金光明經文句 1.19

1.19

「法性」者，所游之法也。諸佛所軌，名之為法。常樂我淨、不遷不變，名之為性。非是二乘以盡無生智所照之理為法性也。二乘法性淺，故非甚深；有限，故非無量。今之如實智所照之理，橫包法界、竪徹三諦，故言無量甚深爾。又無量者，非別有一法名為無量。毘盧遮那遍一切處，一切諸法皆是佛法，皆佛法故即皆法性，佛皆游之，故言無量。又非別有一法名為甚深。即事而真無非實相，一色一香莫非中道，皆中道故即是甚深。例如《釋論》解四無量心云「緣東方眾生名廣，緣四方名大，緣四維上下名無量。」準此而言，緣真諦法性名廣，緣俗諦法性名大，緣中道法性名無量。若緣中道，即是三智一心中緣，三諦一諦，此境無量，唯佛無量智乃能緣之，如函蓋相稱。非二乘下地測其涯底。

"Dharmatā" is the phenomenon that is traversed. That which all Buddhas take as their standard is called "dharma". Permanence, bliss, self, and purity, unchanging and immutable, are called "nature" (tā). It is not the principle illuminated by the two vehicles with the wisdom of the destruction [of defilements] and of non-arising that is dharmatā. The dharmatā of the two vehicles is shallow, and therefore not "profound"; it is bounded, and therefore not "immeasurable". Now, the principle illuminated by the wisdom that accords with reality encompasses the dharmadhātu horizontally and penetrates the three truths vertically; hence it is described as "immeasurable and profound". Furthermore, "immeasurable" does not mean there is another distinct dharma called "immeasurable". Vairocana pervades all places; all dharmas are the Buddhadharma; because they are all Buddhadharma, they are all dharmatā; the Buddha traverses them all, and thus it is called "immeasurable". Furthermore, there is not another distinct dharma called "profound". Reaching the real right in phenomenal things, there is nothing that is not the true mark; a single color, a single scent, is nothing other than the Middle Way; because all are the Middle Way, this is precisely "profound". For example, the *Dazhidulun* explains the four immeasurable minds, saying: "Focusing on sentient beings of the eastern direction is called 'broad'; focusing on the four cardinal directions is called 'great'; focusing on the four intermediate directions, above, and below is called 'immeasurable'." Following this analogy: focusing on the dharmatā of the absolute truth is called "broad"; focusing on the dharmatā of the conventional truth is called "great"; focusing on the dharmatā of the Middle Way is called "immeasurable". If one focuses on the Middle Way, this is focusing with the three wisdoms in a single mind, the three truths in one truth; this realm is immeasurable, and only the immeasurable wisdom of a Buddha can focus upon it, like a box and its lid matching each other. It is not something the two vehicles or lower-stage [bodhisattvas] can sound the depths of.