大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 16.14

16.14

Regarding the Commentary's passage from "The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: 'That which is called great...'" onwards: this verifies the above two meanings. First, verifying the meaning of permanence (chang): this is from the third fascicle of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], the chapter on the "Virtues of the Name," where it says: "The Buddha addressed Kāśyapa: 'This sūtra is named the Mahāparinirvāṇa. Good in its initial words, good in its middle words, and good in its final words. Its meaning and flavor are profound and far-reaching, and its phrasing is also good; it is pure, complete, and endowed with pure brahmacaryā, a diamond jewel-treasury that is fully satisfied and without deficiency. Listen well now; I shall now expound it. Good son! That which is called great is named permanence. Just as the eight great rivers all return to the great ocean, this sūtra likewise subdues all fetters, afflictions, and māra natures, and thereafter must release body and life in the Mahāparinirvāṇa; therefore it is named Mahāparinirvāṇa.'" Explanation: That sūtra fully explains Mahāparinirvāṇa; here we merely take its character da ("great"). In terms of the unchanging nature of the essence, it is named "permanent," because its nature stems from antiquity and is not something fabricated. Therefore Sengzhao's preface states: "The true principle is spontaneous, and awakening also tallys with it darkly. The true is without deviation; how could awakening be easy? The essence that does not change is serenely and constantly illuminating. It is only because of delusion that one turns away from it; the matter does not yet rest with oneself. If one can pursue and seek it, one then reverses delusion and returns to the ultimate. Returning to the ultimate, one attains the source, yet it seems to begin anew; what has a beginning must have an end, and by this, permanence is obscured. If one inquires into its purport, it is merely that I have begun to meet it, not that illumination is newly existent. Since illumination does not belong to the present, it is that nothing precedes it, which constitutes 'great.' Having been called great, it is therefore termed 'permanent.' Permanence must extinguish burdens, hence it is again called parinirvāṇa." This precisely accords with the present meaning. Fascicle twenty-five of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] also says: "That which is called great: 'great' is named inconceivable, because its essence transcends ordinary realms." Regarding "just as a person is the eldest," this means that no dharma precedes the dharmadhātu. Hence Laozi says: "There is a thing nebulously formed, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent and void, standing alone and unchanging, it can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name; I style it 'the Way,' and forcing a name upon it, I call it 'great.'" Explanation: He took nothingness as the Way, and his principle differs from the Buddhist school, but his words can corroborate this. Regarding the Commentary's passage from "It also says: 'Great means its nature is expansive and vast'" onwards: this secondly verifies the meaning of pervasiveness (bian) above. This is from fascicle five of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], the chapter on the "Tathāgata Nature," which is the "Four Characteristics" chapter in the southern edition. The text states: "The Buddha addressed Kāśyapa: 'That which is called great means its nature is expansive and vast, just like a person whose lifespan is immeasurable is called a great man. If this person can securely abide in the true Dharma, he is called supreme among humans.'" Therefore Master Huiyuan divided this single text into two kinds of greatness: 1. called great because it is broad; 2. called great because it is supreme. Here we merely take the meaning of broad and pervasive; the meaning is conveniently cited. That text further has: called great because it is manifold, like a treasury having many rare jewels. It also has: called great because it is high, like a great high mountain whose peak is difficult to reach. It also has: called great because it is deep, just like the great ocean—which is the inconceivable meaning mentioned above. Now, manifold pertains to function, and high pertains to fruit; therefore we only use the two meanings of permanence and pervasiveness. Within the meaning of permanence, profundity and supremacy are already contained, just as a person being the eldest is supremacy. Furthermore, the statement "just like empty space" is again from a different passage. Fascicle twenty-three says: "Furthermore, being all-pervasive is like empty space; liberation is also like this." That empty space is an analogy for true liberation, and true liberation is nirvāṇa.