Listen to this articleyīchǎntí 一阐提
Icchantika
字面意思为“有欲求的人”，指因为缺乏引生善果的根本条件，而无法成就觉悟、实现解脱的人。又称“断善根者”。关于一阐提的义理争论，主要集中在众生能否成佛的问题上。如唯识法相一系，就一阐提缺乏善因而言，主张必不得成就；如来藏、华严等系则认为一切众生皆有佛性，且待开显而已。前者将一阐提作为本性，后者似以其为暂时的状态。
Icchantika literally means one who desires. It refers to a person who is destitute of good conditions that lead to favorable results, such as awakening and liberation. Hence, it is also glossed as one deprived of merits. The major doctrinal debate over this concept is whether all sentient beings, including icchantikas, are capable of achieving the Buddhahood. In the view of the Vijñaptimātra School (alias the Mind-only School), for example, icchantikas are devoid of proper conditions in nature, therefore would never achieve the final goal. Whereas, in Tathāgatagarbha and traditions, all sentient beings are born with the nature of a Buddha, which only anticipates to manifest (at some point). Generally speaking, the former standpoint takes icchantika as innate, while the latter understands it as a temporary status.
引例 Citations：
◎我常宣说一切众生悉有佛性，乃至一阐提等亦有佛性。一阐提等无有善法，佛性亦善，以未来有故，一阐提等悉有佛性。（《大般涅槃经·师子吼菩萨品》）
（我一直宣说，一切众生都有成佛的可能性，即使是断除了一切善根的人也有佛性。断除善根的人虽然没有善业积累，但其本有的佛性是好的。由于未来仍可能积行善业，所以说这些人也都有佛性。）
I have often proclaimed the universality of the Buddha-nature in all sentient beings, including icchantikas (literally one who is subject to great desire, hence according to certain schools should be bereft of all the possibilities to achieve Buddhahood). Icchantikas, though devoid of any meritorious deeds accumulated so far throughout their past lives, still possess the Buddha-nature and thus will be able to engage in the wholesome activities in the future. (Sutra of the Great Nirvana)
◎合经及论，“阐提”有三……一因成果不成，谓大悲阐提；二果成因不成，谓有性断善阐提；三因果俱不成，谓无性阐提，二乘定性。（释窥基《成唯识论掌中枢要》卷上（本））
（结合经论所说，一阐提可分为三类……其一，是具备条件，但未实现成佛结果的，这叫大悲阐提；其二，是不具备条件，但能够借助佛力成就结果的，这叫有佛性而断除善根的阐提；其三，是条件和结果都不存在，叫做无性阐提，即只有实现声闻、缘觉两种道路的本性。）
Taking scriptures and commentaries into consideration, there are three types of icchantikas… The first type refers to icchantikas out of compassion who are ready with the conditions to emancipate but do not realize it since they vowed to liberate all beings before they realize the nirvana. The second type refers to icchantikas endowed with the Buddha-nature but without proper deeds to realize the Buddhahood, who could expect the result facilitated by the power of a Buddha while lack of sufficient conditions. The third type refers to icchantikas deprived of the Buddha-nature, who have neither the conditions nor the result-to-be and are destined to follow the two inferior paths of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. (Shi Kuiji: A Commentary on Collected Commentaries to the Perfection of Consciousness-only)
