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CHAPTER XII.
Examination of the Category of Action'.
COMMENTARY.
The Author next proceeds to set forth the objections against the Vaishesika category of Karma', Action:
TEXT (602).
IN THINGS THAT ARE IN A PERPETUAL FLUX', ANY ACTION, IN THE SHAPE OF THROWING UP AND THE LIKE, IS IMPOSSIBLE; BECAUSE IT
CEASES AT THE VERY PLACE WHERE IT IS BORN, AND HENCE IT CANNOT GET AT ANY OTHER
PLACE. (692)
COMMENTARY.
"The Sutra on this point is Going up, going down, contracting, expanding and moving-are the five Actions'.-Of these, going up is that act which is the cause of the Conjunction and Disjunction with upper and lower space (respectively). That is to say, when, by virtue of effort and such other agencies, there arises, in some part of the body, or in some such solid substance as the clod of Earth which is connected with the body,an action which becomes the cause of the conjunction of that thing (Lumb or Clod) with the upper layers of Akasha, and also of its Disjunction with the lower layers of it,-that Action is called 'going up '.-The Action which is the cause of effects contrary to these is going down'.-When a straight object becomes curved, this Action is called 'contracting; as has been thus described-When of a straight object like the arm, the foreparts in the shape of the Finger and the rest, become disjoined (separated) from the points of Akasha with which they have been in contact,-while the hind part still remains in contact with those points, then the whole object in the shape of the Arm becomes curved; and this action is called Contracting. When the Conjunction and Disjunction appear in a manner contrary to the one thus described, the whole object becomes straightened again; this Action is called Expanding'.-That which becomes the cause of Conjunctions and Disjunctions with several stray objects in diverse places, is the Action called
Going. The first four forms of Action are the cause of Conjunctions and Disjunctions with well-defined parts of Space and Akasha, while Going brings about Conjunctions and Disjunctions with sundry points in space in various directions. Thus there are only five kinds of Action. Such other actions as Going Round, Flowing, Evacuating and the like are all included under
