Hence,
And since true character exists in neither truth,
There’s nothing that’s eternal or that terminates. (6.38)
Because things are empty of an inherent nature, like the appearance of reflections, they are in nature essenceless both in the ultimate and relative truths, and both permanence and nihilism are therefore avoided. As the Treatise for instance states:
‘It is not so that what intrinsically exists
Is non-existent’ – this is eternalism.
To say, ‘It was before, but now is no more,’
Implies that one professes nihilism.1
Likewise:
With the acceptance of existent things
The views of eternalism and nihilism follow,
Because an existent thing must be
Either permanent or impermanent.2
And similarly:
Through mastery of magical emanation
The Teacher can make an emanation appear,
And that emanated emanation again
Can make further emanations appear.
The actor and enacted karmic act
Are similarly a display of emanations –
Like an emanation that emanates
Yet another emanation.
The afflictions, actions, bodies,
Karmic agents and results
Are like the city of gandharvas,
Similar to dreams and mirages.3
This example of magical emanations demonstrates how things lacking inherence produce things lacking inherence.
Title
Chapter 1: Pramuditā
