大乘義章 1.38

1.38

第二次辨性之體狀。然佛性者，蓋乃法界門中一門也。門別雖異，妙旨虛融，義無不在。無不在故，無緣而非性。無緣而非性故，難以定論。是以經中，或說生死以為佛性、或說涅槃以為佛性，或說為因、或說為果、或復說為非因非果，或說為空、或說為有、或復說為非空非有，或說為一、或說為異、或復說為不一不異，或說為有、或說為無、或復說為非有非無，或說為內、或說為外、或復說為非內非外，或說為當、或說為現、或復說為非當非現，或說色心以為佛性、或復言非，或說一切善惡無記以為佛性、或復言非。如是一切無非佛性，雖復異論，莫不皆入一性門中。性義既然，執定是非，無不失旨，經說摸象，喻失在此。斯等諸法，云何名性？為性之義備如初門，良以諸法無不性故，詮題異辨廣略難定，或立為一乃至眾多。所言一者，雖復緣別染淨之殊，性旨一味湛然若虛空，故云一也。或分為二。二有四門：一約緣分二。緣有染淨，染謂生死、淨謂涅槃，生死涅槃體皆是性，故《涅槃》中師子菩薩問於佛性，如來讚言：「師子菩薩具二莊嚴，能問一二；佛具二嚴，能答一二。一謂涅槃、二謂生死。」二體用分二。廢緣論性，性常一味，是其體也。隨緣辨性，性有淨穢，是其用也。三能所分二，一能知性、二所知性。能知性者，謂真識心，以此真心覺知性故，與無明合便起妄知，遠離無明便為正智。如似世人以有報心覺知性故，與昏氣合使起夢知，遠離昏氣使起正智。若無真心覺知性者，終無妄知亦無正知，如草木等無智性故，無有夢知亦無悟知。此能知性，局在眾生，不通非情。故經說言「為非佛性說於佛性。非佛性者，所謂一切牆壁瓦石。」又經說言「凡有心者悉是佛性。」此等皆是能知性也。所知性者，謂如法性、實際、實相、法界、法經、第一義空、一實諦等。如經中說第一義空名為佛性，或言中道名為佛性。如是等言，當知皆是所知性也。此所知性該通內外，故經說言「佛性如空，遍一切處。」四對果分二，一法佛性、二報佛性。法佛性者，本有法體，與彼法佛體無增減，唯有隱顯淨穢為異。如礦中金與出礦時體無多少，亦如凍水與消融時體無增減。報佛性者，本無法體，唯於第八真識心中有其方便可生之義。如礦中金有可造作器具之義，非有器具已在現中。如樹子中未有樹體，唯有方便可生之義。若無生性，雖以無量百千方便佛不可生，如燋種中樹不可生。如《勝鬘》說「如來藏中具過恒沙一切佛法。」《如來藏經》說「眾生中具足如來一切種德。」馬鳴論說「從本以來具足一切性功德法。」《華嚴經》說「一切眾生心微塵中，具無師智、無礙智、廣大智等。」當知皆是法佛之性。如《涅槃》說「眾生身中未有德體，如樹子中未有樹體、箜篌之中未有聲體。」如是等言，當知皆是報佛之性。

