Page:Henry Mulford Tichenor - The Buddhist Philosophy of Life.djvu/22

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THE BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

stars there be, their radiance avails not the sixteenth part of the radiance of the moon. That takes all those up into itself, outshining them in radiance and glory—just as in the last month of the rain, at harvest time, the sun, mounting up on high into the clear and cloudless sky, overwhelms all darkness in the realms of space, and shines forth in radiance and glory—just as in the night, when the dawn is breaking, the morning star shines out in radiance and glory—just so all the means that can be used as helps towards doing right avail not the sixteenth part of' the emancipation of the heart through love.

Life is instantaneous and living is dying. Just as a chariot wheel rolls only at one point of the tire, and in resting rests only at one point; in the same way, the life of a living being lasts only for the period of one thought. As soon as that thought has ceased the being may be said to have ceased. As it has been said, "The being of a past moment of thought has lived, but does not live, nor will it live. The being of a future moment of thought will live, but has not lived, nor does it live. The being of the present moment of thought does live, but has not lived, nor will it live."

OUR OWN BEING, WHICH IS CALLED NAME AND FORM.

As to Name and Form, we must understand how they interact. Name has no power of its own, nor can it go on of its own impulse, either to eat, or to drink, or to utter sounds, or to make a movement. Form also is without