大般涅槃經集解 31.18

31.18

Sengliang comments: Because their contemplations differ, it was formerly said that suffering and origination pertain only to three kinds of persons. Because of discussing the differences in contemplation among the four kinds of persons, the sequence of discussion reaches this. The bodhisattva is able to contemplate suffering and contemplate that craving lacks the supreme eight afflictions. In discussing the differences among persons who contemplate, taking inversion as suffering, the three kinds of persons are all inverted and have suffering. Because seeing suffering is called 'truth', and the three persons all see suffering, they therefore have the truth; Subhadra below exemplifies this. Contemplating the desire realm as impermanent like an illness and thereby gaining escape into the form realm is ordinary persons' seeing of suffering. Because the three kinds of persons possess inversions regarding suffering with respect to the Buddha, their truth cannot be called 'true'. Understanding suffering refers to saṃsāra; 'without suffering' refers to nirvāṇa. Not being inverted with respect to either of these is called having no suffering and having the true truth. Suffering is coarse, while origination is subtle; ordinary persons do not see origination, and therefore have no truth. Having the truth of origination means: having inversions regarding the Buddha, they undergo the suffering of inconceivable transformation, which is therefore origination. Because they recognize the cause of fragmented birth and death, they have the truth. Above it only said that ordinary persons are origination, without speaking of the suffering of transformation. Baoliang comments: Having already explained the truths of suffering and origination above, he now concludes their functioning as truth. Those who do not achieve the functioning of truth are ordinary persons who are examined so that they recognize errors and leave faults behind. That ordinary persons have suffering but no truth means: the foolish and ordinary only coarsely know the suffering of pressing affliction in phenomena, but do not truly understand the reason for suffering; therefore, they lack the functioning of truth. That the two vehicles have the truth of suffering means: they have the suffering of pressing affliction in phenomena, and it is not that they do not coarsely understand and eliminate the causes of suffering; therefore, it can be said that they have the functioning of truth. Having no 'true' [truth] means: not knowing that the Buddha is without suffering, they still subsume the Buddha into their contemplation of suffering; hence they lack the true truth. That the bodhisattvas understand suffering and non-suffering means: formerly they understood that suffering and non-suffering are empty in nature; today they understand that up to the vajropama-citta there is suffering, while the Buddha-fruit is without suffering. By clearly distinguishing both sides, they therefore have the true truth. The remaining three truths below may be understood by analogy with this principle. The Great Beings clearly illuminate both wheels and establish dharmas properly, and therefore they have the true.