華嚴五十要問答 2.30.3

2.30.3

今上二義，為救闡提迴向一乘兼順三乘，於理有順，故錄附之。 如來藏義者，依《大方等如來藏經》「我以佛眼觀一切眾生，諸煩惱中有如來智、如來眼、如來身，結跏趺坐儼然不動。 」一舉彼天眼觀，未敷華內有如來身結跏趺坐，明如來藏本性具德喻。 二譬如淳蜜在嚴樹中，無數群峯圍繞守護，有人巧智除蜂取蜜，明本德去染成淨喻。 三譬如粳糧米未離皮糩，貧愚輕賤謂為可棄，除蕩既精常為御用，明藏在染同愚異淨喻。 四譬如真金墮不淨處隱沒不現，經歷年載真金不壞，明藏在染難壞喻。 五譬如貧家有珍寶藏寶，不能言我在於此，又無語者不能開發，明藏在染闕緣喻。 六譬如菴羅菓內種不壞，種之於地成大樹王，明藏德會緣成果喻。 七譬如有人持真金像行諸他國，經於險路懼遭劫奪，裹以弊物令無識者棄捐曠野，人謂不淨。 有天眼者知有真像，即為出之令他禮敬，明真德除染生信喻。 八譬如女人貧賤醜陋而懷貴子，經歷多時人謂賤想，明轉想會真成智喻。 九譬如鑄師鑄真金像，既鑄成已，外雖燋黑內像不變，開摸出像金色見曜，明反染歸真應體喻。 佛性義者略有十種，謂體性、因性、果性、業性、相應性、行性、時差別性、遍處性、不變性、無差別性。 依《佛性論》，小乘諸部解執不同。 若依分別部，說一切凡聖眾生竝以空為其本。 所以凡聖眾生皆從空出，故空是佛性，佛性者即大涅槃。 若依毘曇薩婆多等諸部說者，則一切眾生無有性得佛性，但有修得佛性。 分別眾生有三種：一定無佛性永不得涅槃，是闡提犯重禁者。 二不定有無，若修時則得、不修不得，是賢善共位以上人故。 三定有佛性，即三乘人：一聲聞，從苦忍以上即得佛性； 二獨覺，從世第一法以上即得佛性； 三者菩薩，十迴向以上是不退位得於佛性。 問：依《仁王經》言「三賢十聖忍中行，唯佛一人能盡原。 」又論云「十解已上已聖人。 」今十迴向已上得佛性，云何諸經論不同？ 答：此等不同，為有情機欲各別，隨一義說，宜可準之配釋。 此佛性論，初約小乘及迴心初教說。 若後破執成正義，即是終教，即一切眾生皆有佛性，依二空所顯真如是也。 大乘《涅槃經》四句佛性者，非小乘義中及初迴心人作四句義，即是頓教終教佛性及大般涅槃，仍非一乘別教義也。 四句義者：或有佛性，闡提人有、善根人無，謂約行辯性也； 或有佛性，善根人有、闡提人無，謂約位辯性也； 或有佛性，二人俱有，謂約因辨性也； 或有佛性，二人俱無，約果辯性也。 問：闡提之義，斷現善根，因何有行善性？ 答：此約位語。 此世生善根可救者，有現行善性； 他世生善根現不可救者，有行因種子。 此義不同聲聞宗。 此之四位皆具性得及修得二佛性也。 何以故？ 此之二性同於信解淨心處說故，相由成故也。 性得及修得二種佛性，非初非中後，前中後取故。 又驗經文，如來藏為直進菩薩機說，佛性為淳熟聲聞機說。 此中所明如來藏佛性，雖約諸義差別不同，皆是同教一乘義也。 何以故？ 為成普法故、普法所成故。

