Non-Difference, and the Treatise's Close
This final chapter takes up the tenth and last mark: non-difference. Buddha-nature, the treatise argues, is addressed under four different names to four different kinds of persons — dharmakāya to those still gripped by the view of a bodily self, tathāgata to the two vehicles caught in inverted practice, the truth of reality to bodhisattvas newly on the path and still confused about the tathāgatagarbha, and nirvāṇa to bodhisattvas at the ten grounds themselves — yet in every case naming the very same, undivided nature. The treatise closes with its own three-part statement of why, after four fascicles, it was written at all.
Four Meanings, Four Names
復次無差別義應知。無差別者，此如來性已至極清淨位。若略說，是無流界中，約如來性有四義，因此四義故立四名，約於四人顯以四德。四義者，一者一切佛法前後不相離、二者一切處皆如、三者非妄想倒法、四者本性寂靜。
釋曰：一切佛法前後不相離者，如《勝鬘經》說：世尊！如來藏不空過恒沙數等不相離不捨智不可思惟諸佛功德故。知如來藏由如來功德故不空。不空者，即明佛具足一切功德故。此性一切處皆如者，一切諸法無自性故。如《無上依經》說：一切眾生有陰界入，勝負種類內外所現，無始時節相續流轉，法然所得至明妙善。以是義故，故知一切處皆如。非妄想顛倒法者，如《解節經》中說，佛告無盡意菩薩：善男子！如來性者是真實諦，若如來出世及不出世，性相常然，非虛妄法。由此經故，知無妄想倒法名真實諦。本性寂靜者，如《文殊師利遍行經》說，佛言：文殊師利！諸佛如來本性自般涅槃，不生不滅。以是義故，故知本來自性寂靜。
復次立四名者，一由佛法不相離故說名法身、二由性一切處如故名如來、三由無虛妄顛倒故名真實諦、四由本來寂靜故名般涅槃。是四義四名，於如來性無有差別故，說無差別相。
Next, the meaning of non-difference should be understood. "Non-difference" means the Tathāgata's nature has already reached the stage of utmost purity. Briefly stated, within the outflow-free realm, with respect to the Tathāgata's nature, there are four meanings; on account of these four meanings, four names are established; and with respect to four kinds of persons, four virtues are manifested. The four meanings are: that every buddha-dharma, from beginning to end, is never separate from it; that it is thus, everywhere, in every place; that it is not a dharma of delusive inversion; and that its own nature is inherently still.
Explanation: as to "every buddha-dharma, from beginning to end, is never separate from it" — as the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says: "World-Honored One! The tathāgatagarbha is not empty, being never separate from the Tathāgata's own virtues beyond the sands of the Ganges." Hence we know the tathāgatagarbha, on account of the Tathāgata's own virtues, is not empty — "not empty" meaning precisely that the Buddha is complete with every virtue. As to "this nature is thus, everywhere, in every place" — because no dharma whatsoever possesses fixed self-nature. As the Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśa Sūtra says: "All sentient beings, possessing the aggregates, elements, and sense-fields, manifesting in every superior and inferior kind, revolving since beginningless time — this same nature, spontaneously attained, arrives at bright, wondrous goodness." As to "it is not a dharma of delusive inversion" — as the Sandhinirmocana Sūtra says, the Buddha told Akṣayamati Bodhisattva: "Good son! The Tathāgata's nature is the truth of reality itself — whether the Tathāgata appears in the world or not, its nature and characteristic remain forever the same, not a false dharma at all." As to "its own nature is inherently still" — as the Mañjuśrī-vihāra Sūtra says, the Buddha said: "Mañjuśrī! The buddhas and tathāgatas, by their own inherent nature, are already in parinirvāṇa — unborn, unceasing."
Next, as to the establishing of four names: because the buddha-dharmas are never separate from it, it is called the dharmakāya; because its nature is thus in every place, it is called tathāgata; because it is free of falseness and inversion, it is called the truth of reality; and because it is originally still, it is called mahāparinirvāṇa. These four meanings and four names, with respect to the Tathāgata's nature, involve no distinction whatsoever — hence it is called the mark of non-difference.
