大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 32.16

32.16

Regarding the commentary from "If it were solely unchanging" downwards: this is the second, proof through negation. "If it were solely unchanging, how could nature participate in dharmas?" That is, nature would be like empty space, and dharmas like the stars and constellations: empty space is not the nature of the stars and constellations, so how could tathatā be the nature of all dharmas? Then nature and dharmas would be different, so how could they relate to each other? "If it only accorded with conditions, how could it be called true nature?" Because conditions have arising and ceasing, it would not be true. The commentary from "According to where it flows" downwards borrows the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra to establish the two meanings. Having differences according to its flow is the meaning of according with conditions; the fundamental taste remaining is the meaning of unchanging. That is, in the seventh fascicle (the eighth fascicle of the Southern text), the "Chapter on the Nature of the Tathāgata," answering Kāśyapa's question, reveals that nature is permanent. The sūtra says: "Furthermore, good son! For example, on the Snow Mountains there is a medicine of single taste called 'medicinal taste.' Its taste is extremely sweet; being beneath deep thickets, people cannot see it. If someone smells its fragrance, they immediately know that this medicine must exist in that place. In the past, there was a wheel-turning king who, for the sake of this medicine, made wooden pipes in place after place on the Snow Mountains to receive this medicine. When this medicine matured, it flowed out from the ground and gathered in the wooden pipes; its taste was genuine and pure. After the king passed away, thereafter this medicine became sour or salty, sweet or bitter, pungent or bland. In this way, the single taste had various differences according to where it flowed, while the true taste of this medicine remained on the mountain, like the full moon. Common people of meager merit, although digging and toiling with utmost effort, were unable to obtain it. Then another holy king appeared in the world; due to causes and conditions of merit, he immediately obtained the genuine and pure taste of this medicine. Good son! The secret treasury of the Tathāgata, its taste is also like this. Being covered by the thicket of afflictions, sentient beings of ignorance cannot see it. The medicine of single taste is an analogy for the Buddha-nature. Due to afflictions, it produces various tastes, namely: hells, animals, hungry ghosts, devas, humans; male, female, neither male nor female; kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa, vaiśya, śūdra. The Buddha-nature is valorous and difficult to destroy; therefore, there is none who can kill or destroy it. If there were one who could kill it, then it would sever the Buddha-nature. Such Buddha-nature can ultimately never be severed; that it could be severed is impossible. What is termed the nature of the self is precisely the secret treasury of the Tathāgata; such a secret treasury cannot be destroyed or burned by anything. Although indestructible, yet it cannot be seen. If one succeeds in accomplishing anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, only then does one realize and know it. For this reason, there is none who can kill it." Explanation: Matching the Dharma to the metaphor, the text is also easy to see. However, that secret treasury of the Tathāgata and Buddha-nature, matching the single taste, is precisely the two meanings of unchanging and according with conditions of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha here being clearly distinguished. The Snow Mountains illustrate the sūtra; its past king illustrates past buddhas; the another holy king is precisely "if one attains bodhi" in the application; the rest can all be understood.