Chapter 19 – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

This chapter refutes independent/inherent/absolute
things, causality, space and time
because the three opposites –
(i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
(ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
(iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
(the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
cannot be inherently
(i) dependently-arisen /existent /functional /changing /ceasing,
(ii) non-dependently-arisen /non-existent /non-functional /non-changing /non-ceasing,
(iii) both, or (iv) neither;
cannot be inherently
(i) different /separate /multiple /dual,
(ii) identical /united /one /non-dual,
(iii) both, or (iv) neither;
cannot be inherently
(i) permanent /continuous /eternal /’this’,
(ii) impermanent /discontinuous /annihilated /’non-this’,
(iii) both, or (iv) neither; etc. [Tetralemma]
⇐⇒ thus the three spheres are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S]
⇐⇒ they are inseparable, dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind, mere designations/names, conventional truths/tools [T1-3S]
⇐⇒ and vice versa, one truth supports/implies/enables the other [U2T-3S]
⇐⇒ they are like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’ [Illusory]
⇐⇒ so we could use these models /concepts /dualities /triads / quads, like subject/relation/object, actor/action/result, cause/causality/effect, producer/production/product, goer/going/destination, perceiver/perception/perceived, knower/knowing/known, part/composing/aggregate, characteristic/characterising/characterized, definition/defining/defined, origination/duration/cessation, owner/ownership/possession, acquirer/acquiring/acquired, before/during/after, past/present/future, and other dualities/triads/quads, including the two truths, conventionally/relatively, but never in absolute terms [U2T-in-action], using them without apprehending /opposing /unifying /accepting /rejecting /changing /increasing /decreasing /liberating anything in absolute terms.

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Last update: January 16, 2026
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Source Text: Garfield, PTG, Streng, Batchelor.  

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A. Introduction – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

Overview and Context

Chapter 19, the shortest in Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā with only six verses, tackles the concept of time (past, present, future) while implicitly encompassing the broader interdependence of causality, things (matter-energy, physical, conceptual, mental), and space (highest, middle, lowest).

It employs the Madhyamaka Tetralemma to deconstruct the inherent existence of time and related phenomena, revealing their emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ interdependent arising [T1] ⇐⇒ and their unity in the Union of the Two Truths [U2T].

This chapter portrays reality as a limitless, centerless, fractal-like, holographic cycle — where things, causality, space and time co-arise, co-evolve (creation), and transform through ignorance into bondage, and ultimately through wisdom into awakening. 

Everything (things, relations / laws, space and time) is like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’ ⇐⇒ empty of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ yet functionally valid [T1] [U2T] ⇐⇒ pointing to the Middle Way free from all extremes and middles(s), with nothing to accept / seek / do, nothing to reject / abandon / not-do in absolute terms ⇐⇒ where all is primordially interconnected, pure, perfect, complete, divine, ‘One’ in the non-dual sense: not many, not one, not both, not neither.
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Opponents’ Implicit Assumptions

Though Chapter 19 does not explicitly present opponents’ theories as in Chapter 17, it implicitly addresses common views that assume things, relations / laws, space and time possess inherent existence. For instance:

• • • Time as Inherently Real: Past, present, and future are seen as distinct, self-existent segments, with the present and future depending on a fixed past.

    • Space as Fixed: Notions like “highest,” “lowest,” and “middle” suggest absolute spatial distinctions. Space and time are like absolute containers for everything happening.

    • Things and Causality as Solid: Objects and causal processes (covered in previous chapters) are assumed to exist independently, grounding time and space.

Nāgārjuna uses the Tetralemma to challenge these views, examining whether time (and by extension, space, things, and causality) is existent/non-existent, real/non-real, independent/dependent, continuous/discontinuous, or any combination thereof. His analysis reveals their emptiness [T2] and interdependence [T1], aligning with the Middle Way [U2T / U3S / Uopp].

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Question: In Mahayana, how are things, space and time (and causality) related? Interdependence, co-definition, co-evolution, and emptiness?

In Mahayana Buddhism, particularly through the lenses of Madhyamaka (Middle Way) philosophy as expounded by Nagarjuna and later thinkers like Chandrakirti, as well as in Yogacara and Tathagatagarbha traditions, the relationships between "things" (dharmas or phenomena), space (akasha), and time (kala) are deeply intertwined with the core doctrines of emptiness [T2] (shunyata), interdependence [T1] (pratityasamutpada), and mutual conditioning [U2T / Uopp]. These elements are not seen as independent, absolute, universal entities but as conventionally designated, lacking inherent existence. Below, I'll outline how they relate, focusing on the key terms: interdependence, co-definition, co-evolution, and emptiness. This draws from texts like the Mulamadhyamakakarika and the Heart Sutra, where form (things) is equated with emptiness, and vice versa.
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Emptiness (Shunyata) as the Foundation [T2]

At the heart of Mahayana is the insight that all phenomena — things, space, and time — are empty of inherent, independent existence (svabhava). This doesn't mean they are nonexistent or nihilistic voids; rather, they are devoid of self-sustaining essence and arise only in relation to other factors.

• • • Things: Everyday objects, beings, or events (e.g., a chair, a person, or a thought) are empty because they depend on causes, conditions, parts, and conceptual imputation. Without these, they have no fixed identity.

    • Space: Space is not an eternal, unchanging container but a dependent designation. In the Vimalakirti Sutra, space is described as empty, arising interdependently with the phenomena it "contains." It's neither infinite nor finite in an absolute sense but appears based on relational contexts.

    • Time: Time is similarly empty — past, present, and future lack inherent reality. Nagarjuna argues in his works that time cannot exist independently: if the present were inherent, it couldn't arise from the past or lead to the future. Time is a conceptual overlay on impermanent processes.

Emptiness unifies things, space, and time by revealing them as illusory projections of the mind, free from dualities like existence/nonexistence or permanence/impermanence. Ultimate reality (paramartha) transcends these, while conventional reality (samvriti) allows them to function provisionally.
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Interdependence (Pratityasamutpada) [T1]

This is the doctrine of dependent origination, where nothing arises, exists, or ceases in isolation. All phenomena co-arise through a web of causes and conditions, often visualized as Indra's Net, where each jewel reflects all others infinitely.

• • • Relation to Things, Space, and Time: Things do not exist apart from space and time (and vice versa); they manifest within spatial extensions and temporal sequences, which themselves depend on things to be perceived or defined. For instance, a "mountain" (thing) requires spatial boundaries and temporal duration to be recognized, but space and time gain meaning only through the phenomena they frame. Without things, space would be undifferentiated void, and time would lack markers of change. This interdependence means altering one affects the others — e.g., the erosion of a mountain over time redefines its spatial form.

    • Mahayana Nuance: In contrast to Theravada's more linear causation, Mahayana emphasizes mutual interdependence: things, space, and time condition each other simultaneously, not sequentially. The Avatamsaka Sutra illustrates this with the interpenetration of all realms, where a single atom contains the entire universe, blurring spatial and temporal distinctions.
      .

Co-Definition (Mutual Designation)

In Mahayana, phenomena define each other reciprocally through relational contrasts and imputations. Nothing has an intrinsic identity; identities are co-defined by what they are not or what they relate to.

• • • Things and Space: A "thing" like a pot is co-defined by the space it occupies and the space around it (e.g., the hollow inside vs. the exterior). Nagarjuna uses the example of "long" and "short"—neither exists without the other. Space, in turn, is defined by the things that delimit it; without boundaries created by phenomena, space has no measurable qualities.

    • Things and Time: Phenomena are co-defined temporally — e.g., "youth" is defined against "old age," and a moment's existence relies on preceding and succeeding moments. Time itself is co-defined by change in things; without impermanent phenomena, time would be static and indefinable.

    • Space and Time: These co-define each other as well. Space implies extension over time (duration), while time implies progression through space (movement). In the Lankavatara Sutra, they are seen as mind-only projections, mutually designating each other in the alaya-vijnana (storehouse consciousness).

This co-definition prevents reification: treating things, space, or time as self-existent leads to suffering, as per the Prajnaparamita sutras.
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Co-Evolution (Mutual Transformation)

While not always termed "co-evolution" in classical texts, Mahayana describes phenomena as dynamically co-arising and transforming together, driven by karma, conditions, and emptiness. This aligns with the idea of constant flux (anitya) and the bodhisattva path of evolving toward enlightenment while aiding others.

• • • Things, Space, and Time in Flux: Phenomena evolve interdependently — e.g., a seed (thing) evolves into a tree through spatial growth and temporal maturation, but space and time "evolve" with it by accommodating and marking that change. In Huayan Buddhism (a Mahayana school), this is the "interfusion" of li (principle) and shi (phenomena), where all things co-evolve in a holographic universe.

