宗鏡錄 59.31

59.31

Answer: According to the *Buddhadhātuśāstra*, two natures cannot be extinguished, and one nature can be extinguished. Why? The discriminated nature is fundamentally non-existent, so it cannot be extinguished. The true nature is fundamentally true, so it cannot be extinguished. Although the other-dependent nature exists, it is not real; therefore it can be extinguished. Thus the *Madhyāntavibhāgaśāstra* says: 'The discriminated nature refers to the six sense objects, which can never be obtained, like sky-flowers. The other-dependent nature refers only to confused consciousness; because it exists without being real, it is like an illusory object. The true nature refers to the grasper and the grasped being both non-existent; because it is truly existent and non-existent [in terms of duality], it is like empty space.'