大般涅槃經集解 53.54

53.54

案僧亮曰：次舉初問來答。法雖自空，若不脩空，則不識有為不有。要須體有，方得會空也，因此下即借譬來辨。如一切法性無常故滅能滅者，非別有一滅法能滅，即法體起時字之曰性，法體滅時謂之名滅。明萬法亦然，直體性空。故脩空見空，亦無有一空法來空此空也。雖引譬證體相是空，但人情於上譬中生疑。今且據向墖喻為語也。

Sengliang states: Next, he raises the first question to reply. Although phenomena are of themselves empty, if one does not cultivate emptiness, one will not recognize that conditioned phenomena are non-existent. One must realize existence in order to merge with emptiness; therefore, he immediately uses a simile below to explain it. Just as all phenomena, because of their impermanence, are capable of being destroyed by cessation—it is not that there is a separate phenomenon of cessation capable of destroying them: rather, when the substance of a phenomenon arises, it is designated as 'nature', and when the substance of a phenomenon ceases, it is termed 'cessation'. This clarifies that the myriad phenomena are likewise simply empty in their essential nature. Therefore, when one cultivates emptiness and sees emptiness, there is also no separate phenomenon of emptiness that comes to empty this emptiness. Although he adduces a simile to prove that the substantial characteristics are empty, the minds of people might generate doubt regarding the preceding simile. Now, he temporarily speaks in terms of the earlier pagoda simile.