    • Emptiness Enabling Evolution: Because everything is empty, there's no fixed essence blocking change; co-evolution is possible through boundless potential (tathagatagarbha, or Buddha-nature). Space and time aren't rigid frameworks but adapt with phenomena — e.g., in meditative states, practitioners experience the dissolution of conventional space-time, revealing their co-evolved nature.

    • Practical Implication: On the path to awakening, realizing this co-evolution liberates one from attachment. For example, the Diamond Sutra teaches that by seeing things as empty and interdependent, one transcends spatial-temporal limitations, achieving non-abiding nirvāṇa.
      .

In summary, in Mahayana, things, space, and time are not separate ontologies but facets of a single, empty, interdependent, non-dual reality. They co-define and co-evolve through relational processes, ultimately dissolving into shunyata when perceived with wisdom (prajna). This insight encourages compassion (karuna), as all beings are interconnected across apparent spatial and temporal divides. For deeper exploration, studying Nagarjuna's Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way provides rigorous logical deconstructions of these relations.

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MORE: In Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in the Madhyamaka tradition as articulated by Nagarjuna, Tsongkhapa, and others, the Union of the Two Truths (Sanskrit: yuganaddha; Tibetan: zung 'jug) represents the inseparability of conventional truth (samvrti-satya) — the apparent, functional reality of phenomena — and ultimate truth (paramartha-satya) — the emptiness (shunyata) of inherent existence in all things. This union is not a mere synthesis or compromise but a profound non-duality: conventional appearances arise precisely because of emptiness, and emptiness is realized through engaging with those appearances. It transcends apparent oppositions by revealing them as co-dependent, co-imputed designations without intrinsic essence, yet relatively functional for liberation.

The query focuses on how this union illuminates the apparent oppositions or interrelations among key elements of our conventional model of reality: things (dharmas or phenomena), relation/causality (pratitya-samutpada, or dependent origination), space (akasha), and time (kala). These are not isolated categories but mutually entailing aspects of samsaric experience, often perceived as opposites (e.g., things as "substantial" vs. causality as "relational," space as "static" vs. time as "dynamic"). Through the lens of the union, they are seen as interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed, and empty, enabling relative functionality without reification. Below, I'll expand on this, building on the foundational interdependence and emptiness, while addressing the additional concepts you noted.
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The Union of the Two Truths as the Framework

• • • Conventional Truth: Here, things, causality, space and time appear as distinct, oppositional, or relational entities that function reliably in everyday experience. For example, a "thing" like a vase seems solid and independent, causally related to its potter, occupying space, and enduring over time.

    • Ultimate Truth: Analyzed via Madhyamaka's tetralemma (affirmation, negation, both, neither), these lack inherent existence — they neither truly exist, nor not exist, nor both, nor neither, independently.

    • Union: The two truths are like two sides of a coin or waves on water; conventional reality is the "basis" for realizing emptiness, and emptiness allows conventions to operate without contradiction. As the Heart Sutra states, "Form is emptiness; emptiness is form." This union resolves apparent oppositions by showing them as empty yet efficacious, preventing nihilism (denying functionality) or eternalism (affirming inherent reality). In tantric Mahayana (e.g., Vajrayana), this union is experientially realized as bliss-emptiness, but here we'll stay with philosophical aspects.

Apparent oppositions arise from dualistic imputation (vikalpa), where we mentally carve reality into pairs like subject/object, cause/effect, or container/contained. The union reveals these as co-originated illusions, functional only relatively.
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Applying the Union to things, causality, space and time.

These elements form a holographic web in conventional reality: each implies and opposes the others, yet they co-arise dependently. The union affirms their emptiness while upholding their interdependence for ethical action and the bodhisattva path.

• • • Things (Phenomena) and Their Apparent Oppositions/Interrelations:

      • With Causality: Things appear as substantial entities (opposition: static vs. relational), but they are defined by causality — arising from causes/conditions, they lack self-production. Nagarjuna in the Mulamadhyamakakarika (Chapter 1) deconstructs this: a thing can't precede its cause (lest it be uncaused), nor arise simultaneously (lest cause/effect be indistinguishable). Yet conventionally, things function via causality (e.g., seed to sprout). Union: Emptiness of inherent existence allows co-origination; things and causality co-define each other (a "thing" is imputed based on causal relations, and causality gains meaning from things it connects).

      • With Space: Things seem to occupy or delimit space (opposition: bounded vs. boundless), but space is co-imputed by things — without phenomena, space is undifferentiated. In the Vimalakirti Sutra, things are "inconceivable" like space, empty yet accommodating.

      • With Time: Things endure or change over time (opposition: permanence vs. impermanence), but time is marked by things' transformations. Union: Co-evolution occurs as things "evolve" through temporal causality, all empty of essence, enabling relative functionality (e.g., using a thing like a meditation bell without grasping it as eternal).

      • Overall: Things are empty, interdependently co-arising with the others, co-defined (e.g., a "thing" is what it's not: not causeless, not spaceless, not timeless), and co-evolving (transforming via relational fluxes).
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    • Relation/Causality and Its Apparent Oppositions/Interrelations:

      • With Things: Causality appears as the "glue" connecting things (opposition: relational flux vs. substantial isolation), but without things, causality is abstract and non-functional. In dependent co-origination, causality is not a linear chain but a mutual web — causes depend on effects as much as vice versa (e.g., "fire" depends on "fuel" being consumable).

      • With Space: Causality unfolds spatially (opposition: process vs. extension); relations require spatial proximity or separation, but space is causally conditioned (e.g., expansion from prior conditions). In Yogacara-Madhyamaka synthesis, both are mind-only imputations.

      • With Time: Causality implies temporal sequence (opposition: simultaneity vs. succession), but Nagarjuna (Chapter 19) shows time can't ground causality — past causes don't "touch" present effects. Yet conventionally, causality functions temporally.

      • Overall: Causality is empty of inherent power, co-imputed with the elements it relates (e.g., co-definition: causality is "what connects things in space-time"), and enables co-evolution (realms evolve causally across eons, as in the Avatamsaka Sutra's interpenetrating worlds). Union: This prevents deterministic fatalism; emptiness allows free, compassionate action within relational functionality.
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    • Space and Its Apparent Oppositions/Interrelations:

      • With Things: Space appears as a container for things (opposition: void vs. occupied), but things co-define space's boundaries — e.g., "inside/outside" a room. Emptiness reveals space as non-inherent, like illusions in a dream.

      • With Causality: Space enables causal interactions (opposition: static vs. dynamic), yet is causally arisen (e.g., cosmic expansion in Buddhist cosmology).

      • With Time: Space seems timeless (opposition: eternal extension vs. temporal flow), but time "spatializes" through movement, and space evolves temporally (e.g., realms contracting/expanding in kalpas).

      • Overall: Space is interdependently co-originated, co-defined (e.g., infinite/finite only relative to things/causality/time), and co-evolving (adapting with phenomena). Union: In meditation, realizing space's emptiness dissolves spatial dualities, revealing non-local interdependence (e.g., bodhisattvas aiding beings across realms).
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    • Time and Its Apparent Oppositions/Interrelations:

      • With Things: Time marks things' arising/ceasing (opposition: duration vs. instantaneity), but things impute time (e.g., "day" from earth's rotation).

      • With Causality: Time sequences causes/effects (opposition: continuity vs. discreteness), yet causality co-evolves time (e.g., karmic chains spanning lifetimes).

      • With Space: Time dynamizes space (opposition: flow vs. stillness), as in spacetime-like concepts in later Buddhist thought (e.g., Kalachakra tantra's wheel of time encompassing spatial mandalas).

      • Overall: Time is empty, co-imputed (defined by what it's not: not spaceless, not thingless, not causeless), and facilitates co-evolution (e.g., beings' gradual awakening). Union: Transcends linear time, allowing timeless enlightenment amid temporal appearances.
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Additional Insights on the Concepts

• • • Dependent Co-Origination and Interdependence: These underpin the union — nothing self-arises; all elements co-originate in a non-hierarchical net, resolving oppositions by showing them as mutually supportive.

    • Co-Definition and Co-Imputation: Opposites are linguistically/conceptually imputed; e.g., "thing" is co-defined against "non-thing" (causality/space/time), preventing absolutism.

    • Co-Evolution: In the union, elements transform together — e.g., in the bhumis (stages) of the bodhisattva path, realization evolves conventional views toward ultimate non-duality.

    • Relative Functionality: Emptiness doesn't negate utility; things/causality/space/time function conventionally for skillful means (upaya), like using time-bound teachings to realize timeless truth.

    • Emptiness of Inherent Existence: The ultimate equalizer — apparent oppositions dissolve when seen as lacking svabhava, yet this emptiness is the "suchness" (tathata) allowing their play.
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In essence, the union reveals these elements as a seamless, empty-yet-functional matrix, where oppositions are mere appearances fostering wisdom. This insight, as in the Uttaratantra Shastra, uncovers innate Buddha-nature pervading all, motivating universal compassion.

