大般涅槃經義記 9.149

9.149

第四迦葉乘言重難。「如來向說佛性不斷，云何名為斷一切善」。下佛答之，明性非現是故有斷。於中有三：一總明眾生現無佛性，故得斷善為一闡提。反以論之，先法、後喻。「若生現有不名闡提」是法說也。解有兩義：一性體常住，非三世攝，故非現有；二眾生未見，故名現無。「如世間中眾生我法」舉喻顯之，現在妄中，於情分聲全無佛性，如眾生中畢竟無我，故取為喻。二「佛性常」下顯向初義，彰性體常非三世攝，故非現有。先順後反。「佛性是常三世不攝」是順顯也。「三世若攝名為無常」是反顯也。三「佛性未來以當見」下顯向後義。當見名有非是現有，故名現無。「佛性未來以當見故言眾生有」正舉當見成其現無。「以是義」下，出當見處。以是當見名有義故，十住具嚴乃得少見。

Fourth, Kāśyapa takes advantage of these words to raise another challenge: "The Tathāgata just stated that buddha-nature is unsevered; how can it be said that all goods are severed?" Below, the Buddha answers him, clarifying that the nature is not present, and therefore there is severance. In this there are three parts: first, clarifying generally that sentient beings presently do not possess buddha-nature, and therefore can sever good and become an icchantika. Discussing it conversely, first is the doctrine, and then the metaphor. "If sentient beings presently possessed it, they would not be called icchantikas" is the doctrinal explanation. There are two interpretations: first, the essence of the nature is eternal and not subsumed within the three times, and therefore it does not exist presently; second, sentient beings have not yet seen it, and therefore it is said to be presently non-existent. "Just as in the worldly realm, sentient beings' notion of a self" adduces a metaphor to reveal it: in present delusion, within sentiment and discrimination, there is entirely no buddha-nature, just as among sentient beings there is ultimately no self; hence this is taken as a metaphor. Second, from "Buddha-nature is eternal..." onward, it reveals the former meaning, showing that the essence of the nature is eternal and not subsumed within the three times, and therefore it does not exist presently. First is direct, and then converse. "Buddha-nature is eternal and not subsumed within the three times" is the direct revelation. "If it were subsumed within the three times, it would be called impermanent" is the converse revelation. Third, from "Buddha-nature is in the future, and because it will be seen..." onward, it reveals the latter meaning. That it will be seen is termed "having it"; it is not that it exists presently, and therefore it is called presently non-existent. "Because buddha-nature will be seen in the future, it is said that sentient beings have it" directly adduces future seeing to establish its present non-existence. From "By this meaning..." onward, he points out where it will be seen. Because of this meaning that future seeing is called having it, only with the complete adornments of the ten abodes is it seen to a small extent.