空假中

Unreality, reality, and the middle or mean doctrine; noumenon, phenomenon, and the principle or absolute which unifies both. 空Unreality, that things do not exist in reality; 假 reality, that things exist though in "derived" or "borrowed" form, consisting of elements which are permanent; 中 the "middle" doctrine of the Madhyamaka School, which denies both positions in the interests of the transcendental, or absolute. 空以破一切法, 假以立一切法, 中以妙一切法 other 卽 空卽假卽中. (sa) śūnya (universality) annihilates all relativities, particularity establishes all relativities, the middle path transcends and unites all relativities. Tiantai asserts that there is no contradiction in them and calls them a unity, the one including the other 即空即假即中.