大般涅槃經集解 1.35

1.35

Sengliang comments: The translation of the sūtra was not yet complete; its present parts may be divided into four distinct sections: first, the exhortation to question; second, the questions; third, the answers to the questions; and fourth, the confirmation by turning the wheel of the Dharma. Tan'ai comments: Broadly speaking, there are ten distinct sections. First is the introductory teaching, namely the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the principal teaching, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the "Adamantine Body Chapter"; third is the teaching on dissemination, from the "Virtues of the Name Chapter" through the "Four Inversions Chapter"; fourth is the teaching on the buddhadhātu, from the "Tathāgata-Nature Chapter" through the "Moon Parable Chapter"; fifth is the praise of the sūtra's efficacy, from the "Bodhisattva Chapter" through the "Manifestation of Illness Chapter"; sixth is the explanation of cultivation based on the sūtra, namely the Five Practices; seventh is the presentation of the essence of practice, which possesses the meaning of merit—taking movement toward the fruit of buddhahood as the meaning of practice, and attaining virtue by means of merit as the meaning of merit; eighth is the critical examination of the buddhadhātu explained above, namely the "Lion's Roar Chapter"; ninth is likewise a critical examination of the buddhadhātu, broadly distinguishing the purport explained from beneath the king of trees down to today, and citing the event of Sunaksatra cutting off his kuśalamūla, namely the "Kāśyapa Chapter"; and tenth is the explanation of dissemination, enjoining Kauṇḍinya to convert the ten non-Buddhists, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" through the end of the sūtra. Tanxian comments: Broadly speaking, this sūtra is divided into two distinct parts: the former is concise, and the latter is extensive. Within the concise division, it is divided into five sections: first is the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the establishment of the tenet, explaining the causes and fruits of permanence, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the "Lamentation Chapter"; third is the questions, from the "Longevity Chapter" through the end of the questions; fourth is the answers, from the praise of Kāśyapa entering after the "Questions of the Great Multitude Chapter"; and fifth is the entrustment, from "At that time the great assembly addressed the Buddha" through the end of the chapter. Within the extensive division, it is divided into five sections: first is the elaboration of the fruit, namely the "Manifestation of Illness Chapter"; second is the elaboration of the cause, namely the Five Practices; third is the elaboration of dissemination, namely the "Ten Merits Chapter", the reason why the Radiance of Vaidūrya came from afar being precisely to clarify propagation; fourth is the elaboration of the buddhadhātu, namely the two chapters "Lion's Roar" and "Kāśyapa"; and fifth is the elaboration of entrustment, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" through the end of the sūtra text. Tanji comments: The broad classification has three sections in all: first, the section of exhortation; second, the section of questions; and third, the section of answers. From "Thus have I heard" up to Kāśyapa raising his questions is the section of exhortation; from answering the questions through Kauṇḍinya is the section of answers. Sengzong comments: From beginning to end, the sūtra has five distinct parts in all. First is the preamble, namely the "Introductory Chapter"; second is the concise establishment of the tenet of permanence, from the "Cunda Chapter" through the old and new physicians; third is the extensive explanation of permanence, from the "Longevity Chapter" through the "Kāśyapa Chapter", wherein the causes, fruits, objects, and practices explained are already broadly complete, leading up to the entrustment; fourth is first refuting the non-Buddhists, from the "Kauṇḍinya Chapter" up to "Where is Ānanda?"; and fifth, since the text and its purport are concluded, an entrustment must be made, which turns to charge the person who will uphold [the teaching], from "Where is the monk Ānanda now?" through the end of the sūtra.