四教義 3.5

3.5

三明別教四門者，若用《中論》「亦名為假名」而辨四門者，即別教之四門，《大智度論》四句亦得也。此別教四門意，正出《大涅槃經》，但多散說，約乳明四句譬，即是別教四門也。若明佛性如乳有酪性、石有金性、力士額珠，即是有門。若明石無金性、乳無酪性、眾生佛性猶如虛空、大涅槃空、迦毘羅城空，即是空門也。《涅槃經》又云：「佛性亦有亦無者，即云何為有？一切眾生悉皆有心故。云何為無？從善巧方便而得見故。」又譬如乳中亦有酪性亦無酪性，即是亦有亦無門也。若明佛性即是中道，百非雙遣故。經譬云：「乳中非有酪性非無酪性」，即是非空非有門也。別教菩薩別稟此四門之教，因見佛性、住大涅槃，故此四句之教即是別教之四門也。今一往約《涅槃經》文分別別教四門之相，但此經文或可是圓教四門，至下圓教四門自當料簡同異也。問曰：若別教四門但出《涅槃經》，若爾，前諸摩訶衍經何意無別教四門也？答曰：《大涅槃經》是解釋前教之經，此前諸摩訶衍豈無別教四門？具出經文，事盛繁也。

Third, explaining the four gates of the distinctive teaching: If one uses the phrase 'it is also called conventional designation' from the Madhyamaka-kārikā to distinguish the four gates, these are the four gates of the distinctive teaching; the four phrases from the Dà zhìdù lùn may also be used. The import of these four gates of the distinctive teaching directly emerges from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, though it is mostly expounded in scattered places; explaining the four-phrase metaphors in terms of milk constitutes the four gates of the distinctive teaching. If it explains that Buddha-nature is like milk having the nature of curd, a stone having the nature of gold, or the jewel on the wrestler's forehead, this is the gate of existence. If it explains that a stone has no nature of gold, milk has no nature of curd, sentient beings' Buddha-nature is like empty space, the great nirvāṇa is empty, or the city of Kapilavastu is empty, this is the gate of emptiness. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra also says: 'Regarding Buddha-nature being both existent and non-existent: how is it existent? Because all sentient beings possess mind. How is it non-existent? Because it is seen through skillful expedients.' Moreover, just as in milk there is both the nature of curd and no nature of curd, this is the gate of both existence and non-existence. If it explains that Buddha-nature is identical to the middle way because the hundred negations are mutually eliminated—as the sūtra's metaphor says: 'In milk there is neither the nature of curd nor no nature of curd'—this is the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. The bodhisattvas of the distinctive teaching distinctively receive the teaching of these four gates, and through it they see Buddha-nature and abide in great nirvāṇa; therefore the teachings of these four phrases are the four gates of the distinctive teaching. Now, for the time being, we distinguish the characteristics of the four gates of the distinctive teaching according to the text of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, yet this sūtra text may perhaps also be the four gates of the perfect teaching; when we come below to the four gates of the perfect teaching, we shall naturally analyze their similarities and differences. Question: If the four gates of the distinctive teaching only come from the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, then why do the previous Mahāyāna sūtras lack the four gates of the distinctive teaching? Answer: The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra is a sūtra that explains the previous teachings; how could those earlier Mahāyāna sūtras lack the four gates of the distinctive teaching? To cite the sūtra passages in full would be too cumbersome.