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

VIII.1. A real producer does not produce a real product.
Even more so, a non-real producer does not seek a non-real product.

VIII.2. There is no producing action of a real thing; if so, there would be a product without someone producing.
Also, there is no producing by a real thing; if so, there would be someone producing without something produced.

VIII.3. If a non-existent producer would produce a non-real product,
The product would be without a causal source and the producer would be without a causal source.

VIII.4. If there is no causal source, there is nothing to be produced nor cause-in-general (karana).
Then neither do the producing action, the person producing, nor the instrument of production (karana) exist.

VIII.5. If the producing action, etc. do not exist, then neither can the true reality (dharma) nor false reality (adharma) exist.
If neither the true reality nor the false reality exists, then also the product (phala) born from that does not exist.

VIII.6. If there is no real product, then there also exists no path to heaven nor to ultimate release.
Thus it logically follows that all producing actions are without purpose.

VIII.7. And a real-non-real producer does not produce in a real-non-real manner.
For, indeed, how can “real” and “non-real,” which are mutually contradictory, occur in one place?

VIII.8. A real producer (kartra) does not produce what is non-real, and a non-real producer does not produce what is real.
From that indeed, all the mistakes must logically follow.

VIII.9. The producer, who is neither real nor non-real, does not produce a product which is either real or non-real,
Because of the reasons which have been advanced earlier.

VIII.10. The non-real producer does not produce a product which is not real, nor both real-and-non-real,
Because of the reasons which have been advanced earlier.

VIII.11. And a real-non-real producer does not produce a product which is neither real nor non-real.
This is evident from the reasons which have been advanced earlier.

VIII.12. The producer proceeds being dependent on the product, and the product proceeds being dependent on the producer.
The cause for realization is seen in nothing else.

VIII.13. In the same way one should understand the “acquiring” on the basis of the “giving up,” etc. of the producer and the product.
By means of this analysis of the product and the producer all other things should be dissolved.

Source: Orientalia