YOUTHFUL PLAY * AREA III W hat is the essence o f the between state? you ask In this here, it is th at con tinuum o f the five defiled aggregates which arises between the cessation of the preceding state o f death and the upcoming state o f birth (2) Dispelling doubts lOcd It has not reached its destination, So the between state is not born W hat is the reason that it is arisen but not born? you ask It has n o t reached its destination, the previous state with complete name-and-form and the six sense bases propelled by karma, so the between state is n o t born (3) Proof This has (a) Logical proofs, and (b) Scriptural proofs (a) Logical proofs This has three topics: (i) Actual proof, (ii) Teaching that the example is illogical, and (iii) Proving the reason for that (i) Actual proof lab Analogous to a grains continuum , It is not born from interruption The Buddhist Mahasamghika and Mahlsasaka schools say that the birth state only happens immediately following the state o f death, so there is no between state This is the opponent’s position Because the form o f the birth state in Desire and Form is similar to a grain o f seed, from which a shoot, from which a trunk, and so forth arise in an un interrupted continuum , it is analogous to a grains continuum and to the re sult of that continuum Therefore, because the essence o f the continuum of existence arises in a different place, it is not born solely from the continuation of a state of death that has been interrupted This is a result reason of a prior cause132 where the reason and the example are taught simultaneously (ii) Teaching that the example is illogical led Since a reflection is not proven, N or similar, it’s not an example Well, one does see instances where the cause’s continuum is interrupted but the result arises For example, the reflection of a face that appears in a mirror 224 THE WORLD OF SENTIENT BEINGS is the result of that face, but it arises even though it is interrupted in space For this reason, the birth state also arises from the interrupted state of death, you say This is not so, since a reflection is not proven to be a form The word “n o r” includes the alternatives: even if a reflection were proven to be a form, because it is not similar to an actual form, it is no t suitable to be given as an example (Mi) Proving the reason for that This has two points A The p r o o f that it is n o t established as an obstructive form 12a O n one, no two are simultaneous O n the object of a mirror, the color o f the mirror and the color of the reflection not both arise simultaneously at one time, because on one object no two obstructive forms o f similar type are able to arise simultaneously A reflection is not an obstructive thing, but it is not logical for it to be any other type of thing either If it were, the mirror would not be necessary as a support for the reflection The Prince explains: Therefore, the state of birth is in the continuum of the state of death, but a reflection is not the same with re spect to form, so the example o f the reflection is not proof The example of the essence that arises later in a grains continuum is something that has its own con tinuum , thus it is a compatible example B The p r o o f that the exam ple an d m eaning are dissimilar 12b Its discontinuous, born from two It, the reflection of a face’s form in a m irror is discontinuous from the face’s form because the reflection is connected to the continuum o f the mirror and arises simultaneously as the face’s form The reflection is born from the two principal conditions o f the mirror and the face’s form, but here the state of birth is not born from two causes of the state o f death and some other cause, because no principal cause other than the state o f death can be observed The primary cause of the state of birth can not be the semen, blood and so forth, because miraculous birth arises from space without any semen or blood.133 225 YOUTHFUL PLAY * AREA III (b) Scriptural proofs 12cd Since mentioned, it exists Scent-eaters, And five are taught, and Sutra o f Wanderers The Great C him 134 summarized this thus: The Seven States, and Entering the Womb, Asvalâyana, and nonreturners, Sutra of Wanderers, and other words Explain it, so the between state is taught to be To com m ent on this: From the Sutra o f Seven States:135 The states are seven: the state of hell, the state of ani mals, the state o f hungry ghosts, the state o f gods, the state o f humans, the karmic state, and the between state Since it is actually m entioned in the Buddhas teachings, it, the between state, exists We not recite any sutra like that because it does not appear in our scriptures, you say Well then, from the Sutra o f Entering the Womb:136 From the manifestation of three situations, the child is conceived in the m others womb: a suitable m other who has a menstrual flow, the parents becoming lustful and joining, and