妙法蓮華經玄義 5.42

5.42

若約因果，亦有通別。通者，一切眾生即大涅槃，即是約因論果。佛性者，名之為因，此即約果論因。《大經》云：「是果非因，名大涅槃；是因非果，名為佛性。」了見佛性，乃是於佛。故亦得是因（云云）。等覺望妙覺為因，望菩薩為果。自下已去，亦因、亦因因，亦果、亦果果。約分別義者，伏、順二忍未是真因；無生一忍，未是真果。從十住去，名真因；妙覺，名真果。云何伏、順非真因？例如，小乘方便之位，不名修道；見諦已去，約真修道。此義可知。今順忍中，斷除見、思，如水上油，虛妄易吹。無明是同體之惑，如水內乳，唯登住已去菩薩鵝王，能唼無明乳、清法性水，從此已去，乃判真因。

If considered in terms of cause and fruition, there are also general and specific senses. As for the general: that all sentient beings are identical with great nirvāṇa is discussing fruition in terms of cause. That Buddha-nature is named cause is discussing cause in terms of fruition. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: “That which is fruition and not cause is called great nirvāṇa; that which is cause and not fruition is called Buddha-nature.” Clearly seeing Buddha-nature pertains to the Buddha; hence it can also be a cause (and so forth). Equal enlightenment is cause in relation to marvelous enlightenment, and fruition in relation to bodhisattvas. From there downward, they are both cause and cause-of-cause, both fruition and fruition-of-fruition. In terms of the differentiated meaning: the two patiences of subduing and compliance are not yet the true cause; the single patience of non-arising is not yet the true fruition. From the ten dwellings onward, they are named the true cause; marvelous enlightenment is named the true fruition. Why are subduing and compliance not the true cause? For example, the stages of skillful means in the Small Vehicle are not called the path of cultivation; from the vision of the truths onward, it is considered the true path of cultivation. This meaning can be understood. Now within compliant patience, the severance and elimination of view and thought is like oil upon water: unreal and easily blown away. Ignorance is affliction of identical substance, like milk within water; only a bodhisattva king of geese who has mounted to the dwellings and beyond can sip the milk of ignorance and clarify the water of Dharma-nature. Only from this point onward is it determined to be the true cause.