大方廣佛華嚴經疏 14.16

14.16

In the second metaphor, of flames arising and ceasing, the three meanings are the same as before. First, solely the flames: the arising and ceasing of flames has two meanings: 1. The prior flame disappears and ceases, giving rise to the subsequent flame; the subsequent flame lacks essence and cannot know the prior flame, and the prior flame has already ceased and again has nothing to know; therefore, each and every one does not know the other. 2. If the prior flame has not yet ceased, it also relies on what drew it earlier and, lacking essence, has nothing capable of knowing, while the subsequent flame has not yet arisen and therefore has nothing to be known; therefore, they also do not know each other. False dharmas are also like this: arising and ceasing from moment to moment, they cannot stand on their own; what has already ceased and what has not yet arisen have no thing to be known, and having arisen, they immediately cease, having no essence to be known; therefore, all are completely non-existent. This, then, is 'melting metals and liquefying stones without being hot.' Second, relying on the support means that precisely due to this absence of essence and function and not knowing each other, the flames have the false marks of arising and ceasing; thus, gathering what is non-existent, they are taken as existing. False dharmas are also like this: reliant on this unsupported true principle, they are only then false dharmas; this is also non-existence taken as existence. Third, solely the support means that when one inquires into the flames that arise and cease, both essence and function are absent, and the principle of flamelessness stands forth clearly revealed; thus the existence of false dharmas is absent, and the non-existence of false dharmas is present, serenely revealed, causing the marks of pratītyasamutpāda to be completely exhausted in their marks, and the principle of no self-nature to be completely revealed in its principle. In the three meanings above, they also answer the three preceding questions in sequence by metaphor. The remaining two metaphors should be understood accordingly.