大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 16.17

16.17

Regarding the Commentary's passage beginning with, "Truly, because in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] there is no [term] 'vast' (guang), 'vast' and 'great' are identical": it resolves a potential objection. This means someone might ask: "Since this meaning in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] originally explains the character 'great' (da), why should it be matched with 'vast' (guang)?" Therefore, it is now clarified: The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] speaks only of Mahāparinirvāṇa and does not have the word "vast"; [this is] because the word "great" encompasses "vast." Because it "can establish great significance," it takes the meaning belonging to "vast" to explain the word "great." In the present sūtra, the word "great" corresponds to the essence, and the word "vast" corresponds to the function; hence, explaining the words separately takes advantage of the opportunity to encompass the sūtras of vaipulya (fangguang). That is to say, among the twelve divisions of the teachings, there are vaipulya sūtras that do not contain the word "great," yet they use the word "great" to explain the term vaipulya. Just as below, where it combines and explains "vaipulya" as "because it proclaims vast and profound dharmas, and because it can generate measureless, vast fruits," both use "great" to explain "vast."