大般涅槃經集解 26
English (machine translation) 26
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26.1
Explaining the cause of freedom from sickness, meaning having compassion for sentient beings and giving medicine to the sick; explaining the five kinds of persons, meaning srotāpannas attaining bodhi in eighty thousand kalpas up to pratyekabuddhas attaining bodhi in ten thousand kalpas.
26.2
Chapter 18: Manifesting Illness
26.3
Sengliang notes: Next he answers 'How do bodhisattvas leave all illness far behind?' Illness was already clarified in the preceding chapter, but freedom from illness was not yet explained; thus the meaning of demonstration was not yet manifest, and this chapter makes it clear. Fayao says: Because the Buddha manifested illness, Kāśyapa was able to extensively reveal the causes of freedom from illness, clarifying that at the bodhisattva stage he had long since departed from illness, so how much more so now? Thus, by means of illness, freedom from illness is revealed. Sengzong says: In what was expounded above, although the fundamental doctrine was raised, it had not yet [reached] subtle actuality. Intending to reveal that the consummate person has completely ended afflictions and encumbrances, he therefore first demonstrated the marks of illness, and through the request he again arose with luminous demeanour to reveal his supremacy, thereby expressing the principle of freedom from illness; this accordingly answers the twenty-ninth question. Zhixiu says: Below this is the second major section of the sūtra, extensively clarifying the principles. It also has two divisions: first, extensively explaining the main exposition; second, extensively explaining the dissemination. Within the extensive main exposition there are three headings: first, extensively explaining the fruit, which is this chapter; second, extensively explaining the cause, which is the five practices; third, extensively explaining buddhadhātu, which is the two chapters 'Lion's Roar' and 'Kāśyapa.'
26.4
At that time Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: [...] "all their afflictions and suffering were eradicated, and they were without further terror."
26.5
Sengzong notes: Below this, eight matters are raised to reverently infer that the Tathāgata ought not to have illness. Zhixiu says: Below this there are four rounds: first, Kāśyapa raises seven points to infer the Buddha is without illness; second, the Buddha uses supernormal power to manifest three kinds of marks; third, all beings receive benefit and request the Buddha to preach the Dharma; fourth, he extensively recounts freedom from illness to dispel the dispositions of the times.
26.6
"World-Honoured One, all sentient beings have four poisoned arrows [...] 'You should preach the Dharma for the great assembly.'"
26.7
Sengzong notes: The first clarifies that among the causes of having illness, none exceeds these four arrows; the Tathāgata has already departed from them, so he ought not to be ill.
26.8
"There are two causes and conditions by which one is without the suffering of illness [...] For what reason do you now say yourself that you have illness?"
26.9
Sengzong notes: The second clarifies that among the causes of freedom from illness, none exceeds these two; because the World-Honoured One practiced them, he is without illness.
26.10
"World-Honoured One! When worldly people are ill, they may sit or lie down [...] why do you lie on your right side in silence?"
26.11
Sengzong notes: The third clarifies that since the Tathāgata has no signs of grave illness, how could he have illness?
26.12
"Whenever all the bodhisattvas give to others [...] they perpetually sever these three heavy illnesses of obstacles."
26.13
Sengzong notes: The fourth clarifies that since the past, his outer transformative activities have been vast, and the merits of his good deeds have returned to himself; he ought not to have illness.
26.14
"Furthermore, World-Honoured One! When bodhisattva-mahāsattvas [...] yet today you declare that you have illness."
26.15
Sengzong notes: The fifth clarifies that during the days of cultivating the cause, he was fully endowed with various vows; he briefly raises nine vows to reveal the essential principle of freedom from illness.
26.16
"Furthermore, World-Honoured One! When worldly people are ill [...] you ought not to say, 'My back aches now.'"
26.17
Sengzong notes: The sixth clarifies that when worldly people face the end of life, they are unable to give admonitions and instructions; he highly esteems the Tathāgata as not being the same as them.
26.18
"Furthermore, World-Honoured One! When worldly people are ill [...] you ought not to lie on your right side in silence."
26.19
Sengzong notes: The seventh clarifies that if there were such traces, he would certainly be ridiculed by the non-Buddhists.
26.20
"Furthermore, World-Honoured One! When worldly people are ill [...] benefiting sentient beings and subduing all non-Buddhists."
26.21
Sengzong notes: The eighth borrows physical strength to infer and compare, showing that the Buddha must have no illness, and then speaks verses to encourage him. Zhixiu says: These seven repetitions are the first round, inferring that the Buddha ought not to be ill.
26.22
At that time the World-Honoured One, his mind suffused with great compassion, [...] "practicing evil dharmas, excluding icchantikas."
26.23
Sengzong notes: The previous verse requested, 'Where is great compassion now?'; therefore, because the Buddha arose, the compiler of the sūtra says, 'his mind suffused with great compassion.' Zhixiu says: This is the second round, emitting three kinds of supernormal powers to bring benefit.
