因明入正理論疏 2.21

2.21

Question: "Why is the probandum not said to be universally absent, while the probans of the reason is said to be universally nonexistent?" Answer: "The proposition does not establish the reason, so it is not said to be universally absent. The reason establishes the proposition, so it is said to be universally nonexistent. If the reason were not universally absent, it would become a heterogeneous property [with faults], and various faults such as inconclusiveness and contradiction would arise. As for the probandum of the proposition, its property is extremely broad: for example, 'sound is non-self,' which is also present in space, etc.; if all heterogeneous [instances] were absent, there would be no heterogeneous instances at all, and statements such as 'like space, etc.' would be posited in vain. Therefore, we know that merely lacking the probandum of the reason according to an appropriate fraction constitutes a heterogeneous proposition; it does not mean that all [properties] must be universally nonexistent."