One Nature, Addressed to Four Kinds of Persons
復次約四人者，一者非身見眾生境界，由此真性是邪執對治故，為身見人說名法身。問曰：云何對此人以真如名法身？答曰：是諸凡夫色等諸陰無有此性，強橫執有我及有我所，由此人法二執染污其心，身見滅處是甘露界不能信樂，何能通達如來法界？若見此界身見執滅，雖復身見已除未除此界恒爾，是故此界乃名真身。凡夫所執既非真實，故不俱在不得名身，為對如是身見凡夫立名為身。
二者對顛倒人說名如來，顛倒人者謂二乘人。如來常住應修應行，而翻倒修無常想等。何以故？此修依於虛妄境起，故名倒修。樂我淨等亦復如是，由倒行故，一切二乘不能進修得與如來道果相稱，是故常等真如非其境界。此真如者，不如無常等世間對治故。此真如非如中，有如無非如；亦如二乘如者，是非如中如，無非如中非如。云何如此二乘之人，約虛妄觀無常等相以為真如？此虛妄觀唯因中有，果地則無。是故此如或成或壞，因中則成、果地則壞。菩薩如者離於虛妄，約真性以觀真故如。此如於因果中二處無異故，唯成不壞。是故二乘人如，逐其定滅，去而不來。菩薩如者，因果恒有，去來不異，捨因到果，故稱如去。從果出用，故曰如來。是故如來非二乘境界，故對二乘立如來名。
三者對散動心人說名真諦，真如者是無增減法。散動心人者，始行大乘菩薩迷如來藏，有二種人：一者唯信滅除諸法名之為空，一切諸法未分析時是名為有，若分析竟乃名為空。二者謂有實法名之為空，我今應修應得。此二人者迷如來藏，前則執無故迷，後人執有故迷。如來藏者，道理何相？如偈說言：
無一法可損， 無一法可增，
應見實如實， 見實得解脫。
由客塵故空， 與法界相離；
無上法不空， 與法界相隨。
如來性者，自清淨故；能染客塵者，自性空故，故言無一法可損。真如者，與清淨因不相離，過恒沙數等不捨智不可思惟諸佛功德恒相應故，故言無一法可增。若法無，因此無法觀真如空，以餘法有故，觀如不空，故言真如亦空不空。何以故？以離增減二邊故，無一法可損，故是空；無一法可增，故非空，若作是觀名真實觀，故得遠離增減二邊。為始行菩薩不能得見此藏理故，為對此人說真實諦，從初地至十地是其境界，觀於此理行十地行，是故非關始行境界。
四者對十地菩薩說名涅槃。唯佛一人能得涅槃，餘諸菩薩不能至故。如《勝鬘經》說：世尊！由得涅槃故，世尊成就如來、阿羅訶、三藐三佛陀，得一切無量不可思惟究竟清淨諸佛功德。是故涅槃四種功德無差別相。復次四功德者，一一切功德、二無量功德、三不可思惟功德、四究竟清淨功德。由得涅槃故成如來，是故如來與於涅槃無有差別。何以故？若離佛者無得涅槃，若離涅槃無得佛故。
Next, as to the four kinds of persons: first, it is not the domain of beings who hold the view of a bodily self — because this true nature is precisely the antidote to that mistaken attachment, it is spoken of, to such persons, under the name "dharmakāya." Question: "Why, when addressing this kind of person, is suchness named 'dharmakāya'?" Answer: "These ordinary beings' aggregates of form and the rest do not possess this nature — they forcibly and wrongly attach to the existence of a self and of things belonging to a self, and, through this twofold attachment to person and dharma, their minds are defiled. The very place where the view of a bodily self is extinguished is the ambrosial realm, which they are unable to believe in or delight in — how, then, could they penetrate the Tathāgata's dharma-realm? Whether or not this attachment has been removed, this realm itself remains constantly the same — hence this realm alone is properly called the true 'body.' What ordinary beings attach to is not, after all, truly real, and cannot properly be called 'body' at all — it is precisely to address such ordinary beings that the name 'body' is established."