Now, the above two doctrines are intended to rescue icchantikas, direct them toward the Ekayāna, and also accord with the triyāna; since they accord with reason, they are recorded and appended here.
As for the doctrine of the tathāgatagarbha, it relies on the Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra: “With the buddha-eye I observe all sentient beings: within all afflictions there is the tathāgata's wisdom, the tathāgata's eye, and the tathāgata's body, seated cross-legged, majestic and unmoving.”
First, by mentioning that vision of the divine eye—within the unopened flower there is the tathāgata's body seated cross-legged—it illustrates the simile of the tathāgatagarbha intrinsically possessing virtues.
Second, just as pure honey is in a craggy tree, surrounded and guarded by countless swarms of bees, and a person of skill and wisdom removes the bees to take the honey, it illustrates the simile of the intrinsic virtue shedding defilement to become pure.
Third, just as unhusked non-glutinous rice has not yet been separated from its husks and chaff, and the poor and foolish despise it as something to be discarded, yet once thoroughly cleansed it is constantly used for the royal table, it illustrates the simile of the garbha in defilement being identical [in value] yet [appearing] different from purity to the foolish.
Fourth, just as genuine gold falls into an impure place and is buried out of sight, yet after many years have passed the genuine gold is not corrupted, it illustrates the simile of the garbha in defilement being difficult to destroy.
Fifth, just as a poor family has a storehouse of precious jewels, but the jewels cannot say “I am here,” and without someone to tell of it, it cannot be uncovered, it illustrates the simile of the garbha in defilement lacking conditions [for discovery].
Sixth, just as the seed inside an āmra fruit is not destroyed, and when planted in the ground becomes the king of great trees, it illustrates the simile of the garbha's virtue meeting conditions to bear fruit.
Seventh, just as someone carries a genuine gold statue while traveling to other countries, passes through a treacherous path, fears being robbed, and wraps it in worn rags so that those who do not recognize it abandon it in the wilderness, people considering it impure, but one with the divine eye knows there is a genuine statue and then brings it out for others to pay homage to, it illustrates the simile of true virtue shedding defilement to give rise to faith.
Eighth, just as an impoverished, base, and ugly woman conceives a noble son, and as time passes people regard it with low estimation, it illustrates the simile of transforming conception to merge with truth and attain wisdom.
Ninth, just as a foundry master casts a genuine gold statue, and once cast, though the outside is charred black, the inner statue does not change, and upon opening the mold and extracting the statue its golden color shines forth, it illustrates the simile of turning from defilement to return to truth and accord with the essence.
As for the meaning of buddhadhātu, there are briefly ten kinds: essential nature, causal nature, fruitional nature, karmic nature, associated nature, practice nature, time-distinction nature, omnipresent nature, unchanging nature, and non-differentiated nature. According to the Buddhagotra-śāstra, the various Hīnayāna schools understand and cling to this differently. According to the Vibhajyavādin school, all ordinary and noble beings alike have emptiness as their root. Thus ordinary and noble beings all emerge from emptiness; therefore emptiness is buddhadhātu, and buddhadhātu is the great nirvāṇa. According to the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma and other schools, all sentient beings have no innately acquired buddhadhātu, but only buddhadhātu acquired through cultivation. Sentient beings are differentiated into three kinds: First, those definitely without buddhadhātu who will never attain nirvāṇa—these are icchantikas who violate the grave prohibitions. Second, those indeterminate as to existence or non-existence, who obtain it if they cultivate and do not obtain it if they do not cultivate—because these are people above the stage shared by the virtuous and worthy. Third, those definitely possessing buddhadhātu, namely the people of the triyāna: (1) śrāvakas, who obtain buddhadhātu from the stage of the acceptance of suffering onward; (2) pratyekabuddhas, who obtain buddhadhātu from the supreme worldly dharmas onward; (3) bodhisattvas, who obtain buddhadhātu above the ten dedications, which is the stage of non-retrogression.
Question: According to the Benevolent Kings Sūtra, it says: “The three ranks of the worthy and the ten ranks of the noble practice within patience; only the Buddha alone can exhaust the origin.” Furthermore, a treatise says: “Those above the ten understandings are already noble persons.” Now you say that those above the ten dedications obtain buddhadhātu; why do the various sūtras and treatises differ?
Answer: These differences are because the capacities and inclinations of sentient beings are distinct; [each] is taught according to a single perspective, and they should be matched and explained accordingly. This Buddhagotra-śāstra initially explains according to the Hīnayāna and the initial teaching for those who divert their minds. If subsequently it refutes attachments to establish the correct doctrine, that is the final teaching, namely that all sentient beings have buddhadhātu, which is the tathatā revealed by the two kinds of emptiness.
As for the four propositions on buddhadhātu in the Mahāyāna Nirvāṇa-sūtra, they are not the four propositions formulated in the sense of the Hīnayāna or for those who have just diverted their minds; rather, they are the buddhadhātu and the Mahāparinirvāṇa of the sudden teaching and final teaching, though still not the doctrine of the distinct teaching of the Ekayāna. The four propositions are:
Some buddhadhātu is possessed by icchantikas but not by those with good roots—this explains nature in terms of practice.
Some buddhadhātu is possessed by those with good roots but not by icchantikas—this explains nature in terms of stage.
Some buddhadhātu is possessed by both persons—this explains nature in terms of cause.
Some buddhadhātu is possessed by neither person—this explains nature in terms of fruit.
Question: The meaning of an icchantika is that they have severed their present good roots; on what basis do they have the nature of practicing goodness?
Answer: This is spoken in terms of stage. For those who generate good roots in this lifetime and can be saved, they possess the nature of active goodness; for those who generate good roots in other lifetimes and cannot presently be saved, they possess the causal seed of practice. This meaning differs from the śrāvaka school. These four stages all fully possess both the innately acquired and cultivation-acquired buddhadhātus. Why? Because these two natures are both explained at the locus of the pure mind of faith and understanding, and because they are mutually accomplished. The two kinds of buddhadhātu—innately acquired and cultivation-acquired—are neither initial, nor intermediate, nor final, because they are grasped across the prior, intermediate, and posterior. Furthermore, examining the text of the sūtras, the tathāgatagarbha is taught for the capacity of bodhisattvas of direct advancement, while buddhadhātu is taught for the capacity of mature śrāvakas. Although the tathāgatagarbha and buddhadhātu clarified here differ according to various meanings, they are all the meaning of the common teaching Ekayāna. Why? Because they are meant to establish the universal Dharma, and are established by the universal Dharma.