大般涅槃經集解 6.15

6.15

案法瑤曰：此譬明我未得解脫，請佛住世，教我令得也。曇濟曰：喻小乘初業也。囹圄者，無明也。有人問者，菩薩也。敬遺記僧宗曰：聲聞教修行斷諸煩惱，為初作也，彼人以能勤故。得罪於囹圄，今明雖斷麁惑，而細者不傾，故為陰果之所籠樊也。有人問之受何罪者，天下有無事，傍人為復顧問，不能為益；若世尊果去，則同傍人泛爾無慈者也。又釋：以慈悲為官也。寶亮曰：謂佛不應負誓者，昔發四弘願，處生死度一切眾生，云眾生病愈，我病乃除。今我幸是可度之數，而佛息化，豈不違誓耶？慧朗述僧宗曰：初學菩薩，懷大慈悲，誓為眾生，不捨生死。生死之應，必不可免，如官所收。若眾生得度，佛乃安樂，云何今日獨離苦惱耶？有人問者，餘大菩薩問始行也。

Fayao notes: "This simile clarifies that we have not yet attained vimokṣa, entreating the Buddha to remain in the world and teach us to attain it." Tanji stated: "This illustrates the initial practice of the Hīnayāna. The prison represents avidyā. The person who inquires is a bodhisattva." The notes of Jingyi record that Sengzong stated: "Cultivating the śrāvaka teaching to sever various afflictions is the initial undertaking; that person, through diligence, incurs an offense and is imprisoned. Now it clarifies that although coarse afflictions have been severed, subtle ones have not been eliminated, so one is caged by the fruit of the aggregates. As for someone asking what offense he incurred: in the world there are matters where a bystander asks out of courtesy, but cannot provide benefit; if the World-Honoured One indeed departs, he is just like a bystander, being casually devoid of compassion. Another explanation: compassion itself is the official." Baoliang stated: "This means the Buddha should not betray his vow: in the past he made the four great vows to abide in saṃsāra and deliver all sentient beings, saying that only when the illness of sentient beings is cured will my illness be dispelled. Now we happen to be among those who can be delivered, yet the Buddha ceases his transformation; how is this not violating his vow?" Huilang's account records that Sengzong stated: "A newly practicing bodhisattva cherishes great compassion and vows for the sake of sentient beings not to abandon saṃsāra. The retribution of saṃsāra is surely unavoidable, like being arrested by an official. Only if sentient beings are delivered will the Buddha be at peace and bliss; how could he today alone depart from suffering and distress? As for someone asking, it refers to other great bodhisattvas inquiring of the beginner."