[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經玄義](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716) › 8.127 # 妙法蓮華經玄義 8.127 妙法蓮華經玄義 8.127 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.127) 所言別者，下異藏通，有七義故別；上異圓教，又歷別入中，故言別。此意正出《大經》，但多散說，今約乳等喻，即顯別四門也。文云：佛性如乳有酪，石中有金，力士額珠，即是有門。若明石無金性，乳無酪性，眾生佛性，猶如虛空。大般涅槃空、迦毘羅城空，即是空門。又云：佛性亦有亦無。云何為有？一切眾生悉皆有故。云何為無？從善方便而得見故。又譬乳中亦有酪性，亦無酪性，即是亦有亦無門也。若明佛性即是中道，雙非兩遣。又譬乳中非有酪性，非無酪性，即是非空非有門。 > What is called 'distinctive': below, it differs from the Tripiṭaka and shared \[teachings\], being distinctive because of seven meanings; above, it differs from the perfect teaching, entering the middle through successive distinct steps, hence it is called distinctive. This purport properly comes from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, but is mostly spoken of in a scattered manner. Now, referring to analogies such as milk, the four distinctive gates are made clear. The text states: 'Buddha-nature is like butter within milk, gold within stone, the jewel on the wrestler's forehead'—this is the gate of existence. If it clarifies that stone lacks the nature of gold, and milk lacks the nature of butter, the Buddha-nature of living beings being like space, the emptiness of the Great Parinirvāṇa and the emptiness of the city of Kapilavastu—this is the gate of emptiness. It also states: 'Buddha-nature is both existent and non-existent. Why existent? Because all living beings possess it. Why non-existent? Because it is seen through skillful means.' Furthermore, by analogy, milk both has the nature of butter and lacks the nature of butter; this is the gate of both existence and non-existence. If it clarifies that Buddha-nature is the Middle Way, negating both and dismissing both, and again by analogy, milk neither has the nature of butter nor lacks the nature of butter; this is the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.126](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.126) - [Next: 8.128](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.128) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716~en-mt.8.127) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [維摩經玄疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1777.6.58) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.127) · Pramāṇa