妙法蓮華經文句 2.156

2.156

復次《無量義》讚偈，明法身百非洞遣，應為丈六紫金輝。《普賢觀》明常樂我淨四波羅蜜住處。前後兩文皆明常，豈有中間壽量而是無常耶？他難云：「序已說常，正何所道？」今反難之，《涅槃》以純陀是序，已開常宗，正何所道？他又例《淨名》序金剛無為無數，而正說不明常，《法華》亦應爾。今還反難之，純陀序常，《涅槃》正應無常，今論序常，正常何疑也？

Furthermore, the eulogistic verse of the Anantanirdeśa clarifies that the Dharma-body thoroughly dispels the hundred negations, and responds as the purple-golden radiance sixteen feet in height. The Samantabhadrabhyutsāhana clarifies the dwelling place of the four pāramitās of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Since both texts before and after clarify permanence, how could the life span in between be impermanent? Others raise the objection: "If the preface has already spoken of permanence, what is there for the main exposition to state?" Now, I counter with the objection: In the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, taking Cunda as the preface, it has already opened the tenet of permanence; what is there for the main exposition to state? They also give the analogy that the preface of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa speaks of diamond, unconditioned, and countlessness, yet its main preaching does not clarify permanence, and the Lotus should also be so. Now, I again counter with the objection: If Cunda serving as the preface speaks of permanence, the main text of the Mahāparinirvāṇa should be impermanent; now that the treatise speaks of the preface having permanence, what doubt can there be regarding the main text having permanence?