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Śūnyatāsaptatikārikā (LU Standardized Ed.)

Śūnyatāsaptatikārikā - Seventy Verses on Emptiness

By Nagarjuna

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[1] Though the Buddhas speak of “arising,” “abiding,” and “ceasing”; “Existent,” and “non-existent”; “Inferior,” “moderate,” and “excellent,” they are merely terms used in accordance with worldly conventions.

[2] Designations are without significance, for self, non-self, and self-non-self do not exist. Like nirvāṇa, all expressible things are empty (śūnya) of own-being (svabhava).

[3] What is the reason for this? Because all things altogether lack substance - either in causes or conditions, [in] aggregation, or as individualities - they are empty.