大般涅槃經集解 54.137

54.137

案道生曰：即生死為中道者，明本有也。僧亮曰：說境界因也。但說生死，不說涅槃為異耳。無明是現在苦本，愛是未來苦本也。明二世之苦以惑為本，具一切空也。是名中道者，三種是中道也。僧宗曰：此下釋境界性也。就此中有八翻明義。此下第一翻，即是答第三問也。略舉二世之因，而過去世中但取無明，現世中但取有愛也。無明為現在本際，有愛為未來本際，此之因果即為中道也。寶亮曰：答第三問也。先釋眾生所以不能見中道之意，正以無明有愛，生死不絕故也。是名中道者，名十二因緣也。

Daosheng states: Taking saṃsāra directly as the middle way clarifies that it is fundamentally inherent. Sengliang states: This speaks of the cognitive-object cause. It is distinct in that it only speaks of saṃsāra and does not speak of nirvāṇa. Ignorance is the root of present suffering; craving is the root of future suffering. Clarifying that the suffering of the two lifetimes takes delusion as its root, it is replete with all emptiness. ‘This is called the middle way’ means that the three kinds are the middle way. Sengzong states: From here downward, the cognitive-object nature is explained. Within this, the meaning is clarified in eight turns. The first turn from here downward answers the third question. It briefly raises the causes of two lifetimes: in the past lifetime it only takes ignorance, and in the present lifetime it only takes craving for existence. Ignorance is the original limit of the present, and craving for existence is the original limit of the future; this cause and fruit constitute the middle way. Baoliang states: This answers the third question. He first explains why sentient beings cannot see the middle way: precisely because of ignorance and craving for existence, saṃsāra is uninterrupted. ‘This is called the middle way’ refers to the twelve links of dependent origination.