大般涅槃經集解 6.3

6.3

案慧朗述僧宗曰：從前品末放口光催供訖珠譬，猶是請門明常，此為下根說也。有六段：第一放光催供；第二動地大眾哀歎；第三說五譬譏請佛也；第四佛勸問又奪其所得也；第五比丘歎昔教；第六說勝修也。敬遺記僧宗曰：〈哀歎品〉初，猶屬前品純陀騰大眾請，是第二請門明常也。從「復次比丘若有疑惑」以下，是開宗中第三勸奪門明常也。有四別：第一奪果；第二奪因；第三舉寶珠譬，成昔果所以虛也；第四結會二教也。寶亮曰：大分此品有七段。第一說偈及長行，陳己之苦譏，請佛也。第二佛即勸捨昔之所得修也。第三比丘還更請佛住世，教我修方也。第四佛復勸令但隨佛教，修三勝修，必獲常果也。第五比丘復請若佛果是常者，何不住世，示我勝修耶？第六更勸，明今日滅度，為汝有偏執之病，汝但莫保昔日所行為實也。既三勸三請竟，眾人始懷一疑云：理若果然者，佛初出生，何不早為我說？第七便會通古今也。道慧記曰：大分此品為四段，第一大眾哀歎；第二佛開涅槃宗；第三說勝修；第四會通也。又曰：分為九段。第一將欲涅槃，所以動地。第二大眾說偈及譬請佛。第三佛說兩偈，止其悲請。第四若有疑惑，開常無常之端，發於眾疑，勸其令問，即說三點涅槃也。第五比丘未能受故，所以還歎昔教為是也。第六佛為說勝三修法也。第七比丘更請佛住，佛以迦葉當為依止，止其兩請也。第八還以珠譬，勸其令捨昔之所修，修今勝修也。第九會通昔日不得即說、今日得說之意也。後六段自相屬也。智秀曰：從此入〈長壽品〉至童子迦葉問，正說之第二也。大意有六段：第一現動地，表佛必至；第二時眾說偈及五譬，請佛住世；第三佛舉諸法以勸問；第四說勝修以奪執也；第五說醫譬，會通古今；第六段重作六翻，舉法以勸也。法安曰：此品是開宗之第二段，有三別：第一譏請，從品初訖伊字涅槃；第二執昔教請，從「快說無常」訖三修也；第三舉今教為請，從「如佛所說離四倒者」訖品也。三列之中各有兩翻，從始訖五譬，是請體；次從「佛告比丘」以下，答所請也。就第二請中，初從「快說」以下，執昔教以請也。我既不解，願住世為說也。次從「佛讚比丘」以下，詶己所請。云但習今教，得離四倒也。就第三請中，初從「離四倒者」訖隨佛入涅槃，謂若佛是常，常則不滅，云何不住教導我耶？次從「我以正法付囑迦葉」，以詶己請也。明駿案：此品大分為五段。第一大眾見地動，知是表滅，乃哀歎說五譬，以邀請佛也。第二佛說兩偈，止其哀歎也。第三舉法勸問，訖珠譬也。第四時諸比丘聞說珠譬，始悟於理，是以發問：昔日何以不即說耶？第五佛以新舊醫譬會通古今也。就初段中，有三章：第一經家敘地動事；第二大眾說偈自陳；第三以五譬譏請也。就第二段中，有兩章：第一寄言激切，謂莫如凡夫也；第二以偈說法，止其哀情也。就第三段中，有五翻：第一舉法勸問。第二比丘執昔所得，不解今旨。第三佛說勝修，奪己所執。第四比丘聞勝聞奪，此則已昔為非、佛今為是也；以己未解，仍復致請，謂佛正應住世，教我令解勝修，乃以命要請也。第五佛以珠譬曉其迷也。第四第五段，不復開也。

