大般涅槃經集解 1.10

1.10

案曇濟：夫大涅槃者，蓋是大聖神道之極號、八味之都名。此是垂終之道教，放言異唱，故制名不同。成天竺之音，義有苞含，此方無一言以當之，故推義不一，亦言無生，復云無滅、亦言無為、亦言無相。所以言無生者，永絕於四生。所以言無滅者，量齊太虛，故稱無滅。所以言無為者，不為生滅之所為，故言無為。所以言無相者，體絕十相，故言無相也。涅槃者，敢無學地諸功德盡為涅槃體也，略舉三事以稱遂焉。三事者，般若、法身、解脫。語般若，明智周萬境；辨法身，明備應萬形；稱解脫，明眾累不生。智周萬境，故三達之功顯；備應萬形，故能殊方並應；眾累不生，明神道苞含，所以成也。所言大者，有大我故，下有文言「譬如有一祕方，攝一切方。此經亦爾，多有苞含。」所以爾者，從於鹿野、終於雙樹，凡三說涅槃：一明初鹿野說三乘各有別涅槃；二明三乘同一涅槃；三明真教破二方便，說身智即涅槃。以是故多有所含，故稱為大。經者，胡言脩多羅，含有五義：一能生、二微發、三湧泉、四繩墨、五華鬘。或以文為經，或以理為經，或四十卷文字盡為經體。所以言能生者，此文行者尋求，能生善根也。所以言微發者，善根漸增。如初以三歸、次以五戒，如是乃至得道，故有微發之義也。所以言湧泉者，譬文表理，不可窮盡，故如泉也。所以言繩墨者，繩本辨木曲直，明此經辨耶正之理依文可知，故知繩墨也。所以言結鬘者，華散在地，不為人用；以綖貫穿，以成人首飾。若不以綖貫，不為人用。明若不以文辨理，於人無用；以文辨理，於人有用，故如綖也。雖有此義，今言經，五義之中一也，得結鬘義也。

Master Tanji: Mahānirvāṇa is the ultimate designation of the Great Sage's spiritual path, the overarching name for the eight flavors. This is the teaching of the Way at the very end; when words were given forth in diverse proclamations, the established names were accordingly not uniform. Composed of Indian sounds, its meaning possesses broad encompassment, and this land lacks a single word to match it. Hence, deduced meanings are not single: it is also called anutpāda, further called non-extinction, also called asaṃskṛta, and also called signless. The reason it is called anutpāda is that it is perpetually severed from the four modes of birth. The reason it is called non-extinction is that its measure is equal to the great void, hence it is termed non-extinction. The reason it is called asaṃskṛta is that it is not conditioned by arising and ceasing, hence it is called asaṃskṛta. The reason it is called signless is that its essence is severed from the ten characteristics, hence it is called signless. As for nirvāṇa, all the merits of the aśaikṣa stage are completely the essence of nirvāṇa; three items are briefly cited to correspond to it. The three items are: prajñā, dharmakāya, and vimokṣa. Speaking of prajñā clarifies that wisdom pervades the myriad realms; discerning dharmakāya clarifies that it fully responds in the myriad forms; naming vimokṣa clarifies that all encumbrances do not arise. Because wisdom pervades the myriad realms, the efficacy of the three knowledges is revealed; because it fully responds in the myriad forms, it can respond simultaneously across diverse regions; because all encumbrances do not arise, this clarifies the spiritual path's encompassment, which is how it is accomplished. What is called "Great" is because of the Great Self. A text below states: "Just as there is a secret prescription that subsumes all prescriptions, this sūtra is likewise, containing much encompassment." The reason it is so is that from Mṛgadāva to the Twin Śāla Trees, nirvāṇa was spoken of three times in all: first, clarifying that at Mṛgadāva it was initially taught that each of the three vehicles has its own distinct nirvāṇa; second, clarifying that the three vehicles share one and the same nirvāṇa; third, clarifying that the true teaching refutes the two upāyas, explaining that body and wisdom are themselves nirvāṇa. Because of this, it contains much, and is therefore called "Great." "Sūtra" is in the Indian tongue sūtra, encompassing five meanings: first, can generate; second, subtly initiates; third, gushing spring; fourth, marking line; fifth, garland. Either the text is taken as the sūtra, or the principle is taken as the sūtra, or the written words of the entire forty fascicles are the essence of the sūtra. The reason it is said to "can generate" is that when practitioners seek through this text, it can generate kuśalamūla. The reason it is said to "subtly initiate" is that kuśalamūla gradually increases, as initially through the three refuges, next through the five precepts, and so on up to attaining the Path; hence it has the meaning of subtly initiating. The reason it is called a "gushing spring" is that, metaphorically, the text expresses the principle inexhaustibly, hence it is like a spring. The reason it is called a "marking line" is that the line originally determines the crookedness or straightness of timber, clarifying that through this sūtra, the principle of heterodoxy and orthodoxy can be known according to the text, hence it is known as a marking line. The reason it is called a "garland" is that flowers scattered on the ground are of no use to people; strung together with thread, they become adornments for people's heads. If not strung together with thread, they are of no use to people. This clarifies that if the principle is not discerned through the text, it is of no use to people; discerning the principle through the text, it is of use to people, hence it is like thread. Although these meanings exist, now when we speak of "sūtra," it is one among the five meanings, obtaining the meaning of a garland.