Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34 (37)

Original text:此是变异生起因缘。非是诸行灭坏因缘。所以者何。由彼诸行。与世现见灭坏因缘。俱灭坏已。后不相似生起可得。非彼一切全不生起。或有诸行既灭坏已。一切生起全不可得。如煎水等。最后一切皆悉消尽。灾火焚烧器世间已。都无灰烬。乃至余影亦不可得。彼亦因缘。后后展转渐减尽故。最后一切都无所有。不由其火作如是事。是故变异。由前所说八种因缘。令变生起。自然灭坏。

Explanation: This is the causal condition for the arising of the transformation of formations, not the causal condition for the cessation and destruction of formations. Why is this said? This can be seen from the phenomenon that after formations, together with the causal conditions of destruction that can be directly observed in the world, have all been destroyed, no similar dharma will ever arise again—but it is not that all dharmas fail to arise. After some formations have been destroyed, no dharmas arise at all, just like boiling water: the more it is boiled, the less there is, until in the end all the water disappears entirely.

Another example is the fire calamity among the three calamities: after the inanimate world has been completely burned by it, not even ashes remain, and not even a shadow can be seen. This too is due to the continuous transformation of causal conditions, causing the formations to gradually diminish until they are all exhausted, so that in the end no dharmas exist at all. The complete destruction of the inanimate world does not occur because of the fire calamity itself. Therefore, it is said that the transformation of formations arises from the eight causal conditions described earlier, which give rise to the phenomenon of transformation, and the formations naturally cease and are destroyed.

The causal condition for the arising of formations is the transformation of dharmas, not the destruction of dharmas; once destroyed, there are no dharmas and no formations. The destruction of formations also represents impermanence and suffering.