What does the phrase ''but rather'' mean?

Question

In this following context, what does the phrase ''but rather'' mean? Is it ''whowever'' or ''in fact''?

Should I take as: Hence the body is not a persisting something, but the body is rather a continually changing process of arising ...?

Please, simplify to me this sentence...

Thanks to All...

The context:

Hence the body is not a persisting something, but rather a continually changing process of arising and passing away, consisting of a perpetual dying out and arising anew of cells.

Source: Page.6 ''Fundamentals of Buddhism'' by Nyanatiloka Mahåthera

Answer 1

If you really want to simplify it, then replace "but rather" with "it is"

This is a common construct, if a little flowery.

The author basically means "instead" - the other key words in there are "is not a", if that helps?

Answer 2

It means something like or/but is better described as: it supplements or replaces a less specific or appropriate description with a more specific or appropriate one.

In the passage you quoted it is explicitly giving a better description as opposed to a less good one ("not a persistent something").

So it's closer to "however" (which is what I think you meant) than "in fact", and your paraphrase is correct.