大般涅槃經集解 37.10

37.10

案僧亮曰：初偈說世間慈也。行人以施是實行，故以施福脩世間慈。不及其一，況出世間也。何者？雖慈一人，與世之樂，施不得爾，昇降可知矣。僧宗曰：就此明慈有實益門中，有五翻為證也。初明脩慈實能轉境；第二明慈能斷煩惱；第三明慈為萬善根本；第四明慈即萬行；第五引果地之慈，證真實不虛也。佛是窮慈之極，得知因地亦有實益也。雖可有此五翻，若欲對向三問者，此五翻悉證慈有實益，並答初問，下當更題。第二問出別答也。此偈言慈之功用乃於諸行為勝，豈但實益而已。不可以聲聞是虛，令菩薩益虛也。二問既釋，則第三問自然釋矣。寶亮曰：佛將答難，先歎之也。偈明實益格量功德。何者？有人止於一人邊興慈，欲與其樂，始終必得出生死也。答人雖復供養無量五通神仙以為福田，不如於一人邊起慈，十六分中之一也。供養仙人，乃得生死之報；若拔一人苦，實獲出世之利也。又化無量人，得出於生死，當知慈是實也。釋慈有實益之義，文齊於此。

Sengliang states: The opening gāthā speaks of worldly loving-kindness. Because practitioners consider giving to be a real practice, they cultivate worldly loving-kindness through the merit of giving. It does not equal a fraction of it, how much less the supramundane! Why? Although loving-kindness toward one person gives worldly joy, giving cannot do so; the rise and fall can be known. Sengzong states: Within this section clarifying that loving-kindness has real benefit, there are five rounds of proof. First, clarifying that cultivating loving-kindness can truly transform the objective realm; second, clarifying that loving-kindness can sever defilements; third, clarifying that loving-kindness is the root of the ten thousand goods; fourth, clarifying that loving-kindness is itself the ten thousand practices; fifth, citing loving-kindness at the stage of fruition to prove that it is true and not deceptive. The Buddha is the culmination of loving-kindness, from which one knows that the causal stage also has real benefit. Although there are these five rounds, if one wishes to match them against the three questions, these five rounds all prove that loving-kindness has real benefit, answering the first question together; below, a separate answer will be raised for the second question. This gāthā says that the function of loving-kindness is superior among all practices, so how could it merely be real benefit? One cannot, because the śrāvakas' is false, make the bodhisattvas' benefit false as well. Once the two questions are resolved, the third question is naturally resolved. Baoliang states: The Buddha, about to answer the objection, first praises him. The gāthā clarifies real benefit by assessing merit. Why? Some people arouse loving-kindness toward only one person, wishing to give them bliss; from beginning to end they will surely transcend birth and death. Answering that even if a person makes offerings to immeasurable five-superknowledge ṛṣis as a field of merit, it is not equal to a sixteenth part of arousing loving-kindness toward one person. Making offerings to ṛṣis merely attains a retribution of birth and death; if one relieves the suffering of one person, one truly gains supramundane benefit. Furthermore, transforming immeasurable persons enables them to escape birth and death; one should know that loving-kindness is real. The text explaining the meaning of loving-kindness having real benefit concludes here.