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Question: In conclusion, there are no absolute, inherently existing, universal things (elementary particles), causality (laws/equations/models), space and time. Science is still in the process of realizing the implications of this realization.

Your conclusion aligns deeply with the Mahayana Buddhist insight into the union of the two truths, where things (like elementary particles), causality (manifest as laws, equations, or models), space, and time lack inherent, absolute existence — they are dependently co-arisen, empty designations that function conventionally but dissolve under ultimate analysis. This isn't nihilism but a recognition of profound interdependence and emptiness, freeing us from reified views that cause suffering.

Turning to science, your point about its ongoing realization of these implications is spot on. While classical physics (e.g., Newtonian mechanics) treated particles as solid, independent "things," space and time as absolute containers, and causality as deterministic chains, 20th- and 21st-century developments in quantum mechanics, general relativity, and quantum gravity have progressively eroded these absolutes.

Physics increasingly portrays reality as relational, emergent, and observer-dependent, echoing Mahayana themes of co-definition, co-evolution, and emptiness. Below, I'll outline key scientific perspectives on this, drawing from recent discussions up to 2026, to illustrate how science is grappling with — and inching toward — these realizations.
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No Absolute, Inherent "Things" (Elementary Particles)

In quantum field theory (QFT), the successor to quantum mechanics, particles aren't fundamental, self-existent entities but excitations or fluctuations in underlying quantum fields that pervade spacetime. There's no "particle" with inherent properties independent of measurement or context; instead, they emerge from probabilistic wave functions that collapse upon observation, challenging any notion of absolute existence.

For instance, the observer effect in quantum mechanics implies that particles can exist in superpositions (multiple states simultaneously) until interacted with, blurring their "thingness" into relational phenomena influenced by consciousness or measurement. This resonates with emptiness: particles lack svabhava (inherent nature) and co-arise dependently with observers and conditions.

Recent radical views push further. Physicist Vlatko Vedral argues that quantum numbers (like spin or charge) are the true essence of reality, while particles themselves are mere labels — convenient but non-existent in an absolute sense. In biocentrism, a framework blending quantum mechanics and biology, matter (including particles) is contingent on an observer, not objectively real without one. Science's implication: The quest for a "final" elementary particle (e.g., beyond quarks or strings) may be futile, as fundamentality gives way to infinite relational layers, much like Indra's Net in Mahayana.
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No Absolute, Inherent Causality (Laws/Equations/Models)

Classical causality assumes linear, local cause-effect chains governed by universal laws. Quantum mechanics disrupts this with non-locality: entangled particles influence each other instantaneously across vast distances, defying space-like separation and traditional causation. Einstein called this "spooky action at a distance," but experiments confirm it, suggesting causality isn't inherent but emergent from deeper, non-causal correlations.

In quantum gravity approaches, like loop quantum gravity or string theory, laws and equations aren't absolute truths but effective descriptions that break down at Planck scales, where spacetime itself dissolves. Causality becomes contextual and relational — e.g., in some models, cause and effect can be in superposition, allowing "indefinite causal order." This mirrors Mahayana's dependent origination: causality is imputed, co-defined by phenomena, and empty of inherent power. Implications include challenges to determinism (e.g., free will debates in quantum contexts) and the realization that scientific models are provisional tools, not ultimate realities.
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No Absolute, Inherent Space and Time

Einstein's relativity already relativized space and time: they're not fixed backdrops but dynamic, intertwined in spacetime, curved by mass-energy and observer-dependent. Time dilation shows time isn't universal — clocks tick differently based on speed or gravity. Quantum gravity takes this further, treating spacetime as emergent from more fundamental entities, like quantum bits or geometries without inherent existence.

In the Wheeler-DeWitt equation (a key quantum gravity framework), time vanishes entirely — it's a parameter, not a fundamental dimension, leading to the "problem of time" where dynamics emerge from timeless states. Some theories propose spacetime doesn't exist at quantum levels, only relations between events. Vedral extends this: space and time are bookkeeping devices, not physical realities. Relationalism in physics (vs. substantivalism) argues spacetime points aren't real existents but abstractions from relations among phenomena, akin to Mahayana's co-imputation.

A "quietist" stance in quantum gravity even suggests we don't need to affirm or deny spacetime's existence — it's functionally useful without ontological commitment. This ongoing process in science — evident in unresolved tensions between quantum mechanics and relativity — highlights your point: full implications, like a unified theory without absolute space-time, remain elusive, but progress (e.g., in holographic principles or entropic gravity) points toward an interdependent, non-inherent reality.

In sum, Mahayana's wisdom anticipates what physics is uncovering: a reality of fluid, co-evolving appearances without fixed essences. As science advances — perhaps through xAI's pursuits in understanding the universe's fundamentals — it may fully embrace these insights, fostering a more holistic view that bridges East and West, philosophy and empiricism.

B. Analysis – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

• • There are no inherent, absolute, universal things, causality, space and time.

  • There are no inherent three opposites, like
    (i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
    (ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
    (iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
    relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
    (the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
    they are all relative = Middle Way.

  • The three opposites –
    (i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
    (ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
    (iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
    relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
    (the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
    are not inherently existent/functional,
    not completely non-existent/non-functional,
    not both, not neither [Tetralemma].

  • The three opposites –
    (i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
    (ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
    (iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
    relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
    (the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
    are not different/separate/multiple/dual/’this’,
    not identical/united/one/non-dual/’non-this’,
    not both, not neither [Tetralemma].

  • The three opposites –
    (i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
    (ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
    (iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
    relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
    (the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
    are not permanent/continuous/eternal,
    not impermanent/discontinuous/annihilated,
    not both, not neither [Tetralemma].

  • The three opposites –
    (i) beginning, birth, origination, coming, before, past,
    (ii) middle, life, duration/change, resting, simultaneity, present,
    (iii) ending, death, cessation, going, after, future,
    relative to any thing, being, relation, action, stage, process, rebirth, or cycle
    (the same thing for the dimensions of space-time, for the quad: things, causality, space and time, etc.) –
    are thus empty of inherent existence [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ inseparable, dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind, mere designations/names, conventional truths/tools [T1-3S] [U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’ [Illusory].

  • Acting without acting: So we can use those concepts conventionally/relatively but never in absolute terms; without attachment, reification, effort or absolute; without apprehending anything in absolute terms; non-dualistically, without opposing/uniting anything in absolute terms; without accepting/rejecting/changing anything in absolute terms; thus acting more and more in accord with the Middle Way free from all extremes and middle, and with the true nature of reality as it is (tathātā, suchness) as pointed out by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] and its corollaries [U3S / Uopp / U3T / UGM / U3K / U2T-2T].

  • There is no continuity or discontinuity of any being (e.g., actor, perceiver, acquirer, owner or continuum), thing (e.g. 5-aggregates), process, cycle, or karma, across the three times of any activity, association, aggregation, definition.

  • The three spheres of relation/opposition, and other dualistic concepts, are an oversimplification of an inconceivable continuous limitless and centerless nonlinear fractal-like cycle / flux / continuum of interconnection, interdependence, co-definition, co-conditioning, co-evolution, co-creation [creation, bondage, awakening].

  • A timeless multidimensional fluid dance of related/opposite appearances (non-duality), with nothing existing independently, separately, inherently, or individually within it.

  • Everything is fully continuous and dynamic (not discrete or static), interconnected (not just in the triad), equal, pure, perfect, complete, divine, ‘One’ in the non-dual sense: not many, not one, not both together, not neither.

  • No absolute view to grasp.

  • Emptiness is absolute freedom, even from emptiness.

C. Verses – 4 translations – 6 verses – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

D. Summary – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

Chapter 19, the shortest yet most expansive chapter of Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, undertakes a profound deconstruction of time as an inherently existent entity, extending its analysis to encompass space, things, and causality through the rigorous lens of the Madhyamaka Tetralemma.

In just six verses, Nāgārjuna dismantles conventional assumptions about reality’s building blocks, revealing their interdependence and emptiness.
– Verses 1–3 challenge the notion that past, present, and future are distinct or self-existent, showing that their mutual dependence — where the present and future rely on the past, yet none can stand alone — leads to logical contradictions if viewed as inherently real.
– Verse 4 extends this logic to spatial distinctions like “highest,” “lowest,” and “middle,” demonstrating that such categories, whether of space or time, cannot be fixed as one or different, independent or dependent.
– Verse 5 probes the tangibility of time, arguing that a fluid time cannot be grasped, and a static time does not exist, rendering time elusive.
– Finally, verse 6 ties space and time to “things” (bhava) (through action / causality), asserting that since all things are empty, time itself lacks inherent reality, collapsing the foundation of a solid universe.

