Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (I) — by Nagarjuna

I.1. Never are any existing things found to originate
From themselves, from something else, from both, or from no cause.

I.2. There are four conditioning causes
A cause (hetu), objects of sensations, “immediately preceding condition,” and of course the predominant influence, there is no fifth.

I.3. Certainly there is no self-existence (svabhava) of existing things in conditioning causes, etc;
And if no self-existence exists, neither does “other-existence” (parabhava).

I.4. The efficient cause (kriya – primary condition, root cause, motive) does not exist possessing a conditioning cause,
Nor does the efficient cause exist without possessing a conditioning cause.
Conditioning causes are not without efficient causes,
Nor are there conditioning causes which possess efficient causes.

I.5. Certainly those things are called “conditioning causes” whereby something originates after having come upon them;
As long as something has not originated, why are they not so long (i.e. during that time) “non-conditioning-causes” ?

I.6. There can be a conditioning cause neither of a non-real thing nor of a real thing.
Of what non-real thing is there a conditioning cause? And if it is already real, what use is a cause?

I.7. If an element (dharma) occurs which is neither real nor non-real nor both real- and-non- real,
How can there be a cause which is effective in this situation?

I.8. Just that which is without an object of sensation is accepted as a real element;
Then if there is an element having no object of sensation, how is it possible to have an object of sensation?

I.9. When no elements have originated, their disappearance is not possible.
Therefore it is not proper to speak of an ”immediately preceding condition”; for if something has already ceased, what cause is there for it.

I.10. Since existing things which have no self-existence are not real,
It is not possible at all that: “This thing ‘becomes’ upon the existence of that other one.”

I.11. The product does not reside in the conditioning causes, individually or collectively,
So how can that which does not reside in the conditioning cause result from conditioning causes?

I.12. Then the “non-real” would result from those conditioning-causes.
Why then would a product not proceed also from non-causes?

I.13. On the one hand, the product consists in its conditioning causes;
on the other hand, the causes do not consist of themselves.
How can a product resulting from conditioning causes not consisting of themselves be consisting of those causes?

I.14. Therefore, that product does not consist in those causes; yet it is agreed that a product does not consist of non-causes.
How can there be a conditioning cause or non-cause when a product is not produced?

Source: Orientalia