Chinese
无佛性之法性。容在小宗。即法性之佛性。方曰大教。故今问子。诸经论中。法界实际实相真性等。为同法性在无情中。为同真如分为两派。若同真如。诸教不见无情法界及实际等。若在无情。但名法性非佛性者。何故华严须弥山顶偈赞品云。了知一切法。自性无所有。若能如是解。则见卢舍那。岂非诸法本有舍那之性耶。又云。法性本空寂。无取亦无见。性空即是佛。不可得思量。又精进慧云。法性本清净。如空无有相。此亦无所修。能见大牟尼。岂于无性又云无修能见牟尼。又真实慧云。一切法无相。是则真佛体。既真佛体在一切法。请子思之。当免迷教。及迷佛性之进否也。故真如随缘即佛性随缘。佛之一字即法佛也。故法佛与真如体一名异。故佛性论第一云。佛性者。即人法二空所显真如。当知真如即佛性异名。华严又云。众生非众生。二俱无真实。如是诸法性。实义俱非有。言众生非众生。岂非情与无情。二俱随缘并皆不变。故俱非有。所以法界实际一切皆然。故知法性之名不专无情中之真如也。以由世人共迷法相名异体一故也。然虽体同不无小别。凡有性名者多在凡在理。如云佛性理性真性藏性实性等。无性名者多通凡圣因果事理。如云法界及实相等。如三昧陀罗尼波罗蜜等。则唯在于果。所以因名佛性 现代汉语译本： 不含佛性的法性，只能容纳于小乘教义。唯有具备法性的佛性，才可称为大乘教义。因此现在我问你，在各种经论中，法界（Dharmadhatu，宇宙万有）、实际（Reality，真实存在）、实相（True Appearance，事物本来的面目）、真性（True Nature，真实的本性）等，是与无情众生中的法性相同，还是与真如（Tathata，如如不动的真理）一样分为两派？如果与真如相同，那么各种经典中就不会出现无情众生的法界以及实际等概念。如果存在于无情众生中，只能称为法性而非佛性，那么为何《华严经·须弥山顶偈赞品》中说：‘了知一切法，自性无所有，若能如是解，则见卢舍那（Locana，光明遍照）。’这难道不是说一切法本身就具有卢舍那佛的佛性吗？又说：‘法性本空寂，无取亦无见，性空即是佛，不可得思量。’又《精进慧经》说：‘法性本清净，如空无有相，此亦无所修，能见大牟尼（Mahamuni，伟大的圣人）。’难道在无性的状态下，又说无需修行就能见到牟尼佛吗？又《真实慧经》说：‘一切法无相，是则真佛体。’既然真佛体存在于一切法中，请你仔细思考，应当避免迷惑于教义，以及对佛性的理解产生偏差。所以真如随缘即是佛性随缘，‘佛’这个字本身就代表法佛（Dharma Buddha，体现真理的佛）。因此，法佛与真如在本体上是同名异称。所以《佛性论》第一卷说：‘佛性，即是人法二空所显现的真如。’应当明白真如就是佛性的另一个名称。《华严经》又说：‘众生非众生，二俱无真实，如是诸法性，实义俱非有。’说‘众生非众生’，难道不是指有情众生和无情众生，二者都随缘而变，却又都不改变其本性，所以说二者都不是真实存在的吗？因此，法界、实际等一切概念都是如此。由此可知，法性这个名称并非只专指无情众生中的真如。这是因为世人普遍迷惑于法相，认为名称不同，本体也不同。然而，虽然本体相同，但并非没有细微的差别。凡是带有‘性’字的名词，大多指凡夫或理体，例如佛性、理性、真性、藏性、实性等。不带‘性’字的名词，大多贯通凡圣、因果、事理，例如法界以及实相等。而像三昧（Samadhi，禅定）、陀罗尼（Dharani，总持）、波罗蜜（Paramita，到彼岸）等，则只存在于果位。所以，在因位时称为佛性。
English
English version: A Dharma-nature without Buddha-nature can only be accommodated in Hinayana (Small Vehicle) teachings. Only a Buddha-nature that possesses Dharma-nature can be called Mahayana (Great Vehicle) teachings. Therefore, I now ask you, in various sutras and treatises, are Dharmadhatu (the realm of all phenomena), Reality (true existence), True Appearance (the true nature of things), and True Nature (the real essence) the same as Dharma-nature in insentient beings, or are they divided into two schools like Tathata (Suchness, the unchanging truth)? If they are the same as Tathata, then the Dharma-realm and Reality, etc., of insentient beings would not appear in various teachings. If they exist in insentient beings and can only be called Dharma-nature and not Buddha-nature, then why does the ‘Verses in Praise’ chapter on the summit of Mount Sumeru in the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra) say: ‘Understanding that all dharmas are without self-nature, if one can understand in this way, then one sees Locana (the Illuminator).’ Does this not mean that all dharmas inherently possess the Buddha-nature of Locana? It also says: ‘Dharma-nature is originally empty and still, without grasping or seeing; emptiness of nature is Buddha, beyond thought.’ Furthermore, the Sutra of Diligent Wisdom says: ‘Dharma-nature is originally pure, like space without form; there is nothing to cultivate, and one can see the Great Muni (Sage).’ Is it not said that in a state of no-nature, one can see the Muni without cultivation? Also, the Sutra of True Wisdom says: ‘All dharmas are without form; this is the true Buddha-body.’ Since the true Buddha-body exists in all dharmas, please consider this carefully, and you should avoid being confused by the teachings and having deviations in your understanding of Buddha-nature. Therefore, Tathata following conditions is the same as Buddha-nature following conditions; the word ‘Buddha’ itself represents Dharma Buddha (the Buddha who embodies truth). Thus, Dharma Buddha and Tathata are different names for the same essence. Therefore, the first chapter of the Treatise on Buddha-Nature says: ‘Buddha-nature is the Tathata manifested by the emptiness of both person and dharma.’ It should be understood that Tathata is another name for Buddha-nature. The Avatamsaka Sutra also says: ‘Sentient beings are not sentient beings; both are without reality; such is the nature of all dharmas; the true meaning is that neither exists.’ Saying ‘sentient beings are not sentient beings,’ does this not refer to both sentient and insentient beings, both changing with conditions and yet not changing their inherent nature, so it is said that neither is truly existent? Therefore, the Dharmadhatu, Reality, and all concepts are like this. From this, it can be known that the name Dharma-nature does not exclusively refer to the Tathata in insentient beings. This is because people are generally confused by the characteristics of dharmas, thinking that different names mean different essences. However, although the essence is the same, there are subtle differences. Generally, nouns with the word ‘-nature’ mostly refer to ordinary beings or the principle, such as Buddha-nature, rational-nature, true-nature, store-nature, and real-nature. Nouns without the word ‘-nature’ mostly encompass the ordinary and the holy, cause and effect, phenomena and principle, such as Dharmadhatu and Reality. And like Samadhi (meditative absorption), Dharani (mantra), and Paramita (perfection), they only exist in the fruition stage. Therefore, in the causal stage, it is called Buddha-nature. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
等者。众生实未成佛得理证真开藏。以烦恼生死是佛等性。示令修习名佛等性。而诸教之中诸名互立。涅槃经中多云佛性者。佛是果人。言一切众生皆有果人之性。故偏言之。世人迷故而不从果。云众生有故失体遍。又云遍者。以由烦恼心性体遍。云佛性遍。故知。不识佛性遍者。良由不知烦恼性遍故。唯心之言岂唯真心。子尚不知烦恼心遍。安能了知生死色遍。色何以遍。色即心故。何者。依报共造正报别造。岂信共遍不信别遍耶。能造所造既是唯心。心体不可局方所故。所以十方佛土皆有众生理性心种。以性喻空。具如涅槃一十复次。故知。不晓大小教门名体同异。此是学释教者之大患也。故身子云。我等同入法性。及亦得解脱等。子初不达余之义旨。故闻之惊骇。为子申已理合释然。故知。世人局我遮那唯阴质内。而直云诸法是无情者。则有二种不如外道。外道尚云我大色小我遍虚空。又外道犹计众尘所成。亦不直云无情而已。又有二种不如小乘。小乘尚云犹业力造造遍三界。又小乘犹知诸法无常。亦不直云无情而已。又有二种不如共乘。共乘尚知造心幻化幻遍三界。又知诸法体性即真。若次第乘故非所拟。子闻是已。亦合薄知教法权实佛性进否。 客曰。仁善分别实坏重疑。信一切法皆正因性。而云正 现代汉语译本 ‘等’的含义是：众生实际上尚未成佛，需要通过证悟真理来开启内在的宝藏。因为烦恼和生死与佛的本性是相同的，所以通过修行来显现这种佛的本性。各种教派对此有不同的名称。在《涅槃经》中，经常提到‘佛性’（Buddha-nature）。佛是已经证得果位的人，说一切众生都具有成佛的潜能，因此侧重于从果的角度来说。世人因为迷惑而不能从果的角度理解。说众生具有佛性，是因为佛性遍布一切。又说‘遍’，是因为烦恼的本性与心性是相通的，所以说佛性遍布一切。因此，不认识佛性遍布一切的人，是因为不了解烦恼的本性遍布一切。‘唯心’（Mind-only）的说法难道仅仅指真心吗？你尚且不了解烦恼心遍布一切，又怎么能了解生死和色法的遍布？色法为什么遍布一切？因为色法即是心。为什么这样说呢？因为依报是共同创造的，正报是各自创造的。难道相信共同创造的遍布，而不相信各自创造的遍布吗？能创造的和所创造的都是唯心所现，而心的本体是无法局限于某个方位的。所以十方佛土都具有众生的理性心种。以‘性’来比喻空性，详细内容见《涅槃经》第一十卷。因此，不了解大小乘教义的名相、体性、相同和差异，这是学习佛教的人的一大弊病。所以舍利弗（Sariputra）说：‘我们都进入了法性’，以及‘也得到了解脱’等等。你最初不理解这些话的含义，所以听了之后感到惊骇。为你解释之后，理应释然。因此，世人将我和毗卢遮那佛（Vairocana）局限于阴质之内，而直接说诸法是无情的，这就有两种不如外道的地方。外道尚且说我的本体大，色法小，我的本体遍布虚空。而且外道还认为世界是由众多微尘组成的，也不直接说一切都是无情的。又有两种不如小乘的地方。小乘尚且说世界是由业力创造的，遍布三界。而且小乘还知道诸法是无常的，也不直接说一切都是无情的。又有两种不如共乘的地方。共乘尚且知道世界是由心所幻化的，幻化遍布三界。而且知道诸法的体性就是真如。如果是次第乘，那就更无法相比了。你听了这些之后，也应该稍微了解教法的权巧和真实，以及佛性的进步与否。 客人说：您善于分辨，确实消除了我心中的疑惑。我相信一切法都具有正因的性质。但是，您说正
English
