大般涅槃經集解 4.51

4.51

Daosheng says: Speaking from the ultimate perspective, because the Buddha is permanent, he can bestow permanence on people. Discussing in terms of a bodhisattva, before substance and trace have reached the ultimate, there is definitely a need. If there is definitely a need, how could he suddenly go from a coarse form to instantly accomplish wondrous permanence? Showing that he must be identical with the previous statement makes it real. Sengliang says: The reason he clarifies permanence in terms of the Buddha-field is that the previous words were contradictory and could not be harmonized without generating this discussion based on giving. How so? Because the eater obtains five benefits, the donor acquires five fruits. If the giving aids the eater to serve as a utility, that utility is impermanent; how could the fruit be permanent? Only because the Buddha does not rely on food for utility can he cause the donor to obtain utility-free merit. Fayao says: This clarifies that both traces—the bodhisattva and the Buddha—are provisional upāya, so that later it can be revealed that the Buddha has long been permanent and not merely beginning now. If it were now, then the bodhisattva receiving food and attaining the Way would also be real; if real, it would be impermanent. Now the bodhisattva and the Buddha share a single body; how could he suddenly and abruptly attain a permanent body that does not eat? Investigating this, it becomes clear that the wondrous substance of permanence has its own separate meaning and is not the present sixteen-foot form. Once permanence is revealed, receiving food, attaining the Way, and even nirvāṇa are all adaptive traces. Sengzong says: 'Why is this?' is an explanatory comparison. In the past, when he was a tree spirit, mental giving still obtained a permanent fruit; how much more so when you now give rise to the mind of all-knowledge toward the Buddha? Both the present and the past are the dharmakāya, subtly opening without difference; their fruit and retribution are identical in principle. Baoliang says: Straightforwardly explaining according to the text, it means: why say today that he bestows upon you the permanence of the five matters? Fearing this was not the Buddha's intent, someone had an interpretation that reached a bit further: namely, clarifying that he was already permanent in the past, and receiving the offering today is also his original permanence; why does he only today speak of bestowing permanence and did not say so in the past? Therefore it is said: although receiving the offering occurs twice, the fruit obtained has no difference. The records of Daohui state: Explaining why he is able to bestow permanent life: because the giving of food has two occasions: one where after eating he enters nirvāṇa with remainder, and one where after eating he enters nirvāṇa without remainder. Each is separated from two Māras, the removal of afflictions is identical, and they are able to accomplish great deeds; this is because the efficacy of these two times is great.