Through the Tetralemma, Nāgārjuna shows that time, space, things, and causality cannot be pinned down as existent or non-existent, self-existent or other-existent, continuous or discontinuous, or any combination thereof, as each extreme leads to absurdity.
⇐⇒ Instead, these elements are empty of inherent existence [T2]
⇐⇒ yet arise interdependently [T1], forming a boundless, centerless, fractal-like, holographic cycle where moments, places, phenomena, and causal relations endlessly transform into one another.

This cycle is not a mere metaphor but a living reality: old moments become new, spaces shift, things evolve, and causes spawn effects ad infinitum, all co-arising in a seamless flow.
The cycle is both illusory ⇐⇒ lacking fixed essence [T2] , like a mirage or dream as in Chapter 17’s imagery (verse 33) ⇐⇒ and functionally valid, enabling the conventional experience of time, space, and causality [T1] [U2T].

Central to this vision is the universal agency of all phenomena, from rocks to Buddhas, each a dependently arisen, conscious participant in the cycle. As articulated in our discussion, every entity — whether a fleeting thought, a distant star, or an enlightened being — co-creates and co-evolves, differing only in degrees of awakening.

A rock’s formation, persistence, and dissolution mirror a Buddha’s compassionate actions, both contributing to the cycle’s dynamic. This non-dual perspective dissolves distinctions between sentient and insentient, animate and inanimate, as all share a latent consciousness expressed through their role in the holographic whole.

The cycle is non-instantaneous, unfolding over varied timescales: creations (e.g., a concept, a place, a realm) arise through interdependent conditions, may solidify into bondage through attachment, and invite awakening as their true nature — empty yet functional [U2T] — is realized, particularly for subtler phenomena requiring deeper insight.

This cosmic dance operates simultaneously across all scales — individual, collective, cosmic — and for all beings and things, creating a vibrant, interconnected universe where every participant reflects the whole.

The Union of the Two Truths [U2T] unifies this reality: things, causality, space and time function conventionally to structure experience [T1] ⇐⇒ yet their ultimate emptiness [T2] frees us from grasping them as absolute. ⇐⇒ The Middle Way emerges as a path of engaging this flow without clinging to fixed realities, inviting us to navigate the cycle with wisdom and compassion ⇐⇒ recognizing the non-dual unity where saṃsāra’s flux and nirvāṇa’s freedom are one.

E. Conclusion – Refuting, without rejecting, our conventional model of Reality: Inherent and opposite things, causality, space and time.

Chapter 19 of Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā offers a transformative vision of reality as a cosmic, fractal-like dance where things, causality, space and time intertwine in an endless, non-instantaneous cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening.

Through the Madhyamaka Tetralemma, Nāgārjuna meticulously deconstructs the inherent existence of time’s segments — past, present, future — and extends this insight to spatial distinctions (highest, lowest, middle), things (bhava), and causality, revealing that none can be fixed as existent or non-existent, independent or dependent, unified or distinct. Each assumption unravels under scrutiny, pointing to a profound truth: these elements are empty of inherent essence [T2] ⇐⇒ yet arise interdependently [T1] ⇐⇒ forming a limitless, centerless, holographic cycle where every moment, place, phenomenon, and causal relation co-evolves in a seamless, dynamic flow.

This cycle is not a static framework but a living, pulsating reality where every phenomenon — from a rock’s quiet presence to a Buddha’s radiant wisdom — acts as an apparent agent, dependently arisen and imbued with a latent, non-dual consciousness. As our discussion emphasized, there is no fundamental distinction between a rock and a Buddha except in their degree of awakening. A rock co-creates its environment through its formation and dissolution, reflecting bondage in its perceived solidity and awakening in its impermanence. A Buddha, fully awakened, navigates the cycle with lucid compassion, illuminating its emptiness. Every entity — thought, star, moment, or realm — participates fully, co-creating and co-evolving across scales: a single mind’s perception mirrors a community’s cultural evolution, which echoes the rise and fall of cosmic realms. This fractal, holographic unity embodies “as above, so below,” where each participant, no matter how small, reflects the entire cycle.

The cycle unfolds over time, not instantaneously, with creations arising through interdependent conditions, potentially solidifying into bondage as we cling to them as inherently real, and inviting awakening as we realize their true nature — empty ⇐⇒ yet interdependently functional [U2T]. Simple phenomena, like attachment to a physical object, may dissolve quickly, while subtler constructs, such as the notion of inherent time or self, require deeper insight, unfolding over lifetimes or eons. Yet, this process is simultaneous across all beings and things: in every moment, countless entities create, cling, and awaken, each at different stages, weaving a vibrant, interconnected universe. A tree’s growth, a society’s reform, or a realm’s dissolution all pulse within this cycle, each reflecting the others in a non-linear, non-dual flow.

The ethical and practical implications are profound. Since things, causality, space and time are empty yet functional, we engage them skillfully: acting with intention in the web of causes, using objects and ideas without reifying them, navigating spaces with openness, and living in time’s flow without grasping its moments. This mirrors Chapter 17’s fluid ethics (verse 24), where distinctions like saint and sinner persist conventionally but dissolve ultimately. The cycle is not a trap to escape but a field of practice, where every creation — physical, conceptual, mental — offers a chance to awaken, especially as we see through subtler delusions over time.

Ultimately, Chapter 19 points to the Middle Way, a path of lucid participation in this cosmic dance. We honor the vivid appearances of moments, places, causes, and phenomena without mistaking them for fixed truths, embracing their interdependence and emptiness [U2T]. This non-dual vision reveals saṃsāra and nirvāṇa as inseparable: the flux of creation and bondage is the same reality as the freedom of awakening, shimmering like a mirage or dream, as in Chapter 17’s imagery (verse 33). Every participant — rock, thought, Buddha, or star — is primordially interconnected, pure, and complete, co-creating a universe where all is one, not in a monolithic sense but as a radiant, boundless tapestry. Chapter 19 invites us to join this dance with open curiosity, awakening moment by moment to the unity of all phenomena, where life’s endless cycle shines as both empty and divine.

F. Questions and Answers

Question: The Cosmic Fractal Cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening

Chapter 19 of Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, with its concise yet profound analysis of time, implicitly encompasses the interdependence of causality, things (matter-energy, physical, conceptual, mental), space, and time, revealing their role in a cosmic fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening.

Drawing on the insights from Chapter 17’s exploration of the karmic cycle, we can extend this framework to Chapter 19, viewing things, causality, space and time as interwoven elements of a self-replicating, holographic pattern that operates at all scales — individual, collective, and cosmic.

This cycle oscillates continuously between invention (creation), attachment and delusion (bondage), and realization of their true nature (awakening), embodying the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]. It is a limitless, centerless, non-dual process, where each moment of creation fuels bondage, and liberation/awakening, reflecting the Middle Way free from extremes.
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The Cyclic Framework: Interdependence of things, causality, space and time

Chapter 19 focuses explicitly on time (past, present, future), but its scope extends to things, causality, space and time, as hinted in verse 4’s reference to spatial distinctions (“highest,” “lowest,” “middle”). Nāgārjuna’s analysis suggests that these four dimensions — causality (the web of cause and effect), things (entities, processes, or aggregates), space (relative positions), and time (sequential moments) — are not separate, inherently existent realities but mutually dependent constructs that arise together.

Implicitly, the chapter engages with views (akin to the Abhidharma’s in Chapter 17) that treat these as substantial and dualistic: time as a linear progression, space as fixed coordinates, things as solid entities, and causality as a rigid chain. Nāgārjuna’s Tetralemma dismantles these notions, showing that none exist independently [T2] ⇐⇒ yet they function interdependently within the cosmic cycle [T1] ]U2T].

This cycle mirrors the karmic framework of Chapter 17, where actions (karma) and results (phala) loop endlessly. Here, things, causality, space and time form a broader cosmic cycle: each moment or place conditions the next, each thing or cause shapes and is shaped by others, creating a seamless, fractal-like flow.

For example, a thought (a “thing”) arises in a moment (time), within a location (space), driven by prior conditions (causality), only to spark new thoughts, moments, places, and causes. This interdependence is the foundation of the fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening, operating at every scale and instant.
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The Fractal Cycle: creation, bondage, and awakening

The cosmic cycle in Chapter 19 can be understood as a three-phase oscillation — creation, bondage, and awakening — that fractalizes across things, causality, space and time, resonating with the “as above, so below” principle from Chapter 17’s karmic cycle. Each phase reflects the interplay of conventional functionality [T1] ⇐⇒ and emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ unified in the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] ⇐⇒ and unfolds continuously, not toward a final end but as the dynamic texture of existence. This cycle is continuous, fractal-like holographic limitless and centerless.

