Nāgārjuna on Action and Condition

Reading Nāgārjuna’s “Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way” #5

I would like to continue my commentary on Nāgārjuna’s Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way. As a reminder, you can find the previous posts here: Articles on Nāgārjuna.

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Sanskrit

kriyā na pratyayavatī nāpratyayavatī kriyā |
pratyayā nākriyāvantaḥ kriyāvantaś ca santy uta ||

Chinese (by Kumārajīva)

果為從緣生 為從非緣生
是緣為有果 是緣為無果

English (my tentative translation from the Sanskrit)

An action is not with conditions, nor is an action without conditions.
Conditions are not without actions, and those with actions are, indeed.

Commentary

Nāgārjuna continues his reflection on causality and conditionality. In this passage, he questions the relationship between what happens and what initiates it to happen.

There is a new keyword here: kriyā. It is a noun meaning action or activity. It is derived from the root kṛ, which means to do, to make, or to act. It refers not only to what people do, but also to what provokes things or events : actions. The word kriyā has been rendered as action, activity, efficacy, or effect.