大般涅槃經集解 8.30

8.30

案僧亮曰：此下第二是問分也，凡有三十四問。有四段：第一略、第二廣、第三勸信、第四問修行也。第一段中有四問：初兩問果、第三問因、第四問經名字及流通經德。經體已周，名究竟彼岸也。第二段中有十六問，從開微密訖天意樹也。此中廣說有四重：初一問廣果；次從「得廣大已」下訖四倒，有四問，廣流通及依人之義也。次有兩問，問作善業及難見性，以廣因也。次有九問，從解滿字訖天意樹，廣文字功德也。上來二十問，廣略再說竟也。第三段中有十問勸信也。所以勸信者，佛由因得，復言涅槃，而說是常。若不更以事釋，世所難信，故說十問以釋之也。第一問意，佛若從緣無性，不應獨常。下答雖從緣得，然有惑則無常，無惑則常也。第二第三舉果勸信，初舉外、後舉內也。第四第五說有大慈，如世父母，慈心所說，不欺眾生。第六說涅槃，示現不實也。佛常已下四問，證示現也。何者？佛不食而受食、不病而現臥，故知不滅而現滅也。次有二問，明現在知常受樂，後世識有餘無餘。化功已訖，所以應現也。第九證不病、第十明說病說滅，皆是密教也。第四段中有四問：第一問依經修行，即五行也。所以問行者，上說經功德能治四重五逆。治必須行，行此五行，亦不治自差也。第二釋所以差。以轉近為差，乃舉五人遠近為證也。第三請說行義也。第四問性，明性有因果、行有違從。識性則從，即師子吼問也；不識性即逆，即迦葉問也。次兩偈說涅槃，因果𭱐曠，問所不能盡，所以不問也。寶亮所判與此同，不復煩載。曇濟曰：第一有四問，正明經體，長壽因果，結經名字。第二開微密至觀三寶，有十六問，廣上果及經名字流通也。第三從三乘若無性說微密，有十問，勸信也。第四說微妙諸行，有三問，問因經修行也。第五悉有安樂性一問，辨依經行行之次第也。第六今欲問諸陰一問，擬以憍陳如答也。案僧宗曰：此經大要，以常果為宗。前純陀因施明常，為義則略。迦葉今廣設所問，重申前旨。廣略二問，何以取別多敝教以明常？今設問答以取悟。然問答大旨，論因說果，明境辨行。條緒雖多，要不出此也。為問之體，懸取答意，所以義旨相苻，無越經致。就此問中，科節略有四別：第一有十三問，明常住因果。次有十九問，歎經功能。次有一問，明依生行。次有一問，明所照之境。就此四中各有廣略，開則有八、合則成四。其中支別，故以四為其緒耳。案智秀曰：勸旨已著，時宜問也。機在迦葉，故聞命矣。為問之辭凡三十有四，以義而分略為三斷。何者？經之旨歸以極果為宗，然果之所由非因不就，故諮啟之端宜其先也。是故第一從始訖「究竟到彼岸」有五問，問因果結名字也。典誥之體略已舉矣，將欲化傳千載，利益無已。然道不自弘，通之由人，是故第二從「願佛開微密」訖「太白與彗星」凡十問，問通經之法及能通之人也。雖復人法二理顯然可別，未辨弘之有益，無以獎銳學人，是故第三從「云何未發心」訖「最勝無上道」凡十九問，問經之勢力也。若通而為論，此之三義亦足通矣；今從事從義，致有別也。明駿案：判問大體，世有六分三段，第一略、第二廣、第三勸信也。略問中有八問：第一問長壽因、第二問長壽果、第三問金剛身果、第四問金剛身因，此四問略辨般若法身。第五問解脫、第六問經力、第七問經名，所以約經名辨經力以問解脫者，有二義：一者此經以常住為宗，而以無累為名，累故所以無常，常故所以無累也；二者明近遠解脫皆是經力，近則能滅因中三障、遠則能辨果地解脫，是以問言「云何於此經」即是問名問力也，「究竟到彼岸」即是問解脫也。下〈名字品〉云「聞此經名，生四趣者，無有是處」，即是近力也。又云「菩薩住此，則能處處示現」，即是遠力也。舉七善以答經名也。降伏一切諸結煩惱及諸魔性，然後要於大般涅槃放捨身命，即是答究竟到彼岸也。又云「八味具足」，舉常恒等句，釋解脫體也。何者？下文明解脫中，列此八句一一廣釋，灼然可見矣。第八問流通依，如六卷《泥洹》云「菩薩化眾生，說法有幾種。」而此中𨷂落若有者，於義實便。若不取彼問者，就此語昧，亦有問流通義也。〈名字品〉迦葉問云：「當何名此經？云何奉持？」其旨顯矣。下以〈四相品〉答也。第二廣問，有十六問。初以一問廣果地三德，下文從〈四相品〉末有餘無餘涅槃訖解脫，答此也。次有二問，廣流通辨人辨法、辨耶辨正，〈四依品〉取正法正人以為依也。〈耶正品〉去耶人耶法，以為魔也。次有四問，廣因。四諦四倒二問，舉解惑以明智，即廣緣因也。善業難見性二問，舉始終以明正因也。次有二問，廣經名字，即滿字之與聖行也。次有七問，廣經力也。前未發心等四問，廣因地滅三障力也。後船師等三問，廣辨果地，萬惑斯亡，究竟解脫也。第三有十二問，勸信，同僧亮法師所釋也。

Sengliang states: From here down is the second [major section], the section of questions, containing thirty-four questions in all. It has four divisions: the first is brief; the second is expanded; the third encourages faith; the fourth inquires into cultivation and practice. Within the first division there are four questions: the first two ask about the fruition, the third asks about the cause, and the fourth asks about the title of the sūtra and the virtue of propagating it. When the substance of the sūtra is already complete, it is termed 'reaching the ultimate other shore.' Within the second division there are sixteen questions, from unfolding the subtle and secret up to the wish-fulfilling tree of the devas. Here the expanded explanation has four levels: the first single question expands upon the fruition; next, from 'having attained the vast' down to the four inversions, there are four questions, expanding upon the meaning of propagation and the reliance upon persons. Next are two questions, asking about performing good karma and the difficulty of seeing the nature, so as to expand upon the cause. Next are nine questions, from understanding the full letter down to the wish-fulfilling tree of the devas, expanding upon the merit of the written words. The preceding twenty questions conclude the twofold statement, expanded and brief. Within the third division there are ten questions encouraging faith. The reason faith is encouraged is that the Buddha attained it through causes, yet speaks of nirvāṇa and declares it to be permanent. If it were not further explained through concrete facts, it would be difficult for the world to believe; therefore ten questions are spoken to explain it. As for the point of the first question, if the Buddha had no nature because of arising from conditions, he should not be solely permanent. The answer below is that although it is attained through conditions, yet when there is delusion there is impermanence, and when there is no delusion there is permanence. The second and third questions bring up the fruition to encourage faith: the former brings up the external, and the latter brings up the internal. The fourth and fifth say that he has great compassion, like earthly parents, so that what he speaks with a compassionate heart does not deceive sentient beings. The sixth speaks of nirvāṇa as an unreal manifestation. The four questions from 'the Buddha is permanent' onward verify this manifestation. Why? The Buddha does not eat yet receives food; he is not sick yet manifests lying down; thus one knows that he does not perish yet manifests perishing. Next are two questions, clarifying that in the present he knows the permanent and experiences bliss, and that future generations will know the remainder and the remainderless. His work of transformation being finished, he accordingly manifests this. The ninth verifies his lack of sickness, and the tenth clarifies