大般涅槃經集解 1.15

1.15

案法安曰：涅槃之為名言乎，至極果也。此極果者，微過形聲、妙絕筌寄，有累斯遣、是德必備，故能超踰生滅，凝然常存。何以言之？夫照法未窮，新知移其神。惑累為因，故其起必謝。今此極果，體無塵翳，為明因所生，嶷爾而常，不其宜乎。將以汲物，乃寄言三德：以其唯法為體，號曰法身；惑累斯亡，稱為解脫；所照靡遺，謂之般若。法身一名，標其妙體；智斷兩稱，舉其勝德。略言此三，則已總攝眾美矣。天竺一名，合此三訓，此出一稱不窮其致，故仍彼胡音，用標經首也。大者，夫涅槃之名，名總眾義，從因地未滿預有斯稱，故加一大字使宗致曉然也。

Fa'an states: When nirvāṇa is spoken of as a name, it designates the supreme fruit. This supreme fruit subtly surpasses forms and sounds and wondrously transcends metaphors and provisional expressions; all entanglements are dispelled and every virtue is completely present, so that it can transcend arising and ceasing, remaining eternally constant in stillness. Why is this said? When illumination of phenomena is not yet exhaustive, new knowledge alters one's spirit. Taking defiled entanglements as causes, their arising must necessarily pass away. Now, the essence of this supreme fruit is devoid of dust and veil, being produced by clear causes; it is towering and constant—is this not fitting? Intending to draw sentient beings across, it relies provisionally on the words of the three virtues: taking the Dharma alone as its essence, it is named the dharmakāya; with defiled entanglements destroyed, it is called vimokṣa; with that which is illuminated leaving nothing unreached, it is termed prajñā. The single name 'dharmakāya' marks its wondrous essence; the two designations of wisdom and severing raise up its superior virtues. By briefly speaking of these three, all excellences are already gathered. A single Indian name combines these three glosses; rendering it with a single Chinese designation cannot exhaust its purport, so the foreign sound is retained to mark the beginning of the sūtra. As for 'mahā' (great): the name nirvāṇa gathers all meanings together; when the causal stage is not yet fulfilled, this designation is possessed in advance, so the character 'mahā' (great) is added to make the overarching purport fully clear.