無量壽經連義述文贊 2.19

2.19

經曰「善立方便」至「而現滅度」者，述云：此第四、復辨利他也。方便雖多，此中方便即巧權之名。有說：善方便即意方便；示現三乘而滅度者即口方便；善立三乘，隨便度物，名善方便。說三乘因及滅度果名，顯示現滅故。此必不然。於下中乘而現滅度，既應化相，必不可言說二乘果。不爾，如何言現滅度而不言說故。有說：善立方便是口方便，示中下乘而現中下滅皆身方便。此亦不然。示現三乘，義已具足。亦言現滅度，應無用故。不爾，三乘有何不攝，亦說中下耶？故今即善立方便即意方便，隨順諸佛尋三乘化故。顯示三乘即口方便，分別一乘而說三乘，三乘亦即佛方便故。中下滅度，即身方便。緣覺名中、聲聞名下，即同法華中無二三之義。菩薩欲引不定二乘令趣佛乘，故於彼涅槃而現滅度，即同《攝論》「變化故云意」。《佛地經》曰「成所作智起三乘化、作四記論」，即其事也。

On the passage from "Skillfully establishing skillful means" to "yet manifesting extinction": The commentary states: This is the fourth, further explaining the benefiting of others. Although skillful means are manifold, 'skillful means' here is a name for clever provisionality. Some say: 'skillful means' is mental skillful means; 'displaying the three vehicles and manifesting extinction' is verbal skillful means; skillfully establishing the three vehicles and delivering beings according to circumstance is called 'skillful means'. Preaching the causes of the three vehicles and the fruit of extinction is called displaying and manifesting extinction. This is certainly not so. Manifesting extinction in the lower and middle vehicles is already an aspect of responsive transformation; it definitely cannot be said to be merely speaking of the fruits of the two vehicles. Otherwise, why does it say 'manifesting extinction' and not 'preaching' it? Some say: 'Skillfully establishing skillful means' is verbal skillful means; displaying the middle and lower vehicles and manifesting middle and lower extinction are both physical skillful means. This is also not so. With 'displaying the three vehicles', the meaning is already complete. To also say 'manifesting extinction' would be useless. Otherwise, what do the three vehicles not include, that one must also speak of the middle and the lower? Therefore, now [we explain]: 'skillfully establishing skillful means' is mental skillful means, complying with all Buddhas in pursuing conversion through the three vehicles. 'Displaying the three vehicles' is verbal skillful means, differentiating the One Vehicle to preach the three vehicles, the three vehicles themselves being the Buddha's skillful means. Extinction in the middle and lower [vehicles] is physical skillful means. Pratyekabuddhas are called the middle, and śrāvakas are called the lower, which is the same as the Lotus Sūtra's meaning that there are no second or third [vehicles]. Bodhisattvas wish to lead the two vehicles of indeterminate nature to advance toward the Buddha Vehicle, and therefore they manifest extinction in their nirvāṇa; this is the same as the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha*'s statement that 'it is a transformation, hence called mental'. The *Buddhabhūmi-sūtra* says: 'The wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done generates transformations of the three vehicles and produces the four types of categorical statements'—this is precisely that matter.