大般涅槃經集解 44.20

44.20

Sengliang comments: The third approach explains that evil has lower, middling, and higher [degrees]. The lower refers to someone bearing a grudge against me, and my reciprocating with an evil retribution; the middling refers to someone having shown no kindness to me, yet I inflict evil upon them; the higher refers to someone having shown kindness to me, yet I inflict evil upon them. The king's [action] was lower evil. Sengzong says: The fifth adduces the conditions of past karma, bringing up the incident on Mount Vipula. Baoliang says: The third explains that the former king incurred this through past karma, and it was not the initial creation of sin on [Ajātaśatru's] part.