大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 6.35

6.35

Regarding the commentary's "Thus we know that the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna each have four gates..." onward, this is the third part: concluding by establishing the correct doctrine. This proceeds by concession and elimination. Conceding that first there was existence and next emptiness means they each captured the intent of a single gate; eliminating their ignorance of the intent of the four gates means that the purport of "first existence and next emptiness" completely falls apart. As for the four gates, in the Hīnayāna, the Abhidharma serves as the gate of existence; the Abhidharma is the present Kośa, as it follows the Sarvāstivāda school. The Tattvasiddhi serves as the gate of emptiness, because the real meaning is emptiness. The Guṇabhadra-śāstra (?) serves as the gate of both existence and emptiness. As for its gate of neither existence nor emptiness, though treatises have not been seen, it was through encountering this that the obstinate Channa entered the path. Some say: the Vātsīputrīya also posits that the self is neither existent nor non-existent, but this is perhaps not definitive. As for the four gates of the Mahāyāna, as the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "All sentient beings possess buddha-nature, just as milk possesses the nature of curd, etc." This is the gate of existence. It also says: "Stone has no nature of gold, and milk has no nature of curd. Sentient beings' buddha-nature is like empty space, the emptiness of the city of Kapilavastu, and the emptiness of great nirvāṇa." This is the gate of emptiness. It also says: "Sentient beings' buddha-nature is both existent and non-existent. Why is it existent? Because all sentient beings equally possess it. Why is it non-existent? Because it is seen through skillful means." This is the gate of both existence and non-existence. It also says: "Sentient beings' buddha-nature is precisely the Middle Way, not existent like empty space, not non-existent like a rabbit's horns, with the hundred negations entirely dismissed." This is the gate of neither existence nor non-existence. If drawn from sūtras and treatises, the Vijñaptimātra mostly elucidates the gate of existence; the Karatalaratna mostly debates the gate of emptiness; the Madhyāntavibhāga-śāstra mostly debates the gate of both existence and emptiness; and the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and Śataśāstra mostly debate the gate of neither existence nor non-existence.