Second, to those who hold inverted views the name "tathāgata" is given — "inverted" persons here referring to followers of the two vehicles. The Tathāgata's permanent abiding is what ought to be cultivated, and yet they cultivate, inversely, the conception of impermanence and the like instead, this cultivation arising dependent on a false object. Bliss, self, and purity are exactly the same: on account of this inverted practice, followers of the two vehicles are unable to advance and attain a fruit commensurate with the Tathāgata's own path — hence suchness, with its permanence and the rest, is not their domain at all. This suchness is not the kind of thusness merely posited as an antidote to worldly impermanence. The two vehicles' own "thusness" is itself only a "thusness" within what is not truly thus. How is it that these followers of the two vehicles take the marks of impermanence, contemplated through a false lens, to be suchness itself? This false contemplation exists only at the causal stage, and is absent at the resultant stage — hence this "thusness" of theirs is sometimes accomplished and sometimes destroyed. The bodhisattva's thusness, by contrast, is free of falseness, contemplating the true by reference to the true nature itself — being no different between the causal and resultant stages, it is accomplished only, never destroyed. Hence the two vehicles' "thusness" follows its own fixed extinction, departing and never returning; the bodhisattva's thusness is constantly present in both cause and fruit — leaving the cause and arriving at the fruit, it is called "thus-gone"; emerging from the fruit into function, it is called "thus-come." Hence the Tathāgata is not the domain of the two vehicles at all — and it is to address them that the name "tathāgata" is established.
Third, to those of a scattered, restless mind, the name "truth of reality" is given — suchness being a dharma admitting neither increase nor decrease. "Those of a scattered, restless mind" refers to bodhisattvas just beginning their practice, still confused about the tathāgatagarbha, of two kinds: first, those who believe only that the elimination of dharmas is what is called emptiness, holding that, before dharmas have been analyzed, this is called "existence," and only once analysis is complete is it called "emptiness"; second, those who hold that there is some real dharma that is itself called "emptiness," thinking, "this is what I ought now to cultivate and attain." Both are confused about the tathāgatagarbha — the first through attachment to non-existence, the second through attachment to existence. What, in principle, is the true mark of the tathāgatagarbha? As the verse says:
Not a single dharma can be diminished, not a single dharma can be increased;
one should see reality exactly as it truly is — seeing reality, one attains liberation.
By reason of adventitious defilement, it is spoken of as empty, separate, in that sense, from the dharma-realm;
the unsurpassed dharma is not empty, inseparably accompanying the dharma-realm.
As to "the Tathāgata's nature is, in itself, pure," and "that which is able to stain it is, by its own adventitious nature, empty" — hence "not a single dharma can be diminished." As to "suchness, never separate from the cause of purity, constantly in accord with the buddhas' inconceivable virtues" — hence "not a single dharma can be increased." Because certain defiling dharmas do not truly exist, suchness is contemplated as empty of them; and because other genuine virtuous dharmas do exist, suchness is contemplated as not empty of them — hence suchness is said to be both empty and not empty. Why? Because it is free of both extremes, increase and decrease: not a single dharma can be diminished from it, so it is empty; not a single dharma can be added to it, so it is not empty. To contemplate it this way is true contemplation, by which one becomes free of both extremes. Because bodhisattvas just beginning their practice are unable to see this principle, it is for their sake that the truth of reality is spoken of — from the first ground through the tenth being its proper domain.
Fourth, to bodhisattvas at the ten grounds, the name "nirvāṇa" is given. Only the Buddha alone is able to attain nirvāṇa; no other bodhisattva is able to reach it. As the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says: "World-Honored One! It is by attaining nirvāṇa that the World-Honored One accomplishes the status of Tathāgata, Arhat, and Perfectly Awakened One, attaining every immeasurable, inconceivable, and ultimately pure virtue of a buddha." Hence nirvāṇa's four virtues admit of no distinction whatsoever: every virtue, immeasurable virtue, inconceivable virtue, and ultimately pure virtue. It is by attaining nirvāṇa that one becomes a tathāgata — hence tathāgata-hood and nirvāṇa admit of no distinction between them at all. Why? Because apart from the Buddha there is no attaining nirvāṇa, and apart from nirvāṇa there is no attaining buddhahood.
