大般涅槃經集解 54.229

54.229

案道生曰：常故自在，是我義也。應感無端，此之自在，從彼而出，本非我故，復名無我也。僧亮曰：上說因非性說性，今明非我說我，樂淨亦爾。佛性實非我者，因無自在非我，有因緣至非虛妄。前除斷滅之惑，後去計常之倒，皆非虛也。為世界故者，為除世人麻米之我也。寶亮曰：第五，證當有之義也。于時梵志聞當有之義，悉發道心。豈得不修道耶？僧宗曰：我於一時住尼連禪河下，第三文，勸時眾應忘懷取法。佛語無方，不可聞此一邊而執著也。如昔佛一時為梵志說正因佛性為我。佛性實非我，正以善巧方便應眾生根令物悟道。豈可聞說此正因性為我而生執耶？若爾，我所言眾生當得佛故言有，不得便執言眾生有佛性，不須修道也。

Daosheng comments: Because of permanence there is mastery, which is the meaning of 'self.' Responses to capacities have no fixed beginning; this mastery arises from that, and because it is fundamentally not a self, it is also called non-self. / Sengliang comments: Above it was explained that speaking of the cause which is not the nature as the nature; now it is explained that speaking of non-self as self, and bliss and purity are also like this. As for 'the buddhadhātu is truly not self': because in the cause there is no mastery, it is non-self; 'having causes and conditions' up to 'not false': the former eliminates the delusion of annihilationism, and the latter removes the inversion of grasping at permanence; neither is false. As for 'for the sake of the world': it is to remove the worldly people's self the size of a hemp seed or grain of rice. / Baoliang says: Fifth, this proves the meaning of future existence. At that time, hearing the meaning of future existence, the brahmacārins all gave rise to the aspiration for bodhi. How could one not cultivate the path? / Sengzong says: From 'At one time, I was dwelling by the Nairañjanā River' down, this is the third text, admonishing the assembly of that time to forget mental clinging and grasp the Dharma. The Buddha's words have no fixed direction; one must not hear one side and become attached. Just as in the past the Buddha once spoke to a brahmacārin of the buddhadhātu as primary cause as 'self.' The buddhadhātu is truly not self; it was precisely through skillful means responding to sentient beings' capacities to make beings awaken to the path. How could one hear this nature of the primary cause being spoken of as 'self' and give rise to clinging? If so, when I say that sentient beings will attain Buddhahood and therefore say it 'exists,' one must not straightaway cling to the assertion that sentient beings possess the buddhadhātu and need not cultivate the path.