大般涅槃經義記 9.253

9.253

依《寶性論》，為五義故說生有性：一為眾生於自身中生怯弱心，謂己無性絕分不求。二為輕慢餘眾生故說生有性，彼當作佛云何可輕？故《法華》中不輕菩薩若見四眾，高聲唱言：「汝當作佛，我不輕汝。」以知眾生有佛性故。三為妄執我眾生故宣說佛性，不同情取。故《勝鬘》云「如來藏者，非我眾生、非命非人」。四為執著虛妄法故宣說佛性，不同所取。五為誹謗真如來藏，謂是空寂斷滅無法，故說佛性是真是實常樂我淨。今此為令不放逸者，同彼初義。

Relying on the Ratnagotravibhāga, the nature is said to exist in sentient beings for five purposes: first, because sentient beings give rise to a cowardly and weak mind within themselves, thinking they lack the nature, being without a share in it, and thus do not seek it; second, because of contempt for other sentient beings, the nature is said to exist in sentient beings: they will become buddhas, so how could they be treated with contempt? Therefore in the Lotus Sūtra, when the Bodhisattva Sadāparibhūta saw the four assemblies, he proclaimed in a loud voice: "You will become buddhas; I do not treat you with contempt," because he knew that sentient beings possess the buddha-nature; third, because of falsely grasping at a self and a sentient being, the buddha-nature is expounded, which is not like what emotion grasps, and therefore the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says, "The tathāgatagarbha is not a self, not a sentient being, not a life-principle, not a person"; fourth, because of clinging to false and delusive dharmas, the buddha-nature is expounded, which is not like what is grasped; fifth, because of slandering the true tathāgatagarbha, considering it to be empty, quiescent, annihilated, and non-existent, the buddha-nature is expounded as true, real, eternal, blissful, self, and pure. Causing them not to be heedless here corresponds to that first purpose.