大般涅槃經集解 11.41

11.41

Daosheng comments: Afflictions are of two kinds: arising from intention and arising from conception. Pursuing what pleases one's feelings is called 'arising from intention.' What one craves having no limit is called 'arising from conception.' Therefore, a minor prohibition curbs one's intention, whereas a total prohibition curbs one's conception. Sengliang says: It removes their intention of greed and nourishes their compassion. Fayao says: What is easily obtained gives rise to an intention upon encountering it; what is difficult to obtain is constantly conceptualized and desired. Therefore, when permitted to eat the three pure kinds of meat, the intention toward the three impure kinds naturally dissolved. But regarding the three pure kinds, because they were difficult to obtain, people conceptualized and desired them; next, when among the ten kinds the three pure kinds were further prohibited from being eaten, conception toward the ten was severed. They conceptualized only the three pure kinds outside the ten, and because these were even more difficult to obtain, their conceptualizing became even more defiled. Now that all are severed, there is no longer any place for any conception to arise; hence all conceptions are severed. Baoliang says: If [the use of] provisions for the body causes severe harm, the Buddha prohibits it. If its practical use involves lesser and more distant [harm], the Buddha provisionally permits it. Sentient beings have illusory karmic retributions and necessarily require sustenance; if he severed everything all at once, their physical form could not be maintained. Zhixiu says: 'Different conceptions' and 'different purposes' are interchangeable expressions. It means being different from those evil intentions.