Huilang's account records that Sengzong stated: "From the end of the previous chapter, where the Buddha radiated light from his mouth to hasten the offerings, through to the simile of the jewel, this still belongs to the approach of entreaty clarifying permanence; it was spoken for those of inferior faculties. It consists of six sections: first, radiating light to hasten the offerings; second, the earth quaking and the great assembly lamenting in sorrow; third, speaking five similes to remonstrate with and entreat the Buddha; fourth, the Buddha encouraging questions and refuting what they had attained; fifth, the bhikṣus praising the past teachings; and sixth, explaining the superior cultivation." The notes of Jingyi record that Sengzong stated: "The beginning of the 'Chapter on Lamentation' still belongs to the previous chapter, in which Cunda expressed the entreaty of the great assembly; it is the second approach of entreaty clarifying permanence. From 'Furthermore, bhikṣus, if you have doubts' onward is the third approach within the opening of the doctrine, which clarifies permanence by means of encouragement and refutation. It has four distinct parts: first, refuting the fruit; second, refuting the cause; third, presenting the simile of the precious jewel to establish why the past fruit was empty; and fourth, concluding by synthesizing the two teachings." Baoliang stated: "Broadly speaking, this chapter has seven sections. First, speaking verses and prose to express their own suffering and remonstrate with and entreat the Buddha. Second, the Buddha immediately encourages them to abandon what they had attained and cultivated in the past. Third, the bhikṣus again entreat the Buddha to remain in the world to teach us the method of cultivation. Fourth, the Buddha again encourages them merely to follow the Buddha's teaching and cultivate the three superior cultivations, whereby they will certainly attain the permanent fruit. Fifth, the bhikṣus again entreat, asking: if the Buddha's fruit is permanent, why does he not remain in the world and show us the superior cultivation? Sixth, he further encourages them, clarifying that passing into extinction today is because you have the illness of one-sided grasping: you simply must not maintain what you practiced in past days as ultimate truth. Once the three encouragements and three entreaties were concluded, the assembly for the first time harboured a doubt, saying: if the principle is indeed so, why did the Buddha, when first appearing in the world, not explain it to us earlier? Seventh, he synthesizes and harmonizes the ancient and the present." The notes of Daohui record: "Broadly dividing this chapter, there are four sections: first, the great assembly's sorrowful lament; second, the Buddha opening the doctrine of nirvāṇa; third, explaining the superior cultivation; and fourth, synthesis and harmonization." It also states: "Divided into nine sections: first, about to enter nirvāṇa, hence the earth quakes. Second, the great assembly speaks verses and similes to entreat the Buddha. Third, the Buddha speaks two verses to halt their sorrowful entreaties. Fourth, from 'if there are doubts', opening the beginnings of permanence and impermanence, giving rise to the assembly's doubts, encouraging them to ask, and then speaking of the three-dot nirvāṇa. Fifth, because the bhikṣus were not yet able to accept it, they turned back to praise the past teaching as correct. Sixth, the Buddha explains for them the dharma of the three superior cultivations. Seventh, the bhikṣus again entreat the Buddha to remain, and the Buddha halts their two entreaties by pointing to Kāśyapa as their future refuge. Eighth, returning to the jewel simile, he encourages them to abandon what was cultivated in the past and cultivate the present superior cultivation. Ninth, synthesizing and harmonizing the intention behind why it could not be spoken immediately in past days but can be spoken today. The latter six sections are interconnected." Zhixiu stated: "From here entering the 'Chapter on Longevity' up to the questions of the Youth Kāśyapa is the second part of the main discourse. The broad outline has six sections: first, manifesting the quaking of the earth to indicate that the Buddha will certainly depart; second, the assembly at that time speaks verses and five similes to entreat the Buddha to remain in the world; third, the Buddha presents various dharmas to encourage questions; fourth, explaining the superior cultivation to refute their graspings; fifth, speaking the simile of the physician to synthesize and harmonize the ancient and present; and the sixth section makes six turns again, presenting dharmas to offer encouragement." Fa'an stated: "This chapter is the second section of opening the doctrine, having three distinct parts: first, remonstrating and entreating, from the beginning of the chapter through to the i-character nirvāṇa; second, clinging to past teachings and entreating, from 'rightly speak of impermanence' through to the three cultivations; third, adducing the present teaching to entreat, from 'as the Buddha spoke of abandoning the four inversions' through to the end of the chapter. Within each of the three series there are two turns: from the beginning through to the five similes is the substance of the entreaty; next, from 'the Buddha addressed the bhikṣus' onward answers what was entreated. In the second entreaty, first from 'rightly speak' onward is clinging to past teachings to entreat: since we do not understand, we pray you remain in the world to explain it. Next, from 'the Buddha praised the bhikṣus' onward responds to what they entreated, saying that merely practicing the present teaching will allow one to leave behind the four inversions. In the third entreaty, first from 'abandoning the four inversions' through to following the Buddha into nirvāṇa, it means: if the Buddha is permanent, and permanence implies non-extinction, why not remain and guide us? Next, from 'I entrust the correct Dharma to Kāśyapa' onward responds to what they entreated." Mingjun notes: "This chapter is broadly divided into five sections. First, the great assembly sees the earth quake, knows it signifies extinction, and sorrowfully laments and speaks five similes to invite and entreat the Buddha. Second, the Buddha speaks two verses to halt their sorrowful lamentations. Third, presenting dharmas to encourage questions, through to the jewel simile. Fourth, when the bhikṣus at that time hear the jewel simile spoken, they begin to awaken to the principle and thereupon raise a question: why was it not spoken immediately in past days? Fifth, the Buddha uses the similes of the new and old physicians to synthesize and harmonize the ancient and present. In the first section, there are three subsections: first, the compiler of the sūtra recounts the event of the earth quaking; second, the great assembly speaks verses to state their case; third, using five similes to remonstrate and entreat. In the second section, there are two subsections: first, lodging words with vehemence, stating they should not be like ordinary people; second, using verses to preach the Dharma to halt their sorrowful feelings. In the third section, there are five turns: first, presenting dharmas to encourage questions; second, the bhikṣus cling to what was attained in the past, failing to understand the present intent; third, the Buddha speaks of superior cultivation, refuting what they grasped; fourth, the bhikṣus hear of the superior and hear of the refutation, realizing that their past was wrong and the Buddha's present is right, yet because they have not yet understood, they persist in entreating, saying the Buddha ought rightly to remain in the world to teach them to understand the superior cultivation, even using their lives to insist on the entreaty; fifth, the Buddha uses the jewel simile to enlighten their confusion. The fourth and fifth sections are not further subdivided."