大般涅槃經集解 68.82

68.82

案僧亮曰：明離惡有漸。知罪過已，從人天果報說過，得二世之利。果報輕微者，苦由癡起，見過則癡輕故也。寶亮曰：如人將盲至棘林者，盲喻凡夫，與棘林譬三漏。還此三漏，將眾生受苦果報也。捨之而還者，如果起因謝也。設復得出身體壞盡者，設復後時厭苦修道，必具經受八苦也。

Sengliang comments: This clarifies that leaving evil has gradual stages. Having recognized the fault of the transgression, expounding faults based on the retributions of humans and gods yields benefits in two lifetimes. As for 'the retribution is light and slight', suffering arises from delusion; when one perceives the faults, delusion is slight. Baoliang comments: 'It is like a man leading a blind person into a thorny forest'—the blind person illustrates ordinary persons, and the thorny forest illustrates the three outflows. It is these three outflows that lead sentient beings to undergo suffering retribution. 'Forsaking him and returning' means that once the result arises, the cause ceases. 'Even if he managed to escape, his body would be completely damaged' means that even if he later comes to revile suffering and cultivate the path, he must necessarily undergo the eight sufferings in full.