大般涅槃經集解 45.5

45.5

案僧亮曰：此菩薩好修功德，命為語對也。一行得二功德，五行具十德也。僧宗曰：二乘心劣，豈能思量耶？非內者，非二乘也。非外者，非外道所能行。非難者，於菩薩不難也。非易者，二乘不能行也。非相非非相者，中道忘相之解與理冥符，是出世之法也。寶亮曰：今將欲解十功德，故先一往且總讚歎。云不與二乘共者，二乘之行本不近道，云何心得行此理耶？故發軫唱云不，無二乘共也。不可思議者，十地真解離有無之相，豈是有無之心可圖度耶？聞則驚怪者，理玄深寂，豈是執相者所能解？故曰驚也。非下愚之所知，故稱怪也。非內非外者，若為有無之所攝，可屬內外；既絕有心之境，安得是內是外耶？非難非易者，若修心得所，必會而非難；於不行道者而息望，故言非易也。非相非非相者，體絕形名，故言非相也。然非不現相而莊嚴，故亦言非非相也。非是世法者，神解以法性為本，非因之所生，豈是世法？若據體以辨用，義亦因之也。無有相貌者，體既無有無無，豈有相貌可示耶？世間所無者，真體既絕百非百是，豈為世間所據？此總歎功德體也。

Sengliang states: "This bodhisattva was fond of cultivating meritorious virtues, so he was addressed as the interlocutor. One practice obtains two meritorious virtues; the five practices possess ten virtues." Sengzong states: "The minds of the two vehicles are inferior; how could they deliberate upon this? 'Not internal' means not the two vehicles. 'Not external' means not what can be practiced by non-Buddhists. 'Not difficult' means not difficult for a bodhisattva. 'Not easy' means the two vehicles cannot practice it. 'Neither characteristic nor non-characteristic' means the middle-path understanding that forgets characteristics tacitly tallies with the true principle; this is a supramundane dharma." Baoliang states: "Now intending to explain the ten meritorious virtues, he first offers a general praise. Saying that it is not shared with the two vehicles means that the practice of the two vehicles originally does not approach the Way; how could their minds practice this principle? Therefore, initiating the statement, he says it is not, that it is not shared with the two vehicles. 'Inconceivable' means the true understanding of the ten grounds is free from the marks of existence and nonexistence; how could a mind of existence and nonexistence measure it? 'Hearing it, they are astonished and wonder' means the true principle is profound and silent; how could those who cling to characteristics understand it? Thus it says 'astonished'. It is not something the foolish below can know, hence called 'wonder'. 'Neither internal nor external' means: if it were subsumed under existence and nonexistence, it could pertain to the internal or external; since it transcends the cognitive sphere of the mind of existence, how could it be internal or external? 'Neither difficult nor easy' means: if one cultivates the mind appropriately, one will certainly accord with it and it will not be difficult; for those who do not practice the Way, hope ceases, hence it is said to be not easy. 'Neither characteristic nor non-characteristic' means: its essence transcends forms and names, hence it is called 'not characteristic'; yet it is not that it does not manifest characteristics as adornments, hence it is also called 'not non-characteristic'. 'Not worldly dharmas' means: spiritual understanding takes dharmatā as its root and is not produced by causes; how could it be a worldly dharma? If one delineates function based on the essence, in meaning it also depends on them. 'Devoid of characteristics' means: since its essence is free from both existence and nonexistence, how could there be characteristics that can be displayed? 'Nonexistent in the world' means: since the true essence transcends the hundred negations and hundred affirmations, how could it be grasped by the world? This generally praises the essence of the meritorious virtues."