法華玄論 1.92

1.92

Answer: The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā states: 'Although one diligently exerts effort and practices the path to bodhi, if one were originally not of buddha-nature, how could one attain buddhahood?' The prose commentary explains: 'Just as iron lacks the nature of gold, though one smelts it, it never becomes gold.' If the Lotus Sūtra had not yet distinguished the buddha-nature, and only held the doctrine that one attains buddhahood by conditioning causes, then since there would be no buddha-nature, there would be no principle of attaining buddhahood; this is also just as the 'Lion's Roar Chapter' extensively challenges the doctrine of attaining buddhahood without nature. Deducing it through principle, it must clarify the buddha-nature.