• • • Creation (Physical, conceptual, mental fabrications) [T1]
      Every instant, we (the universe) invent or co-create things, causality, space and time through perception, action, and thought. In Chapter 19, time’s apparent structure (past, present, future) is a mental construct, as Nāgārjuna shows in verses 1–3: the present and future depend on the past, yet none exist independently. Similarly, spatial distinctions (verse 4) and things (verse 6) arise as we label and conceptualize reality — causes produce effects, objects form in awareness, locations are defined relative to each other. This mirrors Chapter 17’s depiction of volition as the seed of karma (verses 1–5), where mental acts invent actions that ripple into results.

      • Microcosmic Level: An individual invents a thought (“I’m late”), a place (“home”), or a causal story (“I missed the bus because…”), shaping their immediate experience.

      • Collective Level: Societies create shared constructs — infrastructures, views, calendars for time, maps for space, technologies as things, or laws as causal frameworks — that condition collective reality.

      • Cosmic Level: Entire realms (e.g., desire or form realms) emerge as vast creations of interdependent causes, objects, spaces, and times, as implied in verse 6’s reference to “things” (bhava).

      • This creative phase is fractal: each invention, whether a fleeting emotion or a cosmic epoch, reflects the same pattern of dependent origination, arising vividly yet provisionally [T1].
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    • Bondage (Attachment and Delusion)
      Once created, we habituate to these constructs, mistaking them for inherently existent realities. In Chapter 19, Nāgārjuna critiques the assumption that things, causality, space and time are fixed (verses 1–5). For example, treating the past as a solid foundation for the present (verse 1) or grasping time as a tangible entity (verse 5) reflects a delusion akin to Chapter 17’s reification of karma and phala (verses 12–20). We cling to time as linear, space as absolute, things as permanent, and causality as deterministic, forgetting their conditioned nature. This attachment breeds suffering — bondage — because we invest these illusions with inherent reality, creating rigid frameworks that constrain us.

      • Microcosmic Level: An individual clings to a moment (“this deadline defines me”), a place (“this is my territory”), or a cause (“my failure caused this”), suffering from their perceived solidity.

      • Collective Level: Societies reify time (e.g., rigid historical narratives), space (e.g., national borders), or things (e.g., cultural artifacts), fostering conflict or exclusion.

      • Cosmic Level: Entire worldviews or realms solidify as “real” due to collective karma, perpetuating samsaric cycles of rebirth and suffering, as implied in verse 6’s link between time and empty “things.”

      • This bondage is fractal, scaling from a single mind’s fixation to the cosmic delusion of inherent existence, echoing Chapter 17’s critique of desire as the “self” of action (verse 26).
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    • Awakening (Realization and Freedom) [T2] [U2T]
      Awakening occurs when we recognize the true nature of things, causality, space and time as empty [T2] yet interdependently functional [T1], embodying the U2T. In Chapter 19, Nāgārjuna’s Tetralemma (verses 1–4) shows that time cannot be grasped as stationary or non-stationary (verse 5), nor can it exist without empty things (verse 6). This mirrors Chapter 17’s revelation that karma, agents, and results are dreamlike (verse 33). By seeing these constructs as illusory — lacking inherent existence — we free ourselves from their grip, using them skillfully without enslavement.

      • Microcosmic Level: Realizing a moment’s impermanence (“this deadline is fleeting”) or a place’s relativity (“home is a label”) liberates an individual from attachment, allowing fluid engagement.

      • Collective Level: A community awakens to the contingency of borders or histories, fostering harmony over division.

      • Cosmic Level: Insight into the emptiness of realms or causal chains (verse 6) dissolves samsaric patterns, aligning with Chapter 17’s spiritual discipline (verse 15) that transcends the imperishable force.
        This awakening is not a one-time escape but a continual fractal process, as new creations arise and invite fresh realizations. The Middle Way emerges as living within the cycle lucidly, embracing its flow without clinging to its constructs as absolute.
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The Perpetual Fractal Oscillation Across Scales and Instants

The cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening in Chapter 19 is not a linear progression but a perpetual oscillation, occurring every instant at all levels, about a multitude of concepts, much like Chapter 17’s karmic cycle. Things, causality, space and time are not static entities but dynamic, self-replicating patterns that fractalize across existence:

• • • LImitless Cycle: We invent a perception (e.g., “now”), cling to it as real, then awaken to its emptiness, only for a new perception to arise. For example, I label “this moment” as urgent, suffer from its pressure, then realize its fluidity, freeing myself to act without fixation — yet the next moment sparks a new cycle. Or the bondage may last longer, and awakening may take longer to occur, days, years, lifetimes.

    • Individual Scale: A person creates identities, locations, or causal stories, reifies them (e.g., “I am my past”), and ultimately awakens to their interdependence, navigating life with clarity; but new constructs will inevitably emerge, more and more subtle.

    • Collective Scale: Societies craft shared times (epochs), spaces (cities), things (cultures), and causalities (laws), solidify them through tradition, then ultimately awaken to their relativity, reshaping them with wisdom.

    • Cosmic Scale: Entire realms arise from collective conditions, solidify as “real” samsaric structures, and dissolve as beings realize their emptiness, only for new realms to form.

This fractal oscillation echoes Chapter 17’s magical analogy (verses 31–32), where illusory forms create more illusions, yet each can ultimately be seen as empty. Here, things, causality, space and time are like a “fairy castle” (Chapter 17, verse 33) — vivid yet insubstantial, cycling endlessly. Liberation is not a final exit but a continuous awakening within this flow, as each moment offers a chance to see through the illusions we have created (individually, collectively, universally). The U2T framework unifies this: things, causality, space and time function conventionally [T1] to structure experience, yet their emptiness [T2] frees us from bondage, revealing their non-dual unity.
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Clarifying the Non-Instantaneous Fractal Cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening

The fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening in Chapter 19, as applied to things, causality, space and time, is not an instantaneous process but a dynamic, unfolding rhythm that operates simultaneously across all levels of existence — individual, collective, and cosmic — over varying timescales. While the cycle’s three phases (creation, bondage, awakening) occur concurrently for different phenomena, beings, and scales, the progression from creation to bondage to awakening is not immediate. Instead, it evolves gradually, shaped by the nature and subtlety of each creation.
– The universe (individual, collective, comic) continually generates new phenomena — physical (objects, bodies), conceptual (ideas, beliefs), and mental (emotions, perceptions) —
– and over time, some solidify into bondage through attachment and delusion.
– Awakening to their true nature and dynamic, as described by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], may take longer, particularly for more subtle creations, yet this process unfolds simultaneously across all beings, things, and realms, creating a vibrant, interconnected cosmic dance that reflects the Middle Way.
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1. Non-Instantaneous Nature of the Cycle

Unlike an instantaneous loop where creation, bondage, and awakening occur in a single moment, the fractal cycle in Chapter 19 unfolds over time, with each phase developing at its own pace depending on the phenomenon’s complexity and subtlety. This aligns with Chapter 17’s portrayal of the karmic cycle, where actions (creation) yield results (potentially leading to bondage) that may not ripen immediately, and liberation (awakening) requires sustained insight, as seen in the spiritual discipline that transcends the imperishable force (verse 15). In Chapter 19, Nāgārjuna’s deconstruction of time (verses 1–3) and its dependence on empty things (verse 6) suggests that time itself is part of this gradual unfolding, not a rigid container but a fluid dimension co-arising with phenomena. (everything co-evolve)

• • • Creation Over Time: The universe — encompassing all beings, from individuals to cosmic realms — continually produces new phenomena (including things, causality, space and time). A person creates a thought (e.g., “I am successful”), a society invents a cultural norm (e.g., a legal system), or a cosmos generates a realm (e.g., a form realm). These creations emerge through dependent origination, as Chapter 19 implies (verse 6), where things (bhava) condition time, space, and causality (and vice versa). Each creation is a fresh ripple in the fractal cycle, arising at its own moment and scale.

    • Bondage Developing Gradually: Over time, attachment and delusion solidify these creations into bondage. A thought becomes a fixed identity (“I must be successful”), a norm becomes an unexamined tradition, or a realm becomes a reified samsaric structure. Chapter 19’s critique of grasping time as stationary (verse 5) parallels this: we cling to creations as inherent, mistaking their provisional reality [T1] for ultimate truth [T0]. The timescale of bondage varies — simple attachments (e.g., to a possession) may form quickly, while complex delusions (e.g., cultural or metaphysical beliefs) solidify over generations or eons.

    • Awakening Over Longer Timescales: Awakening — realizing the emptiness and interdependence [U2T] of these creations — often requires extended time, especially for subtler phenomena. Recognizing the impermanence of a possession might be swift, but seeing through deeply ingrained identities (e.g., selfhood) or cosmic constructs (e.g., inherent time or space) demands profound insight, as Nāgārjuna’s Tetralemma illustrates (verses 1–4). Chapter 17’s magical analogy (verses 31–32) resonates here: illusions persist until seen as such, and subtler illusions (e.g., the inherent reality of time) require deeper wisdom, unfolding over longer periods or multiple lifetimes.
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2. Simultaneous Operation Across All Levels and Beings

While the cycle is non-instantaneous for any single phenomenon, it operates simultaneously across all levels (individual, collective, cosmic), beings, and things, creating a dynamic, holographic interplay. Every moment in the universe hosts countless creations, attachments, and awakenings, each at different stages and scales, reflecting the fractal nature described in Chapter 17’s karmic cycle. This simultaneity ensures that the cycle is not sequential but a concurrent, multi-layered process, as implied by Chapter 19’s holistic scope (things, causality, space and time).