that speaking of sickness and speaking of extinction are both esoteric teachings. Within the fourth division there are four questions: the first asks about cultivating and practicing in reliance upon the sūtra, namely the five courses of conduct. The reason conduct is asked about is that the sūtra's merit was spoken above as being able to cure the four grave offences and five heinous sins. Curing inevitably requires practice; if one practices these five courses of conduct, then without curing, [the affliction] resolves of itself. The second explains why it resolves: because turning closer constitutes resolution, he brings up the five kinds of people, distant and near, as proof. The third requests the teaching on the meaning of conduct. The fourth asks about the nature, clarifying that the nature has cause and effect, and conduct has conformity and opposition. Discerning the nature means conformity, which is the Lion's Roar's questioning; failing to discern the nature means opposition, which is Kāśyapa's questioning. The next two verses speak of nirvāṇa; the cause and effect are so vast and unbounded that questions cannot exhaust them, which is why they are not asked about. Baoliang's division is the same as this and will not be recounted redundantly. Tanji states: The first has four questions, directly clarifying the substance of the sūtra, the cause and effect of long life, and concluding the title of the sūtra. The second, from unfolding the subtle and secret to contemplating the Three Jewels, has sixteen questions, expanding upon the fruition above as well as the title and propagation of the sūtra. The third, from 'if the three vehicles have no nature' to speaking of the subtle and secret, has ten questions, encouraging faith. The fourth speaks of the various wondrous courses of conduct, having three questions, which inquire into cultivating and practicing by means of the sūtra. The fifth, 'all have the nature of peaceful bliss', is one question, discerning the sequence of practicing the conduct in reliance upon the sūtra. The sixth, 'now I wish to ask about the aggregates', is one question, intended to be answered with Kauṇḍinya. Sengzong states: The great essential of this sūtra takes the permanent fruition as its core theme. Earlier, Cunda clarified permanence by means of giving, but the meaning was brief. Kāśyapa now sets forth extensive questions to reiterate that earlier intent. Why distinguish these two sets of questions, brief and expanded, by bringing out so many decayed teachings to clarify permanence? Now questions and answers are set up to produce awakening. Yet the grand purport of the questions and answers discusses cause and expounds fruition, clarifies the objective realm and discerns conduct. Although the threads are manifold, in essence they do not go beyond this. As the substance of questioning anticipates the intent of the answer, the sense and purport correspond with one another, never diverging from the sūtra's aim. Within these questions, the outline has broadly four divisions: first are thirteen questions, clarifying the cause and effect of permanent abiding. Next are nineteen questions, praising the power and function of the sūtra. Next is one question, clarifying the conduct based on life. Next is one question, clarifying the objective realm that is illuminated. Within each of these four there are expanded and brief treatments: unfolded they make eight, combined they make four. Because of the branches within them, they are thus threaded into four. Zhixiu states: The intent to encourage has already been made manifest; the time is suitable for questioning. The capacity rests with Kāśyapa, and therefore he has heeded the command. The expressions of the questions are thirty-four in all, which divided by their meaning broadly form three sections. Why? The ultimate aim of the sūtra takes the ultimate fruition as its core theme; yet what the fruition arises from cannot be accomplished without causes, and so the beginning of the inquiry ought to place them first. For this reason, the first section, from the beginning to 'reaching the ultimate other shore', has five questions, asking about cause and effect and concluding with the title. The substance of the canonical teaching has broadly been raised; in intending to transmit its transformation for a thousand years, its benefit will be without end. Yet the Way does not broaden itself—its propagation depends on persons. For this reason, the second section, from 'we pray that the Buddha will unfold the subtle and secret' down to 'Venus and the comets', has ten questions in all, asking about the method for propagating the sūtra and the persons who can propagate it. Although the two principles of persons and Dharma are clearly distinguishable, if one does not discern the