肇論疏 1.89

1.89

Second, explaining the intention of the scripture and treatise. Within the text there are two parts: first, explaining non-existence [of real being]; later, explaining non-non-existence. Now, this is the first. As for 'How could they wait for conditions and only then exist?,' if existence were determinately existent, it would not need to wait for conditions to arise before it existed. 'Like that true non-existence': this adduces the non-existence of the great void to illustrate existence. From 'If existence cannot exist of itself, but waits for conditions and only then exists' onward: existence must wait for conditions, by which one clearly knows it is not existent. From 'Existence is not true existence' onward: concluding by clarifying that existence is empty. From 'As for not non-existent' onward: explaining non-non-existence. 'Now, non-existence is serene and motionless': only if it is serene and motionless can it first be named non-existence. 'If the myriad things were non-existent, they should not arise': if non-existence were determinately non-existent, they should not assemble through conditions and arise. 'Arising, they are not non-existent': because they are produced through dependent origination, one knows they are not non-existent. 'This clarifies that because of dependent origination they are not non-existent': one clearly knows that because of dependent origination they are not non-existent. As for saying 'by' (*yi*), *yi* means 'using'.