Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## Description of the Six Substances and Five Astikayas
**Verse 14 of the Abhaya Commentary**
Here, the sevenfold predication is stated due to the nature of the substance. It may be, it is not, it may be both, it may be inexpressible, and again, the threefold predication. Indeed, the substance is capable of sevenfold predication due to the nature of the predication.
**Explanation:**
1. The substance may be.
2. The substance may not be.
3. The substance may be and may not be.
4. The substance may be inexpressible.
5. The substance may be and may be inexpressible.
6. The substance may not be and may be inexpressible.
7. The substance may be, may not be, and may be inexpressible.
Here, the word "may be" is a general term that indicates the possibility of something. It is not a definitive statement. The substance is said to be "may be" when it is perceived from the perspective of its own nature, its own field, its own time, and its own state. The substance is said to be "may not be" when it is perceived from the perspective of another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state. The substance is said to be "may be and may not be" when it is perceived from the perspective of both its own nature, its own field, its own time, and its own state, and another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state. The substance is said to be "may be inexpressible" when it is perceived from the perspective of both its own nature, its own field, its own time, and its own state, and another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state, simultaneously. The substance is said to be "may be and may be inexpressible" when it is perceived from the perspective of its own nature, its own field, its own time, and its own state, simultaneously with another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state. The substance is said to be "may not be and may be inexpressible" when it is perceived from the perspective of another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state, simultaneously with another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state. The substance is said to be "may be, may not be, and may be inexpressible" when it is perceived from the perspective of its own nature, its own field, its own time, and its own state, simultaneously with another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state, and another's nature, another's field, another's time, and another's state.
This is not contradictory. Every object is non-empty due to its own nature, empty due to another's nature, both non-empty and empty, capable of being expressed, incapable of being expressed due to the combination of the predications, incapable of being expressed, both non-empty and incapable of being expressed.