大般涅槃經集解 9.138

9.138

案道生曰：法者，無復非法之義也。性者，真極無變之義也。即真而無變，豈有滅耶？今言滅是法性，蓋無所滅耳。僧亮曰：菩薩通達法性，成佛涅槃。法性無滅、涅槃常住，此說內行果上義也。凡夫不解空，故不得涅槃，以空證涅槃也。寶亮曰：此下第三證佛果之地。以法性為壽命故，所以長遠也。有人解此滅相為斷滅之滅。謂之不然。何者？下文結句云「即是諸佛之法性也」，豈是斷滅之辭乎？今釋云：若能安此二字為寂滅者，佛於此人真入伊字涅槃，應言何以故即法性也。

Daosheng comments: 'Dharma' has the meaning of having no further non-dharma. 'Nature' (dharmatā) has the meaning of ultimate truth without change. Since it is identical with truth and free of change, how could there be extinction? When it is now said that extinction is dharmatā, there is simply nothing that is extinguished. Sengliang comments: Bodhisattvas penetrate dharmatā, attaining buddhahood and nirvāṇa. Dharmatā has no extinction, and nirvāṇa is permanently abiding; this speaks of the meaning regarding the resultant state of internal practice. Ordinary people do not understand emptiness, so they do not attain nirvāṇa; nirvāṇa is realized through emptiness. Baoliang comments: Below this is the third point: verifying the ground of the Buddha's fruition. Because he takes dharmatā as his lifespan, it is long-lasting. Some interpret this characteristic of extinction as the extinction of annihilation. This is said to be incorrect. Why is that? The closing sentence below says: 'it is the dharmatā of all Buddhas'—how could this be the words of annihilation? Now it is explained: if one can take these two words as quiescent cessation, the Buddha for this person truly enters the letter-i nirvāṇa; one should say 'why? It is dharmatā.'