the scent-eater also being nearby The scent-eater mentioned here is a just synonym for the between state Also, it is also said in the Asvalâyana Sutray “Your scent-eater who is nearby ” We not recite any such sutras, you say From another sutra: The nonreturners are five: complete nirvana in the in termediate, complete nirvana upon birth, complete nirvana without effort, complete nirvana with effort, and bound for higher Here five nonreturners are taught A nd it is proven in the Sutra o f the Seven Holy Wanderers.137 The word “a n d ” means that in addition to the logical proofs, there are the above scriptures and many other scriptures that prove it, such as: Put dh yanas in four gro ups o f ten, 226 THE WORLD OF SENTIENT BEINGS The Formless in three groups of seven, Conception in one group o f six, And ail is put in categories Well, it is said that the dem on named Criticism went directly to the Incessant Hell in one instant in his own body, so there is no between state It is also said that if you commit a heinous deed, you will be born in hell immediately So it is said, you say These not mean that there is no between state, but rather that while still alive the body is surrounded by the flames of hell, and then one dies and goes to hell in the between state The latter also means that it is karma experienced on rebirth w ithout any other intervening existence W ith regard to one sinful brahman: Brahman, when youth has been carried away There’s aging and sickness: the demons approach Between there is no place for you, There are no provisions for your journey Although this says there is no place in between, this means that between that life and the lower realms there is no place of birth in the higher realms; it does not teach that there is no between state However, when one is born from Desire or Form into Formless, there is no between state ii Distinctions of bodily form and so forth This has five topics: (1) Distinc tions o f body, (2) Distinctions of miracles, (3) Distinctions o f faculties, (4) O f m anner o f going, and (5) O f food (1) Distinctions of body This has three points (a) Actual 13ab Since it is propelled by the same karma, It has the body o f the next Since it, the between state, is a corporeal sentient being propelled by the one same propelling karm a as the upcoming previous state, it has the body shape and form o f the next previous state that will arise 227 YOUTHFUL PLAY ?f A R E A III (b) Identifying the previous state 13cd The previous is prior to death But onward from the m om ent o f birth Well then, what is the previous state itself? you ask T he previous state is the continuum of the five aggregates of grasping themselves prior to the state of death b ut onward from the m om ent o f the state o f birth Therefore, among the four states, the between state and the previous state have been explained The state of birth is the m om ent of rebirth-linking as a new being The last m om ent o f death is the state of death: it is what occurs before the between state for those who will take birth among sentient beings with form Thus the states of birth and death are moments, and the other two states are continuums (c) W h at they are seen by 14a They re seen by their class, divine eye They, the between states of hell, are seen by hell beings, and the between states of gods are seen by gods o f their comparable class, and they are seen by the clairvoyance of the divine eye that is produced by meditation and free o f the eleven faults They are not seen by the extremely pure divine eye attained upon birth The eleven faults are as follows: They’re doubt and inattention, A body that’s unworkable, And torpor, sleep, and agitation, Harsh diligence, and crooked mind, Anxiety, and various conceptions, Too talkative, harsh meditation Some say that those in the between state of the gods can see the between states o f all five wanderers, and those in the intermediates states o f humans, hungry ghosts, animals, and the hells cannot see the higher ones (2) Distinctions of miracles 14b The miracles of karma have power They have the miracles of being able to fly in space and so forth out of the force o f karma These miracles have power; these are not emanated miracles N ot even the Buddha can block them because of the strength o f karma 228 ... Well then, from the Sutra o f Entering the Womb:136 From the manifestation of three situations, the child is conceived in the m others womb: a suitable m other who has a menstrual flow, the parents... grasping themselves prior to the state of death b ut onward from the m om ent o f the state o f birth Therefore, among the four states, the between state and the previous state have been explained The. .. on this: From the Sutra o f Seven States:135 The states are seven: the state of hell, the state of ani mals, the state o f hungry ghosts, the state o f gods, the state o f humans, the karmic