大般涅槃經集解 7.44

7.44

案道生曰：所以付囑聲聞者，明要須兼解，然後得道也。迦葉在佛前出家，以十方佛為師。佛既成道，為佛弟子，苦行第一，深解成就，必可以軌誨後學，故付囑也。僧亮曰：答請教之言也。教汝遺法，今留在後也。僧宗曰：向以辭倒請住，今明付囑有人，何患倒之不除也。寶亮曰：第三勸也。就此中有三意：先一非其第一請意，云但修勝修，隨滅何益耶？第二出所依止人，迦葉既為依止處者，如佛在世無異，何患欲修勝修而無地耶？有人解云：此迦葉即是三十四問者也。謂不應然，正是聲聞中上座者耳。故六卷云「以聲聞乘故，不能流通，非都不能也。是佛大弟子，于時不來故。」知先是體常之人。

Daosheng states: The reason for entrusting it to a śrāvaka is to clarify that one must possess combined understanding, and only then attain the path. Kāśyapa went forth before the Buddha, taking the buddhas of the ten directions as his teachers. When the Buddha attained the path, he became the Buddha's disciple; foremost in ascetic practices and having accomplished profound understanding, he could certainly guide and instruct later learners, so it was entrusted to him. Sengliang states: This answers the words requesting instruction. The bequeathed Dharma that teaches you is now left behind. Sengzong states: Previously they requested him to abide with words of inversion; now he clarifies that there is someone entrusted, so why worry that inversions will not be eliminated? Baoliang states: This is the third exhortation. Within this there are three intentions: First, he rejects the intention of their first request, saying: just cultivate superior cultivation; what benefit is there in following extinction? Second, he points out the person to rely upon: since Kāśyapa is the place of reliance, it is no different from when the Buddha is in the world; why worry that there is no basis for wishing to cultivate superior cultivation? Someone explains: this Kāśyapa is precisely the one of the thirty-four questions. We say this should not be so; he is simply the senior elder among the śrāvakas. Hence the six-fascicle [version] says: 'Because of the śrāvaka vehicle, he cannot circulate it, but it is not that he cannot at all. Being the Buddha's great disciple, he did not come at that time.' Thus we know he was originally a person who embodied permanence.