法界次第初門 3.53

3.53

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.