26.24
At that time, all the devas, dragons, ghosts, and spirits [...] reaching everywhere up to the Śuddhāvāsa [heavens], and all heard it.
26.25
Zhixiu notes: The third round: the great assembly receives benefit, extensively arranges offerings, and requests the preaching of the Dharma.
26.26
At that time the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Kāśyapa: [...] "they then suppose that the Tathāgata truly has an illness."
26.27
Zhixiu notes: The fourth round: the Buddha first extensively reveals that he has long departed from illness.
26.28
"Kāśyapa! As when it is said that the Tathāgata is a lion among humans [...] nor does he enter nirvāṇa ultimately."
26.29
Sengliang notes: Having extensively shown that the Tathāgata is eternally free from illness in principle, if it is said that he has illness, this is an esoteric teaching; through this he is further able to extensively proclaim the secret. Next he answers 'How does he extensively expound the secret for the sake of sentient beings?'
26.30
"Kāśyapa! This mahānirvāṇa is the buddhas' [...] not the sphere of practice of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas."
26.31
Fayao notes: From here down to 'how could he have illnesses and sufferings?' next answers the question 'How does he further manifest ultimate nirvāṇa?'
26.32
"Kāśyapa! As to what you asked above, why the Tathāgata [...] how could he have illnesses and sufferings?"
26.33
Sengliang notes: Next he answers 'How does he further manifest ultimate nirvāṇa?'
26.34
"Kāśyapa! There are three persons in the world whose illnesses are difficult to cure [...] making offerings, revering, and explaining it for others."
26.35
Sengliang notes: Next he answers 'Why does he teach the ultimate and the non-ultimate?' First explaining the practice of illness: the great assembly requested the Buddha to cure illness, so he explains the practice that first cures illness. 'Medicine' is named in relation to illness; relying on nirvāṇa for practice, there is no illness that is not cured. Wishing to reveal the efficacy of the practice of illness, he first explains that in the sūtras there are incurable illnesses. These three kinds of people cannot be cured by the sūtras; this explains the ultimate illness of the two vehicles. Having heard the other vaipulya [sūtras], even if they arouse the mind, because they do not know that the Buddha is permanent they ultimately do not attain buddhahood; this is called non-ultimate. When people such as those above hear the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] and generate faith, they do not require external treatment and can naturally attain buddhahood; this is the teaching that severs doubt. The designation 'practice of illness' is fully accounted for here. Fayao says: This mahānirvāṇa is the profound samādhi of the buddhas, not the realm traversed by the two vehicles. Entering this deep samādhi is called ultimately entering nirvāṇa. Because it is not entering nirvāṇa by eternal complete extinction, it is called not ultimately entering nirvāṇa. The meanings of ultimate and non-ultimate reside here. Sengzong says: Ultimate and non-ultimate each have their own purport; they are not non-definitive. But clinging to the words loses the purport, and taking it as a non-definitive teaching, a net of doubt arose; grasping the purport, one knows it is a definitive teaching, and the net of doubt is severed. Another meaning: past teachings all spoke of ultimate eternal extinction; now, because manifesting illness expresses freedom from illness, it can be revealed that illness is an esoteric expression, and through this he extensively expounds the esoteric expressions of the Tathāgata.
26.36
"Kāśyapa! There are five kinds of people who, in this Great Vehicle [...] there is a sphere of the practice of illness, but not for the Tathāgata."
26.37
Sengliang notes: Next he answers 'How does one attain proximity to the supreme, unsurpassed path?' Above he said 'naturally able to attain'; now he shifts 'proximity' to 'attaining.' He speaks only of five persons because the severance of fetters is fixed. When ordinary beings enter fixed stages, there is no limit of kalpa counts. 'Eighty thousand kalpas' refers to what is later called attaining the bodhimind; it is also called the dwelling place for eighty thousand kalpas, which is lesser nirvāṇa, resembling the completion of the bodhimind. Delusions of thought are severed by the Small Vehicle, not necessarily in the bodhisattva. Because the kalpa counts are like this, one knows that biased love is easy to sever, whereas equal compassion is difficult to accomplish. Fayao says: Through expressing that the Tathāgata is free from illness, he attains [an explanation of] life and illness, which pertains to the mind. The two vehicles have illness and cannot arouse the mind; they must hear the Dharma from the Buddha. Those of sharp faculties, even though they do not hear the Dharma from the Buddha, naturally arouse the mind. One knows why these two kinds of persons attain proximity to the unsurpassed path. Dharmakṣema says: The five kinds of persons are from srotāpanna up to pratyekabuddha. Taking one fruit to correspond to two grounds, thus the first and second grounds correspond to the first fruit, up to the ninth ground corresponding to the pratyekabuddha.
26.38
Collected Commentaries on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Fascicle 26
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