Second is the distinguishing of the essence and characteristics of the nature. Now, Buddha-nature is merely one gate within the gates of the dharmadhātu. Although the gates differ, the subtle purport is subtly integrated, and its meaning is nowhere absent. Because it is nowhere absent, there is no condition that is not the nature. Because there is no condition that is not the nature, it is difficult to determine with certainty. Therefore, in the sūtras, sometimes saṃsāra is spoken of as Buddha-nature, and sometimes nirvāṇa is spoken of as Buddha-nature; sometimes it is spoken of as cause, sometimes it is spoken of as fruit, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither cause nor fruit; sometimes it is spoken of as empty, sometimes it is spoken of as existent, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither empty nor existent; sometimes it is spoken of as one, sometimes it is spoken of as different, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither one nor different; sometimes it is spoken of as existent, sometimes it is spoken of as non-existent, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither existent nor non-existent; sometimes it is spoken of as internal, sometimes it is spoken of as external, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither internal nor external; sometimes it is spoken of as future, sometimes it is spoken of as present, and sometimes it is spoken of as neither future nor present; sometimes form and mind are spoken of as Buddha-nature, and sometimes they are said not to be; sometimes all good, evil, and indeterminate [dharmas] are spoken of as Buddha-nature, and sometimes they are said not to be. All such things are nothing other than Buddha-nature; although discussed differently, none fails to enter into the single gate of the nature. Since the meaning of the nature is like this, clinging fixedly to right and wrong will inevitably miss the purport; the sūtra speaks of feeling the elephant, and the error of the metaphor lies here. How are these various dharmas named "nature"? The meaning of being the nature is fully as in the first gate. Since there is truly no dharma that is not the nature, differing explanations and distinctions are difficult to determine as broad or concise: it is established as one, or even as manifold. As for being "one": although conditions differ in their distinction of defiled and pure, the purport of the nature is of one taste, serene as empty space; hence it is called "one". Or it is divided into two. Two has four gates: 1. Divided into two according to conditions. Conditions have defiled and pure: defiled refers to saṃsāra, and pure refers to nirvāṇa. The essences of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are both the nature. Thus in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], Bodhisattva Siṃha asked about Buddha-nature, and the Tathāgata praised him: "Bodhisattva Siṃha is endowed with two adornments, capable of asking about the one and the two; the Buddha is endowed with two adornments, capable of answering about the one and the two. The one refers to nirvāṇa, the two refers to saṃsāra." 2. Divided into two according to essence and function. Setting aside conditions to discuss the nature, the nature is ever of one taste: this is its essence. Distinguishing the nature following conditions, the nature has pure and defiled: this is its function. 3. Divided into two according to subjective and objective: 1. the nature of the cogniser; 2. the nature of the cognised. As for the nature of the cogniser, it refers to the true consciousness mind. Because of the cognitive nature of this true mind, when combined with ignorance it then gives rise to deluded cognition, and when far removed from ignorance it then becomes correct wisdom. Just as worldly people, having the cognitive nature of the retribution mind, when combined with drowsiness are made to give rise to dream cognition, and when far removed from drowsiness are made to give rise to correct awareness. If there were no cognitive nature of the true mind, in the end there would be neither deluded cognition nor correct cognition; just as grass, trees, and the like, lacking the nature of wisdom, have neither dream cognition nor awakening cognition. This nature of the cogniser is restricted to sentient beings and does not extend to the insentient. Thus the sūtra states: "For the sake of what is not Buddha-nature, Buddha-nature is spoken of. That which is not Buddha-nature refers to all walls, tiles, and stones." Again, a sūtra states: "All that have minds are Buddha-nature." These are all the nature of the cogniser. As for the nature of the cognised, it refers to tathatā, dharmatā, bhūtakoṭi, the true mark, the dharmadhātu, the dharma-canon, ultimate emptiness, the single real truth, and the like. As stated in the sūtra, ultimate emptiness is named Buddha-nature, or it says the middle way is named Buddha-nature. One should know that words such as these are all the nature of the cognised. This nature of the cognised encompasses both the internal and the external; hence the sūtra states: "Buddha-nature is like empty space, pervading all places." 4. Divided into two in relation to the fruit: 1. the Dharmakāya Buddha-nature; 2. the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha-nature. As for the Dharmakāya Buddha-nature: it is fundamentally existent dharma-essence; with the essence of that Dharmakāya Buddha it is without increase or decrease, differing only in being concealed or manifest, pure or defiled. It is like the gold in ore having no more or less essence than when extracted from the ore, and also like frozen water having no increase or decrease when melting. As for the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha-nature: it is fundamentally non-existent dharma-essence, having only the meaning of being capable of being produced through skillful means within the eighth true consciousness mind. It is like the gold in ore having the meaning of being capable of being fashioned into utensils, not that the utensils already exist in the present. It is like there not yet being a tree's essence in a tree's seed, having only the meaning of being capable of being produced through skillful means. If there were no nature of production, though using immeasurable hundreds of thousands of skillful means, a Buddha could not be produced, just as a tree cannot be produced from a scorched seed. As the Śrīmālā states: "Within the tathāgatagarbha, all Buddha dharmas exceeding the sands of the Ganges are fully present." The Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra states: "Within sentient beings, all various virtues of the Tathāgata are fully present." Aśvaghoṣa's treatise states: "From the beginning, all dharmas of inherent virtue are fully present." The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: "Within the dust motes of the minds of all sentient beings, unprompted wisdom, unobstructed wisdom, vast wisdom, and the like are fully present." One should know that these are all the Dharmakāya Buddha-nature. As the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] states: "Within the bodies of sentient beings there is not yet an essence of virtue, just as within a tree's seed there is not yet a tree's essence, and within a harp there is not yet a sound's essence." One should know that words such as these are all the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha-nature.