宗鏡錄 80.17

80.17

答。如胎中子。豈不同父姓。若問父姓寧責耆少。又佛性非當現者。只見此理。不可推當。修道乃得。不可言現。只見此理。則約理無差。修道乃得。則隨事不濫。又涅槃經明六盲摸象。各說異端。雖說不諦。亦不離象。如各執五陰空大等六法為佛性。雖說不著。亦不離六法。如頭足之中。既無有象。不可即也。頭足之外。亦無別象。不可離也。非即非離。非內非外。而得言象。眾生佛性。亦復如是。非即六法。非離六法。非內非外。故名中道。名為佛性。若取六法為佛性者。乃是眾盲之佛性。若離六法為佛性者。如指虛空為佛性。如諸婆羅門所謗。為仙預所害。取不即不離中道為佛性者。如大王智臣。所見佛性。十地經云。眾生身中。有金剛佛性。猶如日輪。佛者是覺。人有靈知之覺。今第一義空。與之為性。故名佛性。非情無覺。但持自體。得稱為法。今真性與之為性。故名法性。故云假說能所。而實無差。云何無差。同一性故。外典亦云。天地萬物。同稟陰陽之元氣也。

Answer: Like a child in the womb—how could it not share its father's surname? If one asks about the father's surname, would one blame the child for being old or young? Furthermore, that the Buddha-nature is neither future nor present means: one merely sees this principle, which cannot be postponed to the future; but it is obtained only through cultivating the path, so it cannot be said to be present. If one merely sees this principle, then according to principle there is no disparity; if it is obtained only through cultivating the path, then following phenomena there is no confusion. Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra illustrates six blind men feeling an elephant, each stating a different account; although what they say is not accurate, it also does not depart from the elephant. Just as each clings to one of the six dharmas—the five aggregates, the space element, and so forth—as the Buddha-nature, although they do not hit the mark, they also do not depart from the six dharmas. Just as among the head and feet there is no elephant, so one cannot identify them with it; yet outside the head and feet there is no other elephant, so one cannot separate them from it. Being neither identical nor separate, neither inside nor outside, an elephant can be spoken of. The Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: neither identical to the six dharmas nor separate from the six dharmas, neither inside nor outside; hence it is called the Middle Way, and named the Buddha-nature. If one takes the six dharmas to be the Buddha-nature, that is the Buddha-nature of the blind men. If one departs from the six dharmas to find the Buddha-nature, it is like pointing to empty space as the Buddha-nature, just as the slander of the brahmins who were harmed by Senyo. Those who grasp the Middle Way, being neither identical nor separate, as the Buddha-nature, are like the Buddha-nature seen by the great king and his wise ministers. The Daśabhūmikasūtra states: 'Within the bodies of sentient beings there is the vajra Buddha-nature, resembling the solar disc.' 'Buddha' means awakened; humans possess the awakening of spiritual awareness. Now, the supreme empty truth serves as their nature; hence it is called Buddha-nature. Inanimate things have no awareness; merely maintaining their own substance, they can be called 'dharmas'. Now, the true nature serves as their nature; hence it is called 'dharma-nature'. Therefore it is said that subject and object are provisionally spoken of, while in reality there is no difference. Why is there no difference? Because they are of the same nature. External texts also say: 'Heaven, earth, and the myriad things equally receive the primordial qi of yin and yang.'