大般涅槃經集解 64.4

64.4

案僧亮曰：第三諍論分也。上云具四德則進，不具則退。而善友不過於佛，正法不過佛說。如使後人於佛所說起諍論者，則不得善思，故不如法行。四德所以不具，皆由佛說不定，如似如來說不應機，故發問也。僧宗曰：第五，廣明諍論也。有三翻：第一出諍論以咎佛，第二如來廣釋以遣著，第三釋諍論也。此下第一，列二十一諍論以咎佛也。寶亮曰：將欲解釋諍論，故逆作難云，佛既知眾生三世諸根利鈍差別，何不定說，乃使物諍耶？智秀曰：辨諍論中唯有問答兩翻，前迦葉以諍論為難，後佛釋也。

Sengliang comments: This is the third section, on controversies. Above it was said that possessing the four virtues leads to advancement, while lacking them leads to regression. But good friends do not surpass the Buddha, and the true Dharma does not surpass the Buddha's preaching. If later people were to generate disputes over what the Buddha preached, they would not reflect properly and therefore would not practice in accord with the Dharma. That the four virtues are not possessed is entirely due to the Buddha's preaching not being fixed, as if the Tathāgata's preaching did not accord with the capacity of beings; hence he asks the question. Sengzong says: Fifth, this extensively clarifies controversies. There are three turns: first, presenting controversies to reproach the Buddha; second, the Tathāgata's extensive explanation to dispel attachment; third, explaining the controversies. From here below is the first, listing twenty-one controversies to reproach the Buddha. Baoliang says: Wishing to explain the controversies, he raises an objection in anticipation, saying: Since the Buddha knows the differences between sharp and dull faculties among sentient beings across the three times, why did he not speak definitively, instead causing beings to dispute? Zhixiu says: In distinguishing controversies there are only two exchanges of question and answer: first Kāśyapa raises difficulties through controversies, and later the Buddha explains them.