金光明最勝王經疏 4.372

4.372

贊曰：明本性空。《辨中邊》云「諸聖種姓自體本有，非習所成，說名本性。菩薩為此速得清淨而觀空，故名本性空。」此說行性名聖種性，即本性住種姓。《十八空論》云「佛性者，一切諸法自性法體。性有二義：一者無始、二者無因。下成生死法爾本有，譬如無始生死相續，有心無心自體無因。」此意情非情皆法爾有。若心有因，為當本有？此問心因為無始有？為新始生？若本有因即是自然（此意若云心因是本有者，即法爾有），即是自然亦應許心是自然法（此成現心但是法爾，同因無始），昔未有因（此意難云：若言先未有因，牒識云）應無眾生，後時有因方有眾生（此難意則無因時未有眾生，後時有因方有眾生。若許爾者），如土石等。若有因時應成眾生（此意石土等先無眾生因，後不可有因令成眾生，故知自然一作有心、一作無心），佛性亦爾，自然無因（此意明行性法爾先有，不是明行後時有因方有）。虛妄尚有自然之義，何況真實而不法爾？故由無始佛性為因，所以六入欲求解脫。若無佛性，解脫之果不得成就。此意同彼《善戒經》、《地持論》等六處殊勝等。我開大城，即涅槃門，即能詮之教。微妙器者，即行佛性能得受證涅槃甘露。既得甘露等，明他聞得，得即證也。常以施生，明他能施。或此釋前我開城之所以，我既自證，故施群生，故說境行性分別無相、依他無生，名本性空。問：觀此空有何利益？答：《十八空論》云「令諸眾生離五過失、生五功德。離五失者，一除下劣心。若人不信實有佛性是應可得，是故不能發菩提心，常守下劣。由信有性，令其發心，能除下劣。二除高慢心。若不能解佛性平等，謂我有性故能發心，他無佛法不能發心，故生高慢。若體此理無有彼此，高心即滅。此悟行性之理無有彼此。三除妄想執。若識生死妄想非真，即不見能罵所罵等。由不見能所，能除妄想，唯見眾生皆有佛性功德圓滿。以是義故，即生慈悲成大菩薩。四除我見。一切諸法本自性空，若有若無二皆平等。由作此解，捨我見執。五除怖畏心。能令眾生信受甚深有相無相。何以故？若解佛性則能信受相無相法，是故不謗空不空義。」生五功德，至下當知。

The Commentary says: This clarifies the emptiness of intrinsic nature (prakṛtiśūnyatā). The *Madhyāntavibhāga* states: "The lineage of the noble ones inherently exists in its own essence and is not accomplished through practice; it is called 'intrinsic nature.' Bodhisattvas contemplate emptiness so that this [nature] quickly attains purity; hence it is called 'emptiness of intrinsic nature.'" This refers to the nature of practice as the noble lineage, which is the lineage abiding in its intrinsic nature (prakṛtisthagotra). The *Treatise on the Eighteen Kinds of Emptiness* states: "Buddha-nature is the intrinsic-nature phenomenal essence of all phenomena. Nature has two meanings: first, beginningless; second, causeless. Below, it establishes that saṃsāra exists inherently as the nature of phenomena; just as the saṃtāna of beginningless saṃsāra—whether with mind or without mind—has an essence without a cause." The meaning is that sentient and insentient things both exist inherently as the nature of phenomena. If the mind had a cause, would it exist originally? This questions whether the cause of the mind exists from beginningless time, or is newly produced. If the cause exists originally, it is spontaneous (this means: if one says the cause of the mind exists originally, then it exists as the nature of phenomena); if it is spontaneous, one should also admit that the mind is a spontaneous phenomenon (this establishes that the present mind is merely the nature of phenomena, identical with the cause being beginningless). If previously there were no cause (this objection means: if one says that previously there was no cause, taking up consciousness it says), there should be no sentient beings; only when later there is a cause would there be sentient beings (this objection implies that when there is no cause, sentient beings do not yet exist, and only when there is a cause later would there be sentient beings. If one admits this), it would be like earth, stones, and the like. If when there is a cause they should become sentient beings (this means that earth, stones, and the like previously have no cause for being sentient beings, and later cannot have a cause that makes them sentient beings; hence we know that spontaneously one is made with mind and the other without mind), the Buddha-nature is also like this: spontaneously causeless (this clarifies that the nature of practice inherently pre-exists as the nature of phenomena, not that the nature of practice exists only after there is a cause later). If even the false and deceptive has the meaning of spontaneity, how much more so the real: how could it not be the nature of phenomena? Therefore, with beginningless Buddha-nature as the cause, the six sense faculties desire to seek liberation. If there were no Buddha-nature, the fruit of liberation could not be accomplished. This meaning is identical to the excellence of the six bases in the *Bodhisattvabhūmi-śīlasūtra*, the *Bodhisattvabhūmi*, and so forth.

"I open the great city" refers to the gate of nirvāṇa, which is the teaching that expresses it. The "sublime vessel" is the practicing Buddha-nature that is able to attain and realize the amṛta of nirvāṇa. "Having obtained the amṛta," etc., clarifies that others hear and attain it; attainment is realization. "Constantly bestow upon living beings" clarifies that he is able to bestow it on others. Alternatively, this explains the reason why I opened the city before: having realized it myself, I therefore bestow it upon all living beings. Thus it is said that the nature of the object and practice is devoid of characteristics in discrimination, and unborn in other-dependence; this is called the emptiness of intrinsic nature.

Question: What benefit is there in contemplating this emptiness? Answer: The *Treatise on the Eighteen Kinds of Emptiness* states: "It causes sentient beings to be free from five faults and to generate five virtues. Freeing from the five faults: First, removing the inferior mind. If a person does not believe that real Buddha-nature is attainable, they will be unable to give rise to the bodhicitta and will constantly remain inferior. By believing in the existence of the nature, causing them to generate the mind, it removes the inferior mind. Second, removing the mind of arrogance. If one fails to understand the equality of Buddha-nature, thinking 'Because I have the nature, I can generate the mind; others lack the Buddha-dharma and cannot generate the mind,' one gives rise to arrogance. If one realizes that in this principle there is neither self nor other, the arrogant mind is extinguished. This is awakening to the principle that in the nature of practice there is neither self nor other. Third, removing false, conceptual grasping. If one recognizes that the false discrimination of saṃsāra is not real, one does not see the reviler, the reviled, and so forth. By not seeing subject and object, one can remove false imagination and only see that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature complete with virtues. For this reason, one generates compassion and becomes a great bodhisattva. Fourth, removing the view of self. All phenomena are originally empty in their intrinsic nature; whether existing or non-existing, both are equal. By forming this understanding, one relinquishes grasping at the view of self. Fifth, removing the mind of fear. It enables sentient beings to faithfully accept the profound with-characteristics and without-characteristics. Why is this? If one understands Buddha-nature, one can faithfully accept phenomena with and without characteristics; therefore one does not slander the meaning of empty and non-empty." The generation of the five virtues will be explained below.