[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大般涅槃經集解](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763) › 4.51 # 大般涅槃經集解 4.51 大般涅槃經集解 4.51 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [4.51](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4.51) 案道生曰：居極而言，佛是常故，能施人常。就菩薩為論，體迹未極，交是有須。若必有須，何得忽從麁形頓成妙常耶？顯其必同上言乃令實耳。僧亮曰：所以就佛田明常者，以上言鉾楯，不可不會，故因施生論。何者？以食者得五利故，施者獲五果也。若施資食而為用者，用是無常，果豈常耶？唯佛不假食為用故，能令施者得無用之福耳。法瑤曰：明菩薩與佛二迹皆權，後得顯佛久已是常，非始今也。若是今者，菩薩受食及以得道皆亦應實，若是實者則是無常。今菩薩與佛同共一身，云何忽然頓得常住不食之身乎？推此而明，常住妙體別自有旨，非今丈六者也。常住既顯，是則受食得道乃至涅槃，皆是應迹也。僧宗曰：此何以故，況釋也。彼昔乃作樹神，意施尚得常果，況汝今於佛起一切智心耶？今昔並是法身，冥開不異；果報理同也。寶亮曰：答案句直釋者，謂今日何故言施汝五事常耶？恐佛意不然，人有一解，小復遠取。何者？明昔已是常，今日受供亦是本常，何以今日方云施常而昔不言耶？故云受供雖二，得果無差也。道慧記曰：釋所以得施其常命者，以施食有二：一食已入有餘涅槃、一食已入無餘涅槃，各離二魔，除患處同，能辦大事，以此二時功用大故。 > Daosheng says: Speaking from the ultimate perspective, because the Buddha is permanent, he can bestow permanence on people. Discussing in terms of a bodhisattva, before substance and trace have reached the ultimate, there is definitely a need. If there is definitely a need, how could he suddenly go from a coarse form to instantly accomplish wondrous permanence? Showing that he must be identical with the previous statement makes it real. Sengliang says: The reason he clarifies permanence in terms of the Buddha-field is that the previous words were contradictory and could not be harmonized without generating this discussion based on giving. How so? Because the eater obtains five benefits, the donor acquires five fruits. If the giving aids the eater to serve as a utility, that utility is impermanent; how could the fruit be permanent? Only because the Buddha does not rely on food for utility can he cause the donor to obtain utility-free merit. Fayao says: This clarifies that both traces—the bodhisattva and the Buddha—are provisional upāya, so that later it can be revealed that the Buddha has long been permanent and not merely beginning now. If it were now, then the bodhisattva receiving food and attaining the Way would also be real; if real, it would be impermanent. Now the bodhisattva and the Buddha share a single body; how could he suddenly and abruptly attain a permanent body that does not eat? Investigating this, it becomes clear that the wondrous substance of permanence has its own separate meaning and is not the present sixteen-foot form. Once permanence is revealed, receiving food, attaining the Way, and even nirvāṇa are all adaptive traces. Sengzong says: 'Why is this?' is an explanatory comparison. In the past, when he was a tree spirit, mental giving still obtained a permanent fruit; how much more so when you now give rise to the mind of all-knowledge toward the Buddha? Both the present and the past are the dharmakāya, subtly opening without difference; their fruit and retribution are identical in principle. Baoliang says: Straightforwardly explaining according to the text, it means: why say today that he bestows upon you the permanence of the five matters? Fearing this was not the Buddha's intent, someone had an interpretation that reached a bit further: namely, clarifying that he was already permanent in the past, and receiving the offering today is also his original permanence; why does he only today speak of bestowing permanence and did not say so in the past? Therefore it is said: although receiving the offering occurs twice, the fruit obtained has no difference. The records of Daohui state: Explaining why he is able to bestow permanent life: because the giving of food has two occasions: one where after eating he enters nirvāṇa with remainder, and one where after eating he enters nirvāṇa without remainder. Each is separated from two Māras, the removal of afflictions is identical, and they are able to accomplish great deeds; this is because the efficacy of these two times is great. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 4.50](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4.50) - [Next: 4.52](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4.52) - [Up: 4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763~en-mt.4.51) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4.51](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1763.4.51) · Pramāṇa