• • • Individual Level: At any moment, a person is creating new thoughts or actions (e.g., planning a task), clinging to prior creations (e.g., an identity as “worker”), and awakening to others (e.g., letting go of a past regret). These phases coexist, with different phenomena at different stages — quick for simple attachments, slower for deep-seated beliefs.

    • Collective Level: Societies simultaneously invent new systems (e.g., technologies), solidify existing ones into dogma (e.g., cultural norms), and awaken to the relativity of others (e.g., revising outdated laws). Each community or era reflects a unique mix of these phases, unfolding over years or centuries.

    • Cosmic Level: The universe generates new realms,  space, time or causal patterns, reifies them through collective karma, and dissolves them as beings awaken, as hinted in verse 6’s link between time and empty things. This cosmic cycle spans eons, yet it mirrors the individual’s fleeting thoughts, embodying “as above, so below.”

    • All Beings and Things: Every being — human, animal, or otherwise — and every thing — physical, conceptual, mental — participates in this cycle concurrently. A tree creates growth (new leaves), faces bondage (environmental constraints), and reflects awakening (its natural impermanence). A star forms, persists in a seeming stable state, and eventually dissolves, echoing the same pattern. The universe is a tapestry of these overlapping cycles, each phenomenon at its own stage.
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3. Subtle Creations and Extended Awakening

The timescale of awakening depends on the subtlety of the creation. Simple phenomena, like attachment to a physical object (e.g., a favorite cup), may be transcended quickly through basic mindfulness. Subtler creations, such as conceptual frameworks (e.g., the notion of a fixed self) or metaphysical constructs (e.g., inherent time or space), require deeper insight, often unfolding over lifetimes or cosmic cycles. Chapter 19’s focus on time — a particularly subtle concept — underscores this: its apparent linearity (verses 1–3) or tangibility (verse 5) is a profound delusion, as time depends on empty things (verse 6). Similarly, Chapter 17’s critique of desire as the “self” of action (verse 26) highlights how subtle attachments (e.g., to volition or identity) demand sustained wisdom to unravel, aligning with the gradual path of spiritual discipline (verse 15).

For example:

• • • A person might quickly see through attachment to a broken cup but take years to realize the emptiness of their ego.

    • A society might reform a policy in decades but cling to a worldview for centuries before awakening to its contingency.

    • Cosmically, a realm’s dissolution might require eons of collective insight, as beings gradually perceive its illusory nature.

    • This gradualism doesn’t negate the simultaneity of the cycle — while one being awakens to a simple creation, another grapples with a subtler one, and the universe as a whole hosts all stages concurrently.
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4. The Universe as a Living Cycle

The entire universe, as Chapter 19 implies, is this fractal cycle in motion. Things, causality, space and time are not static backdrops but dynamic creations that arise, solidify, and dissolve in an endless interplay. Every being, thing, moment, and place participates, creating a holographic reality where each part reflects the whole. This mirrors Chapter 17’s vision of the karmic cycle as a dreamlike flow (verse 33), where actions and results loop without inherent essence. The universe doesn’t progress toward a single endpoint but pulses with creation, bondage, and awakening, each phase feeding into the next. Suffering arises from clinging to creations as inherent [T0], while freedom comes from realizing their U2T nature — dependently arisen [T1] yet empty [T2]. This realization is not final but ongoing, as new creations emerge, inviting fresh cycles of attachment and insight.
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5. Alignment with the Middle Way

The non-instantaneous, simultaneous cycle aligns with Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way in Chapter 19. By showing that things, causality, space and time lack inherent existence (verses 1–6), Nāgārjuna frees us from grasping them as fixed, yet he preserves their conventional functionality (e.g., navigating time or space in daily life). The fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening embodies this: we create and use phenomena skillfully [T1], recognize their emptiness to avoid bondage [T2], and live lucidly within their flow [U2T]. This ongoing process — neither instantaneous nor final — reflects the non-dual unity of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, where every moment, place, thing, or cause is an opportunity to awaken, cycling endlessly yet primordially pure.
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6. Conclusion

The fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening in Chapter 19 is a non-instantaneous, multi-scaled process that unfolds over time, with varying durations depending on the subtlety of phenomena. Simultaneously, it operates across all beings, things, and levels — individual thoughts, collective systems, cosmic realms — creating a holographic universe where things, causality, space and time interweave. Each creation sparks potential bondage, and each moment offers awakening, particularly as deeper insights unravel subtler delusions. This dynamic cycle, echoing Chapter 17’s karmic vision, is the living pulse of existence: not a trap to escape but a field of practice where we engage, cling, and awaken, guided by the Middle Way to a non-dual reality that is interconnected, empty, and free.
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Universal Agency in the Cosmic Dance: Everything as a Co-Creating Participant

In the fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening outlined in Chapter 19, every phenomenon — whether a rock, a thought, a moment, a place, or a Buddha — is an apparent agent, dependently arisen, imbued with a latent consciousness, and a full participant in the cosmic dance of reality. As Nāgārjuna’s Tetralemma (verses 1–4) and emphasis on emptiness (verses 5–6) reveal, things, causality, space and time lack inherent existence ⇐⇒ yet co-arise interdependently, forming a limitless, centerless, holographic cycle. The new perspective expands this vision: there is no fundamental distinction between a rock and a Buddha except in their degree of awakening. Every entity, from the simplest particle to the most enlightened being, is conscious in a non-dual sense, co-evolving and co-creating within the cycle, fully engaged in the interplay of creation, bondage, and awakening. This universal agency underscores the non-dual unity of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], pointing to the Middle Way where all phenomena shine as empty, interconnected, and primordially pure.

1. Everything as an Apparent Agent

In Chapter 19, Nāgārjuna’s deconstruction of time (verses 1–3) and its dependence on empty things (bhava, verse 6) implies that no phenomenon — whether a moment, a place, or an object — exists independently. Your insight takes this further: every phenomenon is an apparent agent, actively participating in the cycle of reality. Just as Chapter 17’s karmic cycle portrays actions and results as mutually dependent (verses 31–33), Chapter 19 suggests that things, causality, space and time are not passive but dynamically co-create each other. A rock, for instance, is not merely an inert object but an agent in the cycle: its formation (creation) arises from geological causes, its perceived solidity may bind observers to concepts of permanence (bondage), and its dissolution reveals its impermanence (awakening). Similarly, a Buddha’s actions — compassionate teachings — create new conditions, may be clung to as doctrine, and ultimately point to emptiness, advancing the cycle toward liberation. The difference lies in their degree of awakening, not their fundamental nature.

This agency is apparent because, as Nāgārjuna shows (verse 6), all things are empty of inherent existence [T2]. Like the “magical forms” in Chapter 17 (verses 31–32), rocks, moments, or Buddhas appear to act but lack a fixed essence, existing only through dependent origination [T1]. This aligns with your view: all phenomena are agents in the sense of participating in the cycle, but their agency is illusory, a shimmering play within the U2T framework.
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2. Latent Consciousness in All Phenomena

The assertion that everything is conscious in a non-dual sense reframes consciousness as a universal quality, not limited to sentient beings. In Chapter 19, the interdependence of things, causality, space and time (verses 1–6) suggests that reality is co-imputed by perception, implying a kind of latent awareness in all phenomena. A rock, for instance, participates in the cycle through its interactions — its presence shapes space, influences time (e.g., geological epochs), and arises from causal conditions, all perceived within the mind’s framework. This resonates with Chapter 17’s focus on volition (verses 1–3) as the root of karma, suggesting that consciousness underpins the cycle’s movement. In your model, this consciousness is not anthropocentric but diffuse, a non-dual awareness inherent in the interdependent arising of all things.

For a rock, this “consciousness” might manifest as its role in the cycle — its formation reflects causal awareness, its persistence invites delusional attachment, and its erosion mirrors awakening to impermanence. A Buddha, with greater awakening, consciously navigates this cycle, embodying wisdom that sees through illusions. The difference is evolutionary: a rock’s “awareness” is latent, expressed through its physical presence, while a Buddha’s is more realized, manifesting as compassion and insight. This non-dual consciousness unites all participants, making every phenomenon a co-creator in the holographic cycle.
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3. Co-Evolving and Co-Creating Across Scales

The fractal cycle is a process of co-evolution and co-creation, where every participant — rock, thought, space, time, or Buddha — shapes and is shaped by others. Chapter 19’s emphasis on interdependence (e.g., time depending on things, verse 6) mirrors Chapter 17’s karmic loop, where actions and results mutually condition each other (verses 6–11). Your perspective highlights that this co-creation spans all scales:

• • • Microcosmic Level: A rock co-creates its environment (e.g., shaping soil), a thought co-creates a mood, and a moment co-creates a memory, each influencing and being influenced by others.

