大般涅槃經集解 1.35

1.35

案僧亮曰：經出未盡，現分可為四別：第一勸問、第二問、第三答問、第四法輪證也。案曇愛曰：大分有十別。第一序說，即〈序品〉也；第二正說，從〈純陀品〉訖〈金剛身品〉也；第三流通說，從〈名字功德品〉訖〈四倒品〉也；第四佛性說，從〈如來性品〉訖〈月喻品〉也；第五歎經功能，從〈菩薩品〉訖〈現病品〉也；第六明依經修行，即五行也；第七出行體，有功德之義，以向佛果為行義，由功而德為功德義也；第八料簡上所明佛性，即〈師子吼品〉也；第九猶是料簡佛性，廣辨樹王下以來及今日所明之旨，舉彼善星斷根之事，即〈迦葉品〉也；第十明流通，命憍陳如度十外道，從〈憍陳如品〉訖經也。案曇纖曰：大分此經為兩別，前略、後廣。就略門中，分為五段：第一〈序品〉也；第二開宗，明常住因果，從〈純陀品〉訖〈哀歎品〉；第三問，從〈長壽品〉訖問也；第四答，從讚迦葉，入〈大眾問品〉後也；第五付囑，從「爾時大眾白佛」訖品也。就廣門中，分為五段：第一廣果，即〈現病品〉也；第二廣因，即五行也；第三廣流通，即〈十功德品〉也，所以流離光遠來，正為明弘通故也。第四廣佛性，即〈師子吼〉、〈迦葉〉兩品也；第五廣付囑，從〈憍陳如品〉訖經文也。案曇濟曰：大判凡有三段，第一勸分、第二問分、第三答分。從如是我聞至迦葉發問，勸分也；從答問訖憍陳如，答分也。案僧宗曰：經之始末，凡有五別。第一由序，即〈序品〉也；第二略開常宗，從〈純陀品〉訖新舊醫也；第三廣明常住，從〈長壽品〉訖〈迦葉品〉也，所明因果境行粗已周矣，將欲付囑；第四先破外道，從〈憍陳如品〉至「阿難何在」也。文旨既畢，應須付囑，是以第五顧命受持之人，從「阿難比丘今何在」訖經也。

Sengliang comments: The translation of the sūtra was not yet complete; its present parts may be divided into four distinct sections: first, the exhortation to question; second, the questions; third, the answers to the questions; and fourth, the confirmation by turning the wheel of the Dharma. Tan'ai comments: Broadly speaking, there are ten distinct sections. First is the introductory teaching, namely the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the principal teaching, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the "Adamantine Body Chapter"; third is the teaching on dissemination, from the "Virtues of the Name Chapter" through the "Four Inversions Chapter"; fourth is the teaching on the buddhadhātu, from the "Tathāgata-Nature Chapter" through the "Moon Parable Chapter"; fifth is the praise of the sūtra's efficacy, from the "Bodhisattva Chapter" through the "Manifestation of Illness Chapter"; sixth is the explanation of cultivation based on the sūtra, namely the Five Practices; seventh is the presentation of the essence of practice, which possesses the meaning of merit—taking movement toward the fruit of buddhahood as the meaning of practice, and attaining virtue by means of merit as the meaning of merit; eighth is the critical examination of the buddhadhātu explained above, namely the "Lion's Roar Chapter"; ninth is likewise a critical examination of the buddhadhātu, broadly distinguishing the purport explained from beneath the king of trees down to today, and citing the event of Sunaksatra cutting off his kuśalamūla, namely the "Kāśyapa Chapter"; and tenth is the explanation of dissemination, enjoining Kauṇḍinya to convert the ten non-Buddhists, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" through the end of the sūtra. Tanxian comments: Broadly speaking, this sūtra is divided into two distinct parts: the former is concise, and the latter is extensive. Within the concise division, it is divided into five sections: first is the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the establishment of the tenet, explaining the causes and fruits of permanence, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the "Lamentation Chapter"; third is the questions, from the "Longevity Chapter" through the end of the questions; fourth is the answers, from the praise of Kāśyapa entering after the "Questions of the Great Multitude Chapter"; and fifth is the entrustment, from "At that time the great assembly addressed the Buddha" through the end of the chapter. Within the extensive division, it is divided into five sections: first is the elaboration of the fruit, namely the "Manifestation of Illness Chapter"; second is the elaboration of the cause, namely the Five Practices; third is the elaboration of dissemination, namely the "Ten Merits Chapter", the reason why the Radiance of Vaidūrya came from afar being precisely to clarify propagation; fourth is the elaboration of the buddhadhātu, namely the two chapters "Lion's Roar" and "Kāśyapa"; and fifth is the elaboration of entrustment, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" through the end of the sūtra text. Tanji comments: The broad classification has three sections in all: first, the section of exhortation; second, the section of questions; and third, the section of answers. From "Thus have I heard" up to Kāśyapa raising his questions is the section of exhortation; from answering the questions through Kauṇḍinya is the section of answers. Sengzong comments: From beginning to end, the sūtra has five distinct parts in all. First is the preamble, namely the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the concise establishment of the tenet of permanence, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the old and new physicians; third is the extensive explanation of permanence, from the "Longevity Chapter" through the "Kāśyapa Chapter", wherein the causes, fruits, objects, and practices explained are already broadly complete, leading up to the entrustment; fourth is first refuting the non-Buddhists, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" up to "Where is Ānanda?"; and fifth, since the text and its purport are concluded, an entrustment must be made, which turns to charge the person who will uphold [the teaching], from "Where is the monk Ānanda now?" through the end of the sūtra.