大乘義章 1.129

1.129

言法性者，入彼如中，捨離所觀染淨法相，不見生死涅槃可得。此不可得，法性自爾，故言法性。故論說言「譬如小兒見水中月謂為實有，入水求之，求之不得便生愁憂。智者謂之水中無月，法性自爾，法性如是，故云法性。」言實際者，如與法性是其理實，此之理實，聖所證處，故名為際。言遣三世差別相者，如論中說「觀三世法，不生不滅、寂靜平等，名之為如。」斯乃三世空同曰如。言法性者，如論中說「法名涅槃不戲論法，性名本分種，如黃石中金性、白石中銀性，一切法中有涅槃性，故云法性。」言實際者，如向所說，法性名實，如亦是實；據後為言，入處名際。言就空理總別分者，隨詮辨空，空有差別，說之為如。故論說「空有差品，名為如矣。」

Regarding dharmatā: entering into that tathatā, one relinquishes the contemplated marks of defiled and pure dharmas and does not see saṃsāra or nirvāṇa as obtainable. That this cannot be found is simply the way dharmatā is; hence it is called dharmatā. Thus the treatise says: 'For example, a young child sees the moon in the water, takes it to be real, and enters the water to seek it; failing to find it, he gives rise to sorrow. A wise person tells him there is no moon in the water; dharmatā is of itself so. Dharmatā being thus, it is called dharmatā.' Regarding bhūtakoṭi: tathatā and dharmatā are the reality of the principle; this reality of the principle is the locus realized by the noble ones, and is therefore called the limit (koṭi). Regarding dispelling the differentiated characteristics of the three times, as stated in the treatise: 'Contemplating the dharmas of the three times as unarisen, unceasing, quiescent, and equal is called tathatā.' This is the emptiness of the three times being identical, which is called tathatā. Regarding dharmatā, as stated in the treatise: 'Dharma is named nirvāṇa, the dharma free from conceptual proliferation; nature (dharmatā) is named the original fundamental seed—just as the nature of gold exists within yellow rock or the nature of silver within white rock, the nature of nirvāṇa exists within all dharmas; hence it is called dharmatā.' Regarding bhūtakoṭi: as stated earlier, dharmatā is named reality, and tathatā is also reality; speaking in terms of the culmination, the locus of entry is called the limit. Regarding distinguishing them in terms of the general and specific aspects of the principle of emptiness: when emptiness is distinguished in accordance with verbal expressions, emptiness has distinctions, which is spoken of as tathatā. Thus the treatise says: 'Emptiness having gradations is called tathatā.'