The Ten Grounds' Final Virtues, and Why the Treatise Was Written
釋曰：功德者，初一切功德，即是第八不動地位，無分別、無穿漏、無中間、自然成，菩薩聖道恒相應故，諸佛如來無流界中一切功德皆得成就。二無量功德者，是第九善慧地位，無數禪定陀羅尼門海，能攝無量功德，智所依止故，無量功德皆得成就。三不可思惟功德，是第十法雲地位，一切如來祕密法藏證見明了，智慧所依故，故不可思惟皆得成就。四究竟清淨者，一切惑及習氣、一切智障已滅盡故，由滅盡智障故究竟清淨，功德圓滿成就涅槃。與此四功德相攝不相離故，唯佛得涅槃，餘人未得。是故如來性，於此四義、四名、四人、四德無有差別，故言無差別德。
以是因緣，此自性等十相，為顯三義：一顯本有不可思議竟界、二顯依道理修修行可得、三顯得已能令無量功德圓滿究竟，故造斯論。
Explanation: as to these virtues — the first, every virtue, corresponds to the eighth ground, the ground of immovability: non-discriminating, without any gap, spontaneously accomplished, constantly in accord with the bodhisattva's noble path — and it is here that every virtue within the tathāgatas' outflow-free realm comes to be accomplished. The second, immeasurable virtue, corresponds to the ninth ground, the ground of excellent wisdom: an ocean of countless concentrations and dhāraṇī-gates, able to comprehend immeasurable virtue — and it is here that immeasurable virtue comes to be accomplished. The third, inconceivable virtue, corresponds to the tenth ground, the ground of the Dharma cloud: the whole secret treasury of the tathāgatas' Dharma being realized and clearly seen — and it is here that inconceivable virtue comes to be accomplished. The fourth, ultimate purity, is because every affliction and its habitual residue, every obstruction to omniscience, has already been utterly extinguished, virtue fulfilled, and nirvāṇa accomplished. Because these four virtues are mutually inclusive and never separate from one another, only the Buddha attains nirvāṇa, and no one else attains it. For this reason, the Tathāgata's nature, with respect to these four meanings, four names, four kinds of persons, and four virtues, admits of no distinction whatsoever — hence it is called the virtue of non-difference.
It is for this reason that these ten marks, beginning with self-essence, are set forth in order to reveal three meanings: first, to reveal the inconceivable, ultimate realm that has always inherently existed; second, to reveal that it can be attained by cultivating practice in accordance with true principle; and third, to reveal that, once attained, it is able to bring immeasurable virtue to its full and ultimate completion. It is for this reason that this treatise was composed.
The treatise's very last sentence names its own purpose in three parts, and it is worth noticing that the order is not arbitrary. First comes ontology — buddha-nature has always inherently existed, an inconceivable realm that was never absent. Second comes method — this is not merely a truth to admire from outside, but something reachable through practice conducted in accordance with real principle, the very path the four causes, the four wheels, and the two cultivations of Fascicles Two and Three laid out at length. Third comes consequence — attainment is not a private accomplishment but a fulfillment of immeasurable virtue, the same great compassion that, since Part 9's meditation on smoothness, has been the reason buddha-nature reaches outward toward suffering beings rather than remaining a static fact about the universe. A treatise that opened, in Part 1, by asking why the Buddha bothered teaching buddha-nature at all — removing five faults, producing five virtues — closes by answering the same question about itself: existence, then the path to it, then what the path is for. Nothing in between has been decoration.
The Treatise on Buddha Nature, Complete
Twenty-two parts, four fascicles, seventeen chapters across four major divisions — the causes and conditions for teaching buddha-nature at all; the refutation of Hīnayāna, non-Buddhist, and Mahāyāna misreadings; the essence of buddha-nature disclosed through the three causes, the three natures, and the three meanings of tathāgatagarbha; and the ten marks distinguishing what buddha-nature is, from its self-essence through its non-difference from every name it is given. Paramārtha's sixth-century translation survives as the sole witness to a text with no Sanskrit or Tibetan version and, unusually for a work this influential, no dedicated line-by-line commentary of its own — which is why every reading note on this collection's pages carries Ru-Yi Meditation Center's own name rather than an ancient master's. This translation is offered in the hope that the treatise's own closing words hold true for its readers as much as for its subject: that what it describes was never, in fact, absent to begin with.