大般涅槃經集解 55.46

55.46

Sengliang comments: "Not destroying afflictions" refers to the ultimate truth. "Not failing to destroy [afflictions]" refers to the conventional truth. In both the ultimate and conventional truths, "neither destroying nor failing to destroy" is both the ultimate truth and the conventional truth. Why is that? It is because they cannot entirely destroy [them]. The five persons are able to destroy and not fail to destroy; all expound the Middle Way of the ultimate and conventional [truths] without claiming themselves to be teachers. It may also refer to the Middle Way within the conventional truth. Regarding "how to know the first two kinds": this is the second approach of contemplation, which contemplates the contributory causes. When the causes are perfected, it is termed "seeing with the eye." Furthermore, if the cause of hearing and seeing is not perfected, even though one recognizes the Buddha, it is not termed "seeing with the eye," nor is it "hearing and seeing." The "two kinds" refer to being subtle on the outside and coarse on the inside, or subtle on the inside and coarse on the outside, in which good and evil are difficult to discern.