English version ‘Equivalence’ means that sentient beings have not actually attained Buddhahood and need to realize the truth to open their inner treasure. Because afflictions and birth-and-death are the same as the Buddha-nature, it is shown to be cultivated, which is called Buddha-nature. Among the various teachings, different names are established for this. In the Nirvana Sutra, it is often said ‘Buddha-nature’ (Buddha-nature). Buddha is the person who has attained the fruit. It is said that all sentient beings have the potential to become Buddhas, so it focuses on the perspective of the fruit. People are confused and cannot understand from the perspective of the fruit. It is said that sentient beings have Buddha-nature because it pervades everything. It is also said ‘pervades’ because the nature of afflictions is connected to the nature of mind, so it is said that Buddha-nature pervades everything. Therefore, those who do not recognize that Buddha-nature pervades everything do not understand that the nature of afflictions pervades everything. Does the saying ‘Mind-only’ (Mind-only) only refer to the true mind? You do not even understand that the afflicted mind pervades everything, how can you understand the pervasiveness of birth-and-death and form? Why does form pervade everything? Because form is mind. Why is this said? Because the circumstantial rewards are created together, and the direct rewards are created separately. Do you believe that what is created together pervades, but not what is created separately? What is created and what is created are both manifestations of Mind-only, and the substance of mind cannot be limited to a certain direction. Therefore, all Buddha-lands in the ten directions have the rational mind-seeds of sentient beings. ‘Nature’ is used to describe emptiness, as detailed in the tenth volume of the Nirvana Sutra. Therefore, not understanding the names, essence, similarities, and differences of the teachings of the Great and Small Vehicles is a major problem for those who study Buddhism. Therefore, Sariputra (Sariputra) said: ‘We have all entered the Dharma-nature,’ and ‘have also attained liberation,’ and so on. You initially did not understand the meaning of these words, so you were shocked after hearing them. After explaining it to you, you should be relieved. Therefore, people confine me and Vairocana Buddha (Vairocana) within the yin substance, and directly say that all dharmas are inanimate, which is inferior to externalists in two ways. Externalists still say that my body is large, form is small, and my body pervades space. Moreover, externalists still believe that the world is made up of many dust particles, and do not directly say that everything is inanimate. There are two ways in which it is inferior to the Small Vehicle. The Small Vehicle still says that the world is created by karmic force and pervades the three realms. Moreover, the Small Vehicle still knows that all dharmas are impermanent, and does not directly say that everything is inanimate. There are two ways in which it is inferior to the Common Vehicle. The Common Vehicle still knows that the world is transformed by the mind and pervades the three realms. Moreover, it knows that the essence of all dharmas is true thusness. If it is a gradual vehicle, then it is even more incomparable. After hearing this, you should also have a slight understanding of the expedient and true teachings, and the progress or lack thereof of Buddha-nature. The guest said: Your skillful distinctions have indeed dispelled the doubts in my mind. I believe that all dharmas have the nature of a positive cause. However, you say that the positive --------------------------------------------------------------------------------