法界次第初門 3.53

3.53

十三、自相空。自相空者，一切法有二種相：一總相、二別相。總相者，如無常等。別相者，諸法雖無常，而各有別相，如地有堅相、火有熱相。如是二種相皆空，故名相空。分別性、相不同，或言名異體同，或云名體俱異。所以者何？性言其體，相言其識。性以據內，相以據外。相如見黃色為金相而內是銅，火燒、石磨知非金相性，故別明相空。

Thirteenth: specific-characteristic emptiness. Specific-characteristic emptiness: all dharmas have two kinds of characteristics: first, general characteristics; second, specific characteristics. General characteristics are like impermanence and so forth. Specific characteristics: although dharmas are impermanent, each has its specific characteristic, just as earth has the characteristic of solidity and fire has the characteristic of heat. These two kinds of characteristics are both empty, hence it is called characteristic-emptiness. When distinguishing nature and characteristic as different: some say the names differ while the substance is the same; some say both name and substance differ. Why is this? 'Nature' refers to its substance; 'characteristic' refers to its cognitive recognition. Nature is based internally; characteristic is based externally. Characteristic is like seeing yellow as the characteristic of gold while internally it is copper; by burning with fire and grinding on stone, one knows it is not the nature of gold; therefore characteristic-emptiness is clarified separately.