Middle Way and Emptiness: No time, no space.

[Lucky7Strikes]

These deconstructions can be immensely helpful for transcending the very solid limitations that hinder our meditative progress. Because if you hold any of them to be real, it will inevitably stop at that specific realty. Or worse, counter the efforts of hard worked sadhana, making progress a 1 step forwards, 1 step back situation. It also helps me clarify my own understandings:

All assertions of true existents are based on the claim that space, time, and quantity are real. The three dependencies traditionally taught can be understood as follows:

Emptiness of cause and condition is emptiness of time
Emptiness of imputation is emptiness of space
Emptiness of part and whole is emptiness of quantity

We break them down using dependent origination:

What is space? Space is conceived by extension of location. From here to there (not-here). And the conception of here is via not-here. Not-here via here.  So it is established like this: the conception of here is dependent on not-here. And not-here is dependent on here. This is a contradiction since here and not-here cannot be conceived at the same time. So the conception of space is an illusion based on an impossibility.
 

What is time? Time is conceived by before and after (not before). So the conception and definition of before is via not-before. Not-before is also dependent on before. But to conceive them together is a contradiction. So the conception of time cannot not real. It is an imagination based on conflicting polarities.
 

Same thing with quantity. One via many (not-one). Many via one.
 

So is everything denied? No. There is one factor that cannot be denied, and that is experiencing. Because it is the foundation of conception. If you say conception precedes experience, then that means conceptions happens outside or before experience. Which we proved to be impossible based on the refutation of both space and time. If they co-arise simultaneously, they would mutually entail one another. But non-conception does not mean experience. Both conception and non-conception are experiencing.
 

So the foundation of everything is experiencing (this is unbounded, meaning there is no such thing as individual units of experience, since that would make space real).
 

The foundation is not conceiving or knowing (this is "individual" and unreal). Conceiving occurs only through dependent origination, because that is how anything can ever be conceived: via contrasting polarities. So if you experience the nature of conceiving (dependent origination/illusoriness), then that is good. If you don't, then you are pretty screwed and think the myriad contradictory illusions are reality.
 

Seeing illusions as illusions thoroughly, being able to create and destroy it freely, then the illusion is a blissful play. If you don't, and take the dream to be real, then you are caught in a hellish play of contradictions, cyclical ideas, and impossibilities.
 

So...let's everyone destroy the impact of delusions pervading our very body and minds! Then let's dance in and as the illusions. _/\_.