華嚴五十要問答 2.30.3

2.30.3

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.