大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 1.6

1.6

Third, explaining the purport of the signified under the teachings: there are two kinds: first, general; second, specific.
In general, the true reality of cause and effect in dependent origination constitutes the purport.
Specifically, there are four gates: first, contrasting teaching and meaning to discern purport; second, objective realm and practice; third, principle and phenomena; fourth, cause and effect. Teaching is the theme, and meaning is the purport; objective realm is the theme, and practice is the purport; phenomena are the theme, and principle is the purport; cause is the theme, and effect is the purport.
Next, as for the nature of the signifier's teaching, there are five kinds: the first meaning is actual sounds, names, words, and sentences; the second meaning is resemblant sounds, names, words, and sentences; the third meaning is non-resemblant sounds, names, words, and sentences; the fourth meaning is consciousness-only sounds, names, words, and sentences; the fifth meaning is true suchness sounds, names, words, and sentences; hence the sūtra says: "All dharmas are like [suchness]."