Origin and development of qualities

The king said: ‘Are there any conditions (qualities) which spring into being without a gradual becoming?’
‘No. They all have a gradual becoming.’
‘Give me an illustration.’
‘Now what do you think, great king? Did this house in which you are sitting spring suddenly into being?’
‘Certainly not, Sir. There is nothing here which arose in that way. Each portion of it has had its gradual becoming—these beams had their becoming in the forest, and this clay in the earth, and by the moil and toil of women and of men was this house produced.’
‘Just so, great king, there is no Confection. which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘They are like all kinds of trees and plants which, when set in the ground, grow, develope, and mature, and then yield their fruits and flowers. The trees do not spring into being without a becoming. It is by a process of evolution that they become what they are. just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘They are like the pots of various kinds which a potter might form when he has dug up the clay out of the earth. The pots do not spring into being without a becoming. It is by a process of evolution that they become what they are. just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘Suppose, O king, there were no bridge of metal on a mandolin, no leather, no hollow space, no frame, no neck, no strings, no bow, and no human effort or exertion, would there be music?’
‘Certainly not, Sir.’
‘But if all these things were there, would not there be a sound?’
‘Of course there would.’
‘Just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘Suppose, O king, there were no fire-stick apparatus, no twirling-stick, and no cord for the twirling-stick, and no matrix, and no burnt rag for tinder, and no human effort and exertion, could there be fire by attrition?’
‘Certainly not.’
‘But if all these conditions were present, then might not fire appear?’
‘Yes, certainly.’
‘Just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me one more illustration.’
‘Suppose, O king, there were no burning glass, and no heat of the sun, and no dried cow-dung for tinder, could there be fire?’
‘Certainly not.’
‘But where these things are present there fire might be struck, might it not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Give me another illustration.’
‘Suppose, O king, there were no looking-glass, and no light, and no face in front of it, would there appear an image?’
‘No.’
‘But given these things, there might be a reflection?’
‘Yes, Sir, there might.’
‘Just so, great king, there is no Confection which has sprung into being without a gradual becoming. It is by a process of evolution that conditions come to be!’
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’