宗鏡錄 5.7

5.7

答。法相多說事相。法性唯談理性。如法相宗。離第八識。無眼等諸識。若法性宗。離如來藏。無有八識。若真如不守自性。變識之時。此八識。即是真性上隨緣之義。或分宗辯相。事則兩分。若性相相成。理歸一義。以不變隨緣。隨緣不變故。如全波之水。全水之波。動靜似分濕性無異。清涼記引密嚴經偈云。如來清淨藏。世間阿賴耶。如金與指鐶。展轉無差別。即賴耶體。是如來藏。與妄染合。名阿賴耶。更無別體。又金色如指鐶金體即金。然此上異。總有四句。一以本成末。本隱末存。此即存隱不異。故云以妄無體。攬真而起。則真無不隱。唯妄現也。二攝末歸本。末盡本顯。此即顯滅明不異故。故云以真體實。妄無不盡。唯真現也。三攝本從末末存。攝末歸本本顯。此則兩法俱存。但真妄有異。即有真有妄。明不異故。故云是即無體之妄。不異體實之真。故云無有異也。四攝本從末本隱。是不無義。攝末歸本末盡。是不有義。此則不有不無明不異。亦是末後二句。又非異故非邊。不一故非中。非中非邊。是無寄法界。妙智所證。湛然常住。無所寄也。又非一即非異故。恒居邊而即中等。又非一即生死。非異即涅槃。非一即非異故。恒住生死。即處涅槃等。亦可眾生迷故。成阿賴耶。如來悟故。成如來藏。如金隨工匠緣成時。展作指鐶。如指鐶隨爐火緣壞時。却復為金。成壞展轉。但是一金。更無差別。如來藏心。亦復如是。但隨染緣之時。迷作阿賴耶。隨淨緣之時。悟成如來藏。本末展轉。唯是一心。畢竟無別。如無生義云。眾生身中有涅槃。即是末中含有本。眾生是涅槃家用。即是本中含有末。貪欲即是道。即是末中含有本。貪欲即是道家用。即是本中含有末。故經言。一切凡夫。常在於定。

Answer: Dharma Characteristics mostly speaks of phenomenal characteristics, whereas Dharma Nature solely discusses the nature of principle. For instance, in the Dharma Characteristics school, apart from the eighth consciousness there are no visual or other consciousnesses. In the Dharma Nature school, apart from the tathāgatagarbha there are no eight consciousnesses. When tathatā does not abide by its own nature and transforms into consciousness, these eight consciousnesses are precisely the meaning of following conditions upon the true nature. If one differentiates the schools and distinguishes their characteristics, phenomena are divided into two. If nature and characteristics complete each other, principle returns to a single meaning, because it is unchanging while following conditions and follows conditions while unchanging. It is like water that is wholly waves, and waves that are wholly water; movement and stillness seem distinct, but their wet nature is without difference. The Qingliang Commentary quotes a verse from the Ghanavyūhasūtra: / 'The pure tathāgatagarbha / Is the worldly ālayavijñāna; / Like gold and a finger-ring, / Through all transformations they are without difference.' / That is, the substance of the ālayavijñāna is the tathāgatagarbha; combined with delusive defilement, it is called ālayavijñāna, having no separate substance. Furthermore, the color of gold is like the finger-ring, and the substance of the finger-ring is simply gold. Now, regarding these differences above, there are in total four phrases: First, using the root to establish the branches: the root is concealed and the branches remain. This explains that concealment and remainder are not different. Therefore it is said: because delusion lacks substance and arises by gathering the real, the real is entirely concealed and only delusion appears. Second, gathering the branches to return to the root: the branches are exhausted and the root is manifested. This explains that manifestation and extinction are not different. Therefore it is said: because the substance of the real is actual, delusion is entirely exhausted and only the real appears. Third, gathering the root to follow the branches, the branches remain; gathering the branches to return to the root, the root is manifested. Here, both dharmas are preserved, but the real and the delusive are different. That is, there is both the real and the delusive, clarifying their non-difference. Therefore it is said: this means delusion without substance is not different from the real whose substance is actual; hence it is said that there is no difference. Fourth, gathering the root to follow the branches, the root is concealed—this is the meaning of not being non-existent; gathering the branches to return to the root, the branches are exhausted—this is the meaning of not being existent. This clarifies non-difference through neither existence nor non-existence, and also constitutes the final two phrases. Furthermore, because it is not different, it is not an extreme; because it is not one, it is not the middle. Neither middle nor extreme is the unattached dharmadhātu, realized by wondrous wisdom, serenely eternal and without attachment. Furthermore, because non-oneness is immediately non-difference, it constantly abides in the extreme while being immediately in the middle, and so forth. Furthermore, non-oneness is saṃsāra, and non-difference is nirvāṇa; because non-oneness is immediately non-difference, constantly abiding in saṃsāra is immediately being in nirvāṇa, and so forth. One may also say: because sentient beings are bewildered, it becomes the ālayavijñāna; because the Tathāgata is awakened, it becomes the tathāgatagarbha. It is like when gold follows the conditions of a craftsman and is fashioned into a finger-ring, and when the finger-ring follows the conditions of the furnace fire and melts down, it reverts to being gold again. Throughout formation and destruction, it is merely the one gold, without any difference whatsoever. The mind of the tathāgatagarbha is also like this: only when following defiled conditions does it become bewildered and act as the ālayavijñāna; when following pure conditions does it awaken and become the tathāgatagarbha. Root and branches alternate, yet it is solely the one mind, ultimately without difference. As stated in the Meaning of Non-Arising: 'Nirvāṇa is within the bodies of sentient beings' means that the branches contain the root. 'Sentient beings are the domestic function of nirvāṇa' means that the root contains the branches. 'Greedy desire is immediately the Path' means that the branches contain the root. 'Greedy desire is the domestic function of the Path' means that the root contains the branches. Therefore the scripture says: 'All ordinary persons are constantly in samādhi.'