華嚴一乘教義分齊章 4.16

4.16

Second, within the other-dependent nature, if one clings to existence, there are also two faults: First, the fault of permanence: it would mean that it already has a substance and does not depend on conditions; for a phenomenon to exist without conditions is precisely permanence. Furthermore, due to clinging to existence it would not depend on conditions; because it does not depend on conditions, phenomena cannot exist, which is precisely annihilation. Question: "If stating that the other-dependent nature has the meaning of existence entails faults, why do the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and other texts speak of the other-dependent nature as existent?" Answer: "When the noble ones speak of the other-dependent as existent, this is precisely the existence that is not distinct from emptiness. Why is that? Because it lacks substantial nature from the assembly of conditions, and within each individual condition there is no agent; precisely because conditions are without an agent, dependent origination is attained. Therefore, existence that is non-existence is called other-dependent existence. This is how the noble ones establish all phenomena without moving from the true limit. If one asserts that the other-dependent exists according to words, then dependent origination would have a nature. If conditions had a nature, they would not depend on one another; because they would not depend on one another, the other-dependent would be destroyed. The destruction of the other-dependent is truly caused by clinging to existence. Therefore, your mind feared falling into empty annihilation and made strenuous efforts to establish existence, not realizing that through failing to comprehend that phenomena arising from conditions are without self-nature, one thereby destroys dependent origination, falls into empty nonexistence, and annihilates the other-dependent."