大般涅槃經集解 56.68

56.68

案僧亮曰：凡四譬，前一譬顯過去有、後三譬顯未來有也。寶亮曰：雖復曾有當有，於今為無，亦非定無。如麻是現在、油是未來，因果時異，豈得因中有果耶？是以一家作義，每依經推理，往往見人多作因中有果之責。經有誠文，殆不假釋。前〈佛性品〉中已云「毒身之中有妙藥王」。所謂佛性非是作法，此亦不言佛非作法；若言佛亦非作法者，則眾生身中已有於果也。

Sengliang comments: There are four analogies in total: the first analogy illustrates past existence; the latter three analogies illustrate future existence. Baoliang comments: Although it once existed or will exist, at present it is non-existent, yet it is also not definitively non-existent. Just as sesame is present and oil is future, cause and result belong to different times; how could the result exist within the cause? Therefore, in our tradition's doctrinal formulations, we always rely on the sūtras to deduce the principle, and often see people make the mistake of claiming the result exists within the cause. The sūtras have explicit statements, which scarcely require explanation. In the previous chapter on the buddhadhātu, it already stated: 'Within the poisonous body there is the wondrous king of medicines.' The so-called buddhadhātu is not a created phenomenon (saṃskṛta-dharma); this does not mean the Buddha is not a created phenomenon. If one were to say that the Buddha is also not a created phenomenon, then within the bodies of sentient beings the fruit would already exist.