Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra: Volume 34 (37)

This is the cause and condition for the arising of change. It is not the cause and condition for the destruction of conditioned phenomena. Why is that? Because when those conditioned phenomena and the causes and conditions of destruction that are visibly present in the world are both destroyed, afterwards no similar arising can be obtained. Not all of them completely fail to arise. Or, when some conditioned phenomena are destroyed, all arising becomes completely unobtainable, as in boiling water, etc., where finally everything is entirely consumed. When the fire of calamity burns the material world, there is no ash at all, not even a trace can be obtained. That too is due to causes and conditions, which through successive transformations gradually decrease until exhausted, so that finally everything is nonexistent. It is not that the fire causes this to happen. Therefore, change arises from the eight causes and conditions previously mentioned, causing the phenomenon of change to arise, and natural destruction occurs.

This is the cause and condition for the arising of the phenomenon of change in conditioned phenomena. It is not the cause and condition for the destruction of conditioned phenomena. Why do we say this? This can be seen from the phenomenon that after the conditioned phenomena and the causes and conditions of destruction that are visibly present in the world are both destroyed, no similar dharmas arise again, but not all dharmas fail to arise. When some conditioned phenomena are destroyed, all dharmas cease to arise, as in boiling water, which decreases more and more until finally all the water disappears.

Again, for example, in the fire of the three calamities, after the material world is burned, not even ashes remain, not even a shadow can be seen. This is also due to the continuous change of causes and conditions, causing the conditioned phenomena to gradually decrease until they are completely exhausted, so that finally all dharmas are nonexistent. The complete destruction of the material world is not due to the fire causing it to be destroyed. Therefore, it is said that the change in conditioned phenomena arises from the eight causes and conditions mentioned earlier, causing the phenomenon of change to arise, and the conditioned phenomena naturally cease.

The cause and condition for the arising of conditioned phenomena is the change of dharmas, not the destruction of dharmas; after destruction, there are no dharmas, no conditioned phenomena. The destruction of conditioned phenomena also represents impermanence and suffering.