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EXAMINATION OF THE DOOTRINE OF SELF-SUFFICIENT VALIDITY'. 1285
duced, as all things would be equally non-existent, and there would be no difference among them on that score, their production should come about at all times and at all places".
This cannot be right; as, in that case, the Cause would be entirely futile. According to you, nothing that is non-escistent is produced; while as for the existent, -as it does not stand in need of anything-what is there that could be produced for it; then what is there by producing which the Cause would be an active agent? So that under this view there would be an end to the whole principle of Cause and Effect.
It might be argued that "what is brought about by the Cause is the manifestation of what has been existent".
That cannot be ; because the bringing about of the Manifestation also would be incompatible with the view that it is existent or non-existent. Because, in regard to the Manifestation also the same alternatives present themselves before being brought about, has it been existent or non-existent ? -In the former case, as nothing new is produced, the notion of its being
produced' cannot be right. If it be held that there is manifestation of the existent Manifestation, then there would be an infinite regress. —Nor is the second alternative acceptable; because the other party does not admit of the idea of anything non-existent being produced. Even if it be accepted, it would mean that in the case of a positive entity itself, what is produced is something non-existent.
Then again, when the Manifestation is produced, is it produced as something different from the entity manifested? Or as something not-different from it ?-If it is something different,--then such production of the Manifested entity would have no effect on the manifested entity itself; because the producing of one thing can have no effect on a thing different from it ; if it did, there would be incongruities.
It might be said that the manifestation is produced in what is related to the manifested entity ".
That, however, cannot be so; because it cannot be related to it, as it is not benefited by it in any way.-If there is any benefit admitted,-if that is something different, etc. etc.--there is an Infinite regress. Hence there can be no relationship in the case.
If the Manifestation is not different from the manifested entity,—then Causes become futile. If the Manifestation, in the form of some benefit, is produced out of the Entity in which it subsists, then there should be such Manifestation at all times; as the cause of Manifestation, in the shape of the nature of the Entity, would be always there. It has been explained repeatedly that what cannot be benefited cannot depend upon anything else.
If then, the view is that what is produced is the Manifestation which is not-different from the entity,--that also cannot be right; as in that case there is nothing new produced. Because what the assertion, The Manifestation, non-different from the entity, is produced,' means is that the nature of the entity is produced '; and as this would be existent already, it could not need anything else ; and hence the idea of its being produced would be most improper. Hence we are discussing this same view.
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