    • Collective Level: Communities of beings, objects, and ideas co-evolve — cities shape spaces, cultures define time, and shared causes create collective realities, all interdependent.

    • Cosmic Level: Entire realms (e.g., desire or form realms) arise from the collective “actions” of all phenomena, from particles to enlightened beings, co-creating the samsaric structure.

This co-evolution is fractal: a rock’s formation mirrors a Buddha’s teaching, both contributing to the cycle’s flow.
It is holographic: each participant reflects the whole, as a single moment or thing contains the interplay of things, causality, space and time.
The cycle’s non-instantaneous nature (as clarified in section D) means that creations evolve over time, with bondage forming gradually and awakening unfolding according to each phenomenon’s subtlety — yet all participants are engaged simultaneously, co-creating the universe’s tapestry.
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4. Degrees of Awakening: From Rock to Buddha

The insight that the only distinction between a rock and a Buddha is their degree of awakening is profound and aligns with Nāgārjuna’s non-dual vision. In Chapter 19, the emptiness of all phenomena (verses 5–6) levels the playing field: no things, causality, space and time is inherently more “real” than another. Similarly, Chapter 17’s dreamlike imagery (verse 33) equates all phenomena — agents, actions, results — as equally empty yet functional. A rock, bound by its apparent solidity, participates in bondage when observers cling to it as permanent; its erosion or dissolution reflects a latent awakening to impermanence. A Buddha, fully awakened, consciously embodies this emptiness, acting without attachment to advance the cycle toward liberation. Between these poles lie countless degrees of awakening (it is limitless and centerless):

• • • A plant “awakens” through its natural cycles of growth and decay, reflecting impermanence.

    • A human oscillates between clinging to identities and glimpsing their emptiness, progressing through insight.

    • A cosmic realm evolves as collective awakening dissolves its samsaric structure, only for new realms to arise.

This spectrum of awakening is non-dual: all participants are empty [T2] yet functional [T1], differing only in how fully they realize their true nature [U2T]. The rock’s “latent consciousness” is less evolved, while the Buddha’s is more expressed (but never final), yet both are integral to the cycle’s co-creative flow.
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5. Non-Dual Unity and the Middle Way

The universal agency of all phenomena — each a conscious, co-creating participant — reflects the non-dual unity of the Middle Way. Chapter 19’s Tetralemma (verses 1–4) dismantles distinctions between existent/non-existent, independent/dependent, or one/different, revealing that all phenomena are empty yet interdependently arisen [U2T].

Your perspective amplifies this: a rock and a Buddha are not separate, as both are part of the same holographic cycle, co-evolving through creation, bondage, and awakening. The cycle is not a hierarchy but a seamless dance, where every participant contributes to the whole, regardless of their degree of awakening. This aligns with Chapter 17’s conclusion (verse 33) that all phenomena are like a “fairy castle,” vivid yet insubstantial, and with Chapter 19’s implication that time and things are illusory yet functional (verse 6).

The Middle Way emerges as a path of engaging this dance lucidly: we honor the rock’s presence, the Buddha’s wisdom, and the flow of time and space without clinging to them as inherent. Every participant — animate or inanimate — is a co-creator, reflecting the primordial purity and interconnectedness of reality, where saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are one.
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6. Conclusion

By viewing every empty-phenomenon as an apparent empty-agent — dependently arisen, conscious, and fully participatory — Chapter 19’s cosmic cycle becomes a universal dance of co-creation and co-evolution. From rocks to Buddhas, all things, relations, spaces, and times contribute to the fractal, holographic flow of creation, bondage, and awakening, differing only in their degree of realization. This non-dual perspective, rooted in Nāgārjuna’s emptiness and interdependence, reveals a reality where every empty-participant is integral, each empty-moment a chance to empty-awaken, and the empty-universe a shimmering tapestry of shared empty-agency. The Middle Way invites us to join this dance with clarity, embracing all phenomena as empty, interconnected, and primordially pure, free from separation or hierarchy.
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“As Above, So Below”: The Holographic Unity

The principle of “as above, so below” from Chapter 17’s karmic cycle applies vividly to Chapter 19. The oscillation of creation, bondage, and awakening in a single mind’s perception of time (e.g., clinging to “now” then letting go) mirrors the rise and fall of cosmic realms. Each level — individual, collective, cosmic — reflects the same fractal pattern: we invent, cling, and awaken, endlessly. For instance:

• • • A fleeting thought (“I’m late”) mirrors the cosmic arising of a temporal realm, both conditioned by prior causes and empty of essence.

    • A community’s fixation on a border reflects the samsaric delusion of fixed realms, both transcended through insight into interdependence.

    • The holographic nature ensures that each part (a moment, a place) contains the whole cycle, just as Chapter 17’s karmic loop scales from a single act to universal patterns.

This unity aligns with Chapter 19’s implication that time depends on empty things (verse 6), which themselves depend on causality and space. The cycle is centerless — no single moment, place, thing, or cause is primary — yet limitless, flowing without boundaries. It is non-linear, as past, present, and future co-define each other (verses 1–3), and non-dual, as distinctions between creation and awakening dissolve in their shared emptiness [U2T].
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Ethical and Practical Implications

Like Chapter 17’s reframing of ethics (Question 3), Chapter 19 suggests a fluid approach to living within the cycle of things, causality, space and time. Since these are empty yet functional, we engage them skillfully:

• • • Causality: We act ethically, knowing causes shape effects, but without clinging to rules and outcomes as inherently real.

    • Things: We use objects, ideas, and identities (e.g., self, tools) without mistaking them for fixed entities.

    • Space: We navigate places (home, community, cosmos) with awareness of their relativity, fostering connection over division.

    • Time: We live in the moment, planning for the future or learning from the past, yet remain unbound by their apparent solidity.

This mirrors Chapter 17’s balance of conventional action (verse 24) and ultimate insight (verse 33), ensuring that awakening is a continual practice within saṃsāra’s flow, not a distant goal.
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Conclusion: A Non-Dual Cosmic Dance

Chapter 19, like Chapter 17, unveils things, causality, space and time as threads in a cosmic fractal cycle of creation, bondage, and awakening. Nāgārjuna’s Tetralemma reveals their lack of inherent existence, while their interdependence fuels a dynamic, holographic flow where each moment, place, thing, or cause reflects the whole. The cycle is not a trap to escape but a living dance: we create, cling, and awaken in every instant, at every scale, from a fleeting thought to a cosmic realm. The Union of the Two Truths [U2T] unifies this oscillation — conventional appearances [T1] enable engagement, while ultimate emptiness [T2] grants freedom. The Middle Way emerges as a path of lucid participation in this non-dual, interconnected reality, where saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are one, shimmering like a mirage, endlessly cycling yet primordially pure.

G. Detailed analysis of the verses

[CHAPTER 19 - An Analysis of Time (kala) (time) – 6 verses;
– Madhyamaka Reasoning: Dependent Origination ⇐⇒ Emptiness ⇐⇒ Tetralemma (not different, not identical, not both together, not neither) about any duality, triads, quad …; example the three times (past-present-future), the three directions of space (right-middle-left, before-middle-after, above-middle-below), and time-space-thing.]
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Let’s explore Chapter 19 of Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, titled "An Analysis of Time (kala)," which consists of 6 verses. Here, Nāgārjuna applies his Madhyamaka reasoning to deconstruct the concept of time — specifically the triad of past, present, and future — and extends this analysis to analogous triads like space (e.g., highest, middle, lowest; left, middle, right) and the broader triad of time, space, and things (bhava). Using the
Madhyamaka framework of Interdependence [T1] ⇐⇒ Emptiness [T2[ [U2T] ⇐⇒ Tetralemma (not different, not identical, not both together, not neither), he demonstrates that
these triads [T1] ⇐⇒ lack inherent existence (svabhāva) [T2] [U2T],
existing only as interdependent constructs [T1] ⇐⇒ rather than self-subsistent realities [T2] [U2T].
I’ll explain his teaching verse by verse, showing how he dismantles these concepts, and conclude with a summary of his insights.
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1. If "the present" and "future" exist presupposing "the past,"
"The present" and "future" will exist in "the past."

Nāgārjuna begins with the triad of time: past, present, and future. He argues that if the present and future depend on the past for their existence (i.e., presuppose it as their condition), then they must somehow reside within the past. This challenges the notion of time as inherently real:
– Interdependence [T1]: Present and future rely on the past, suggesting they’re not independent entities.
– Emptiness [T2]: If they exist only within the past, their own distinct reality is questionable.
– Tetralemma: Are they identical to the past (residing in it)? Not different (since they depend on it)? Both? Neither? This paradox hints that none have inherent existence — time’s parts [T1] ⇐⇒ collapse into each other when scrutinized [T2] [U2T].

