The Bauddhas who maintain that universal destruction is going on constantly, assume that ’whatever forms an object of knowledge and is different from the triad is produced (sa/m/sk/ri/ta) and momentary.’  To the triad there mentioned they give the names ’cessation dependent on a sublative act of the mind,’ ‘cessation not dependent on such an act,’ and ‘space.’  This triad they hold to be non-substantial, of a merely negative character (abhavamatra), devoid of all positive characteristics.  By ’cessation dependent on a sublative act of the mind,’ we have to understand such destruction of entities as is preceded by an act of thought[397]; by ‘cessation not so dependent’ is meant destruction of the opposite kind[398]; by ‘space’ is meant absence in general of something covering (or occupying space).  Out of these three non-existences ‘space’ will be refuted later on (Sutra 24), the two other ones are refuted in the present Sutra.

Cessation which is dependent on a sublative act of the mind, and cessation which is not so dependent are both impossible, ’on account of the absence of interruption.’  For both kinds of cessation must have reference either to the series (of momentary existences) or to the single members constituting the series.—­The former alternative is impossible, because in all series (of momentary existences) the members of the series stand in an unbroken relation of cause and effect so that the series cannot be interrupted[399].—­The latter alternative is likewise inadmissible, for it is impossible to maintain that any momentary existence should undergo complete annihilation entirely undefinable and disconnected (with the previous state of existence), since we observe that a thing is recognised in the various states through which it may pass and thus has a connected existence[400].  And in those cases also where a thing is not clearly recognised (after having undergone a change) we yet infer, on the ground of actual observations made in other cases, that one and the same thing continues to exist without any interruption.—­For these reasons the two kinds of cessation which the Bauddhas assume cannot be proved.

23.  And on account of the objections presenting themselves in either case.

The cessation of Nescience, &c. which, on the assumption of the Bauddhas, is included in the two kinds of cessation discussed hitherto, must take place either in consequence of perfect knowledge together with its auxiliaries, or else of its own accord.  But the former alternative would imply the abandonment of the Bauddha doctrine that destruction takes place without a cause, and the latter alternative would involve the uselessness of the Bauddha instruction as to the ’path’[401].  As therefore both alternatives are open to objections, the Bauddha doctrine must be declared unsatisfactory.

24.  And in the case of space also (the doctrine of its being a non-entity is untenable) on account of its not differing (from the two other kinds of non-entity).