Nagarjuna turns his attention to birth and death next, showing that since they cannot exist the samsaric cycle of birth and death cannot exist. Essentially, this argument boils down to looking at things moment by moment. Looking closely, how can we distinguish between something arising and ceasing? Try this with a finger snap. When is the snap born and when does it die? Try this with each moment. When does this moment end and the next begin? We cannot have a present moment without the "death" of the past moment. Yet, how do we distinguish when that happens? Birth and death seem indistinguishable.
This weekend offered a unique opportunity to look at arising and ceasing as I slogged through a bout of food poisoning. When did the sickness arise? It took me an hour to realize I was really getting sick. Was I sick before or after I decided it? What about when it went away? I still feel weak. Does that mean it isn't gone?
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