大般涅槃經集解 53.54

53.54

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.