大般涅槃經集解 1.6

1.6

非言無以寄言，言即無言之累；累言則可以息言，言息則諸見競起。所以如來乘本願以託生、現慈力以應化、離文字以設教、忘心相以通道，欲使珉玉異價、涇渭分流，制六師而正四倒、反八邪而歸一味，析世智之角、杜異人之口，導求珠之心、開觀豢之日，救燒灼於火宅、拯沈溺於浪海，故法雨降而燋種受榮、慧日升而長夜蒙曉，發迦葉之悱憤、吐真實之誠言。雖復二施等於前、五大陳於後，卅四問參差異辨，方便勸引各隨意答。舉要論經，不出兩途：佛性開其有本之源；涅槃明其歸極之宗。非因非果、不起不作，義高萬善、事絕百非，空空不能測其真際、玄玄不能窮其妙門，自非德均平等、心合無生，金牆玉室豈易入哉！有青州沙門釋寶亮者，氣調爽拔、神用俊舉，少負苦節、長安法忍，耆年愈篤、倪齒不衰，流通先覺孳孳如也，後生晚進莫不依仰。以天監八年五月八日，勅亮撰《大涅槃義疏》，以九月廿日訖，光表微言、讚揚正道，連環既解、疑網云除，條流明悉，可得略言。朕縱名暇日，將欲覽焉。聊書數行，以為記莂云。

Without words, there would be no means to convey the message; yet words are themselves an encumbrance to what is beyond words. When words become encumbering, one can silence words; but once words are silenced, divergent views arise in contention. Therefore the Tathāgata, mounted on his original vows, took birth; manifesting the power of compassion, he adapted his transformation; setting forth teachings apart from the written word, he opened the Way by forgetting mental characteristics. He wished to make the value of common stone differ from jade, and to separate the streams of the Jing and Wei rivers; to subdue the six masters and correct the four inversions, and to reverse the eight heterodoxies to return to the single flavor; to break off the horns of worldly wisdom and shut the mouths of aberrant individuals; to guide minds seeking the jewel and reveal the day of beholding nourishment; to rescue those burned in the burning house and save those drowning in the surging sea. Thus the Dharma rain fell, causing scorched seeds to flourish, and the sun of wisdom rose, bringing dawn to the long night, rousing Kāśyapa's impassioned concern and uttering sincere words of truth. Although the two gifts were equaled before and the five greatnesses set forth after, and the thirty-four questions differed in their divergent analyses, he accommodated and guided [beings], answering each as appropriate. Summarizing the essentials of the sūtra, it does not go beyond two tracks: buddhadhātu reveals the source of inherent origin; nirvāṇa clarifies the ultimate principle of return. Being neither cause nor effect, neither arising nor constructed, its principle towers above the myriad virtues and its reality is severed from the hundred negations. Absolute emptiness cannot fathom its true boundary, and profound mystery cannot exhaust its wondrous gate. Unless one's virtue equals the impartial and one's mind accords with anutpāda, how could the golden walls and jade halls be easily entered! There is the Śramaṇa Shi Baoliang of Qingzhou, whose disposition is crisp and unexcelled, whose spiritual function is brilliant and lofty. In youth he shouldered austere discipline; in maturity he remained settled in the forbearance of dharmas. In his advanced age he grew all the more devoted, not flagging even in his twilight years. In circulating the teachings of the prior enlightened ones, he was unflaggingly diligent; among the younger generation of latecomers, none failed to rely on and admire him. On the eighth day of the fifth month in the eighth year of Tianjian, it was commanded that Liang compose the Subcommentary on the Mahānirvāṇa [Sūtra]; he completed it on the twentieth day of the ninth month. It radiantly manifests subtle words and praises the correct Path. The interlocking rings having been undone and the web of doubt dispelled, its branches and currents are perspicuous and can be briefly stated. Taking advantage of a day of leisure, I intend to peruse it. I have set down a few lines here merely to serve as a record.