維摩經略疏 7.23

7.23

「又問至故空」，第三番問答。所以更進問「空何用空」者，若法本來自空，何待修故空？若以修空故空，則本性不空。又若觀分段從假入空，空即真諦，何須更空？若須更空，當知是有。故問空何用空。

"He further asked... 'therefore it is empty.'" This is the third round of question and answer. The reason he further asks, "What use is emptiness for being empty?" is: if phenomena are originally empty by themselves, why wait for cultivation to make them empty? If they are empty because of cultivating emptiness, then their original nature is not empty. Furthermore, if one contemplates the portioned [realm] entering emptiness from the provisional, emptiness is the true truth; why must it be emptied further? If it must be emptied further, one should know that it exists. Hence he asks what use emptiness is for being empty.