法華文句記 5.102

5.102

「佛種」等者，注家云：無空有性名曰無性，堪紹繼菩提名為種。如此釋者此從修得，未識性種。嘉祥云無性者，但云無自性。又以三義而釋佛種，謂一乘教、菩提心、如來藏。教及發心但是種緣，雖即云藏，不云空與不空及行理，故不知因中為在何因成種成性？故於正緣了中須識性種，所謂三道；次知類種即彈指等。然應知緣起通於染淨，理非染淨緣起宛然，此淨緣起即是說由，明由淨緣從因至果及不思議感應之理，故以此說為其種緣。他云：為由行者善根力故，如來識上文義相生，具如前文釋聞中破於中初云。「中道」下立本無性為本性德，故知今種即性家之種，是故還立無性為本。為欲更明性家緣起，以種言之，種者生義，即前十界界如理性俱性並種，具如前釋。

Regarding "buddha-seed" and so forth: Commentators say: "Being devoid of the natures of emptiness and existence is called 'absence of nature'; being capable of inheriting and succeeding to bodhi is called 'seed.'" An explanation such as this approaches it from attainment through cultivation, not yet recognizing the seed of nature. Jiaxiang, regarding "absence of nature," merely speaks of the absence of self-nature. Furthermore, he explains the buddha-seed through three meanings, namely: the teaching of the one vehicle, the bodhicitta, and the tathāgatagarbha. Teaching and generating the mind are merely the conditions for the seed. Although he speaks of the garbha, he does not speak of empty and non-empty, nor of practice and principle; thus one does not know in which cause during the causal stage the seed and nature are formed. Therefore, among the direct, conditioning, and revealing [causes], one must recognize the seed of nature, namely the three paths; next, one knows the categorized seeds, namely snapping one's fingers and so forth. Yet one should know that conditioned arising extends across both defilement and purity; principle is neither defiled nor pure, yet conditioned arising is clearly present. This pure conditioned arising is precisely the reason for speaking: it clarifies that due to pure conditions, from cause to fruit and the inconceivable principle of stimulus and response, this preaching is therefore taken as the condition for the seed. Others say: "Due to the power of the practitioner's good roots, the marks of words and meanings arise upon the consciousness of the Tathāgata"—this is fully refuted in the initial section of the previous text explaining hearing. Below "middle way," the original absence of nature is established as the original virtue of nature; thus we know the present seed is the seed belonging to nature, and for this reason the absence of nature is again established as the basis. In order to further clarify the conditioned arising belonging to nature, it is spoken of in terms of "seed"; "seed" means generating, which refers to the previous ten realms, realm-as-suchness, and the nature of principle, all of which are both nature and seed, fully as explained before.