大般涅槃經集解 37.10

37.10

Sengliang states: The opening gāthā speaks of worldly loving-kindness. Because practitioners consider giving to be a real practice, they cultivate worldly loving-kindness through the merit of giving. It does not equal a fraction of it, how much less the supramundane! Why? Although loving-kindness toward one person gives worldly joy, giving cannot do so; the rise and fall can be known. Sengzong states: Within this section clarifying that loving-kindness has real benefit, there are five rounds of proof. First, clarifying that cultivating loving-kindness can truly transform the objective realm; second, clarifying that loving-kindness can sever defilements; third, clarifying that loving-kindness is the root of the ten thousand goods; fourth, clarifying that loving-kindness is itself the ten thousand practices; fifth, citing loving-kindness at the stage of fruition to prove that it is true and not deceptive. The Buddha is the culmination of loving-kindness, from which one knows that the causal stage also has real benefit. Although there are these five rounds, if one wishes to match them against the three questions, these five rounds all prove that loving-kindness has real benefit, answering the first question together; below, a separate answer will be raised for the second question. This gāthā says that the function of loving-kindness is superior among all practices, so how could it merely be real benefit? One cannot, because the śrāvakas' is false, make the bodhisattvas' benefit false as well. Once the two questions are resolved, the third question is naturally resolved. Baoliang states: The Buddha, about to answer the objection, first praises him. The gāthā clarifies real benefit by assessing merit. Why? Some people arouse loving-kindness toward only one person, wishing to give them bliss; from beginning to end they will surely transcend birth and death. Answering that even if a person makes offerings to immeasurable five-superknowledge ṛṣis as a field of merit, it is not equal to a sixteenth part of arousing loving-kindness toward one person. Making offerings to ṛṣis merely attains a retribution of birth and death; if one relieves the suffering of one person, one truly gains supramundane benefit. Furthermore, transforming immeasurable persons enables them to escape birth and death; one should know that loving-kindness is real. The text explaining the meaning of loving-kindness having real benefit concludes here.