal to one (time) instant ? (The teacher replied) : Such assertion is not possible. Why? Because one piece of cotton cloth is produced by the integration of the assemblage of groups of numerable number of threads. While the upper thread is not cut, the lower thread cannot be cut. The upper thread is cut at a time which is different from the time when the lower thread is cut. Therefore this is not one instant,
To the teacher explaining thus, the questioner again asked thus: Is the time taken by the son of a tailor in curting the upper thread of the big piece of cotton cloth or silken cloth one instant? (The teacher replied): No, it is not. Why? Because one thread is produ. ced by the integration of the assemblage of groups of numerable number of fibres. While the upper fibre is not cut, the lower fibre cannot be cut. The upper fibre is cut at a time which is different from the time when the lower fibre is cut. Therefore this is not one instant.
To the teacher explaining thus, the questioner again asked thus: Is the time taken by the son of a tailor in cutting the upper fibre of thread one instant ? (The teacher replied): No, it is not. Why? Because one fibre is produced by the integration of the assemblage of groups of infinite number of (atomic) conglomerates. While the upper conglomerate is not broken, the lower conglomerate cannot be broken. The upper conglomerate is broken at a time which is different from the time when the lower conglomerate is broken. Therefore this is not one instant. Finer still than this, O young ascetic, is the time-) instant stated to be.
367. What is produced by the integration of the assemblage of groups of innumerable number of instants is called avaliya.
1. Skt. carma-yasli (carmadamda).