benefits of propagating it, there will be no way to encourage eager students. For this reason, the third section, from 'how is it that those who have not yet set their minds' down to 'the most supreme, unsurpassed Way', has nineteen questions in all, asking about the power and influence of the sūtra. If discussed comprehensively, these three meanings are also sufficiently coherent; but taking them in terms of concrete topics and meanings, differences inevitably arise. Mingjun states: On the general outline of the questions, the world has a division into six or three sections: first brief, second expanded, and third encouraging faith. Within the brief questions there are eight questions: the first asks about the cause of long life; the second asks about the fruition of long life; the third asks about the fruition of the adamantine body; the fourth asks about the cause of the adamantine body. These four questions briefly discern prajñā and the dharmakāya. The fifth asks about vimokṣa; the sixth asks about the sūtra's power; the seventh asks about the sūtra's title. The reason vimokṣa is asked about by examining the sūtra's power in reference to its title has two meanings: first, this sūtra takes permanent abiding as its core theme and takes 'free from burdens' as its name; because of burdens there is impermanence, and because of permanence there is freedom from burdens. Second, it clarifies that both immediate and distant vimokṣa are due to the power of the sūtra: immediately it can extinguish the three hindrances in the causal stage; distantly it can realize vimokṣa in the stage of fruition. Therefore, asking 'how is it that regarding this sūtra' is asking about the name and asking about the power; 'reaching the ultimate other shore' is asking about vimokṣa. The 'Chapter on the Name' below says, 'If one hears the name of this sūtra and is born into the four evil destinies, there is no such possibility'—this is the immediate power. It also says, 'Bodhisattvas abiding in this can manifest everywhere'—this is the distant power. The seven excellences are brought up to answer about the title of the sūtra. To subdue all fetters and afflictions and the nature of the māras, and only then necessarily abandon bodily life in the Mahāparinirvāṇa—this answers 'reaching the ultimate other shore.' It also says 'endowed with the eight flavours', bringing up clauses such as 'permanent and constant' to explain the substance of vimokṣa. Why? In the text below clarifying vimokṣa, these eight clauses are listed and each explained in detail, which is clearly visible. The eighth asks about the reliance for propagation, just as the six-fascicle Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, 'When a bodhisattva transforms sentient beings, how many kinds of preaching Dharma are there?' If this were not missing here, it would truly be fitting in meaning. Even if one does not adopt that question, based on this obscure phrasing there is also the sense of asking about propagation. In the 'Chapter on the Name', Kāśyapa asks: 'What should this sūtra be named? How should it be upheld?' Its purport is obvious. The 'Chapter on the Four Marks' below provides the answer. The second section, the expanded questions, has sixteen questions. First, it uses one question to expand upon the three virtues of the stage of fruition, which the text below answers from the end of the 'Chapter on the Four Marks' on remainder and remainderless nirvāṇa down to vimokṣa. Next are two questions, expanding upon propagation by discerning persons and discerning teachings, discerning the perverse and discerning the correct: the 'Chapter on the Four Reliances' takes the correct Dharma and correct persons as the reliances; the 'Chapter on the Perverse and the Correct' casts away perverse persons and perverse teachings, taking them to be demonic. Next are four questions expanding upon the cause: the two questions on the four truths and the four inversions bring up understanding and delusion to clarify wisdom, which is the expansion of the conditioning cause; the two questions on good karma and the difficulty of seeing the nature bring up the beginning and the end to clarify the direct cause. Next are two questions expanding upon the title of the sūtra, namely the full letter and the noble conduct. Next are seven questions expanding upon the sūtra's power: the preceding four questions, such as 'those who have not yet set their minds', expand upon the power to extinguish the three hindrances in the causal stage; the latter three questions, such as the ferryman, extensively discern the stage of fruition, where the myriad delusions are completely extinguished and vimokṣa is ultimate. The third section has twelve questions encouraging faith, identical to the explanation by Dharma Master Sengliang.