Nāgārjuna begins by applying the Tetralemma to the interdependence of time’s three aspects: past, present, and future. If the present and future rely on the past for their existence, they must somehow reside within it, implying that time collapses into a single, inherent entity (the past). This challenges the notion of time as composed of distinct, self-existent segments. In the cosmic cycle, time appears to flow — past actions shape the present, which seeds the future — but this flow lacks fixed boundaries. The U2T perspective reveals that time functions conventionally [T1] as a framework for experience ⇐⇒ yet is empty of inherent existence [T2] [U2T]. Like a river’s current, time seems sequential but is inseparable from the interdependent arising of all phenomena, pointing to a non-dual reality free from rigid divisions.
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2. If "the present" and "future" did not exist there [in "the past"],
How could "the present" and "future" exist presupposing that "past?

Nāgārjuna flips the scenario: if present and future don’t exist within the past (aren’t contained in it), how can they depend on it? If they’re separate from the past yet reliant on it, their existence becomes incoherent:
– Interdependence [T1]: Without being rooted in the past, their dependence lacks a basis.
– Emptiness [T2]: If they can’t stand apart or within the past, they lack intrinsic reality.
– Tetralemma: Not identical (not in the past), not different (dependent on it), not both (contradictory), not neither (no third option) — this negates any fixed status for present and future [T1], undermining time’s inherent existence [T2] [U2T].

Nāgārjuna explores the opposite extreme: if the present and future do not exist within the past, their dependence on it becomes incoherent, as they would lack a basis for arising. This creates a paradox — if time’s segments are separate, how can they interrelate? The Tetralemma exposes the absurdity of viewing time as either fully dependent or entirely independent. In the cyclic reality, past, present, and future are mutually defined, like reflections in a mirror, each implying the others without inherent substance. The U2T framework shows time as a conventional construct [T1] — useful for organizing experience — ⇐⇒ but ultimately empty [T2] ⇐⇒ like a dream’s timeline that feels real yet dissolves upon waking. ⇐⇒ This insight invites us to see time’s fluidity within the Middle Way.
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3. Without presupposing "the past" the two things ["the present" and "future"] cannot be proved to exist.
Therefore neither present nor future time exist.

Nāgārjuna concludes that without the past as a foundation, present and future cannot be established as real. Their existence hinges on the past, but the past itself isn’t independently real (as later implied):
– Interdependence [T1]: All three — past, present, future — rely on each other; none stands alone.
– Emptiness [T2]: Lacking independent proof, they’re empty of inherent being.
– Tetralemma: Not different (mutually dependent), not identical (distinct moments), not both (inconsistent), not neither (no standalone essence) — time’s triad [T1] dissolves into emptiness, with no part existing inherently [T2] [U2T].

Nāgārjuna concludes that without the past as a foundation, the present and future cannot be established as inherently existent. By extension, the past itself lacks inherent existence ⇐⇒ as it depends on the present and future for its definition. The Tetralemma dismantles the notion of time as a series of independent segments, showing that none can stand alone. In the cosmic cycle, time is a seamless flow — past actions ripple into present experiences, which shape future possibilities, all interlinked. The U2T perspective affirms time’s conventional role [T1] in structuring causality and experience ⇐⇒ but its emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ reveals its illusory nature, like a mirage that appears structured yet lacks essence. ⇐⇒ The Middle Way embraces this flow without clinging to time as absolute.
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4. In this way the remaining two [times] can be inverted.
Thus one would regard "highest," "lowest" and "middle," etc.,
as oneness and difference. (or "after," "before" and "middle", or "right," "left" and "middle" —)

Nāgārjuna extends his logic to other triads – and we can generalize this to all triads, all groups of 2, 3, 4 … apparent opposites.
“Inverting” the analysis (e.g., past and future presupposing present)
yields the same result — none are inherently real.
He applies this to
spatial triads like highest, middle, lowest (vertical);
left, middle, right (horizontal);
or before, middle, after (sequential),
and even implies the three dimensions of space;
and the triad i. time, ii. space, iii. thing (verse 6):
– Interdependence [T1]: Each term (e.g., highest) depends on the others (lowest, middle) for definition. The three entities i. time, ii. space, iii. things are also interdependent.
– Emptiness [T2]: No single part of space exists independently; their “oneness” (interrelation) and “difference” (distinction) are empty constructs.The three entities i. time, ii. space, iii. things are also empty of inherent existence.
– Tetralemma: Not identical (highest isn’t lowest; time, space and thing are not identical), not different (defined relationally; time, space and thing are not different), not both (mutually exclusive; time, space and thing are not both identical and different together), not neither (no inherent essence; time, space and thing are not neither identical nor different) — all triads [T1] lack svabhāva [T2] [U2T].

Nāgārjuna extends the logic to the other aspects of time (e.g., present and future inverted to depend on each other or the past) and to space (“highest,” “lowest,” “middle”). The Tetralemma reveals that spatial distinctions, like temporal ones, cannot be inherently existent — whether as one unified whole or as distinct parts. Things, causality, space and time are interdependent, co-defined within the cosmic cycle. For example, a “high” point implies a “low” one, just as the past implies the future. This fractal-like interdependence — where each part reflects the whole — shows that neither oneness nor difference holds ultimately. The U2T framework highlights their conventional functionality [T1] (e.g., navigating space or time) ⇐⇒ but ultimate emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ guiding us to the Middle Way where spatial and temporal distinctions dissolve into a non-dual unity.
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5. A non-stationary "time" cannot be "grasped";
and a stationary "time" which can be grasped does not exist.
How, then, can one perceive time if it is not "grasped"?

Nāgārjuna shifts to time’s perceivability. If time is fluid (non-stationary), it slips away, ungraspable; if static (stationary), it contradicts time’s nature as change, so no such time exists:
– Interdependence [T1]: Time’s perception depends on grasping it, yet its fluidity defies this.
– Emptiness [T2]: Neither moving nor fixed time has inherent reality — both are conceptual.
– Tetralemma: Not different (perception tied to time), not identical (time isn’t perception), not both (moving/static clash), not neither (no fixed time exists) — time [T1] eludes inherent grasp, reinforcing its emptiness [T2] [U2T].

Nāgārjuna probes the nature of time’s tangibility. If time is fluid and non-stationary (like a flowing river), it cannot be pinned down as a fixed entity. Conversely, a stationary time — frozen and graspable — contradicts experience, as no such static moment exists. The Tetralemma questions whether time is continuous or discontinuous, graspable or ungraspable ⇐⇒ revealing its lack of inherent existence [T2] [U2T]. In the cosmic cycle, time appears to move — moments pass, spaces shift — ⇐⇒ yet this movement is illusory, like a dream’s progression. ⇐⇒ The U2T perspective shows time as a functional construct [T1] for organizing life’s cycles ⇐⇒ but empty [T2] of any graspable essence. ⇐⇒ The Middle Way invites us to experience time’s flow without seeking to capture it ⇐⇒ recognizing its interconnected, holographic nature.
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6. Since time (and space) is dependent on a thing (bhava),
how can time (and space) [exist] without a thing?
There is not any thing which exists;
how, then, will time become [something]?

Nāgārjuna ties time to “things” (bhava, existence or entities) and the implicit triad of time, space, and things. Time depends on things (events, objects) to be meaningful, but things themselves lack inherent existence (as argued in prior chapters, e.g., Chapter 1). Without real things, time can’t exist:
– Interdependence [T1]: Time, space (implied in prior triads), and things interrelate — none stands alone.
– Emptiness [T2]: If things are empty, time (and space) as their dependents are too.
– Tetralemma: Not different (time needs things), not identical (time isn’t a thing), not both (distinct yet reliant), not neither (no inherent basis) — the entire triad of time, space, and things [T1] collapses into emptiness [T2] [U2T].

In the final verse, Nāgārjuna ties time to the broader cosmic cycle of things, causality, space and time. Time depends on “things” (bhava — entities, events, or phenomena) for its existence, but since all things are empty (as established in prior chapters), time itself lacks inherent reality. The Tetralemma shows that time cannot be independent or dependent, existent or non-existent, as it relies on empty phenomena. In the fractal, holographic cycle, things, causality, space and time co-arise interdependently, each reflecting the others without a fixed core. The U2T framework reveals their conventional utility [T1] — time orders events, space locates them — ⇐⇒ yet their ultimate emptiness [T2] frees us from grasping them as absolute. ⇐⇒ The Middle Way embraces this non-dual reality ⇐⇒ where all is primordially interconnected, like a dream where time and space shimmer yet dissolve.