大乘起信論裂網疏 5.11

5.11

They cling to the self being identical to empty space, as eternal and existent; here, it is first clarified that the empty space to which it is likened is neither eternal nor existent, and therefore the self that is likened to it must also be neither eternal nor existent. 'Visible' means that it is discriminated by the mind and called empty space, being an objective characteristic, and hence not eternal. 'Has resistance' means that it is relative to physical forms, being called space where there is no physical form; because it is a relative phenomenon, it is not existent. Furthermore, physical form is still merely a discrimination of the deluded mind and has no real substance; how could empty space, which lacks physical form, have a real substance? Since space has no substance, the self calculated to be identical to space also has no substance.