大般涅槃經集解 25.40

25.40

案僧亮曰：二偈說八戒功德，八戒以齋為本，釋所以齋也。生死之本，食與嫉妬，難卒除也。齋以損食，是厭生死之義也。是以佛訶帝釋，漏盡之人，應說此偈，偈在論文。一切有大力者，釋不令斷食、為斷嫉妬。外道厭生斷食，身無力故，不能思道斷嫉妬也。多病苦者，苟是漸損，不制中前而制中後者，夜食不消，多得病苦，於道亦妨。一切淨行是八戒也。處中是淨，安樂是涅槃也。汝若得病，我亦如是者，明中後齋法本為凡夫，不為聖人也。第四八戒者，十戒具戒，此二戒是出家戒也；五戒八戒，此二戒是在家戒也，故云第四也。

Sengliang states: The two verses speak of the merits of the eight precepts. The eight precepts take fasting as their basis, explaining why one fasts. The roots of birth and death are eating and jealousy, which are difficult to eradicate suddenly. Fasting diminishes eating; this is the meaning of revulsion toward birth and death. Therefore the Buddha rebuked Śakra: one whose defilements are exhausted ought to speak this verse—the verse is in the commentary's text. As for 'all having great power', it explains that he does not cause one to sever food, but rather to sever jealousy. Non-Buddhists, in revulsion toward birth, sever food; because their bodies have no strength, they cannot contemplate the Path to sever jealousy. As for 'having much sickness and suffering': if it is a gradual diminishing, not regulating before noon but regulating after noon, night food does not digest, resulting in much sickness and suffering, which is also an obstacle to the Path. 'All pure practices' are the eight precepts. Being situated in the middle is pure, and peace and bliss is nirvāṇa. 'If you fall ill, I am also like this' clarifies that the fasting rules after noon were originally for ordinary beings, not for noble ones. As for 'the fourth eight precepts': the ten precepts and the complete precepts, these two precepts are the renunciant precepts; the five precepts and the eight precepts, these two precepts are the householder precepts; hence it is called 'the fourth'.