Illuminating the Intent

This has two parts: establishing the selflessness of phenomena through reasoning and establishing the selflessness of persons through reasoning.

This has four parts: (1) refuting arising from the four extremes on both levels of truth, (2) rebutting objections against refuting intrinsic arising, (3) how arising through dependent origination prevents distortions of adhering to extreme views, and (4) the fruits of having engaged in analysis with reasoning.

This has three parts: (1) stating the proposition that there is no arising through intrinsic nature, (2) the logical proofs that establish this through reasoning, and (3) the conclusion of having negated arising from the four extremes.

Understanding that, out of the ten perfect equanimities, the other perfect equanimities can be easily indicated by presenting through reasoning the perfect equanimity of the absence of arising through intrinsic nature alone, the noble Nāgārjuna states the following at the beginning of his Treatise on the Middle Way:

“Ever” is synonymous with “on any occasion,” while the word “anywhere,” which is synonymous with “in any place,” is a locative.

What this states is that [Nāgārjuna’s stanza] should not be read by dividing the stanzas into two parts, with the last two lines presenting the thesis and the first two lines presenting the argument.