金光明經玄義 1.20

1.20

云何三道？過去無明，現在愛、取，三支是煩惱道。過去行，現在有，二支是業道。現在識、名色、六入、觸、受，未來生、老死，七支是苦道。道名能通，此三更互相通，從煩惱通業，從業通苦，從苦復通煩惱，故名三道。苦道者，謂識、名色、六入、觸、受。《大經》云「無明與愛是二中間名為佛性。」中間即是苦道，名為佛性者，名生死身為法身，如指氷為水爾。煩惱道者，謂無明、愛、取，名此為般若者，如指薪為火爾。業道者，謂行、有乃至五無間，皆解脫相者，如指縛為脫爾。當知三道體之即真常樂我淨，與三德無二無別。既以金光明譬三德，還以金光明譬三道也。

What are the three paths? Past avidyā, and present craving and grasping—these three branches are the path of affliction. Past formations and present existence—these two branches are the path of karma. Present consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling, along with future birth and aging-and-death—these seven branches are the path of suffering. "Path" means being able to lead through; these three mutually lead into one another: from affliction one leads into karma, from karma one leads into suffering, and from suffering one again leads into affliction; hence they are called the three paths. As for the path of suffering, it refers to consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling. The Great Sūtra says: "Between the two, avidyā and craving, is called the buddha-nature." What is in between is itself the path of suffering; calling it buddha-nature is to name the body of saṃsāra as dharmakāya, just like pointing to ice as water. As for the path of affliction, it refers to avidyā, craving, and grasping; calling these prajñā is like pointing to firewood as fire. As for the path of karma, it refers to formations and existence, up to the five deeds of immediate retribution, all being marks of vimokṣa, just like pointing to binding as release. One should know that when their essence is realized, the three paths are immediately true permanence, bliss, self, and purity, neither dual nor distinct from the three virtues. Since the Suvarṇaprabhāsa serves as a metaphor for the three virtues, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa also serves as a metaphor for the three paths.