金光明經玄義 1.20

1.20

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.