大般涅槃經集解 6.5

6.5

Sengliang notes: "The Buddha's explanation to Cunda of the meaning of the permanent response and resonance was fully set out in the text above. After Cunda had departed, those who had doubts ought to have raised them, yet did not immediately ask because they hoped the Buddha would delay. Therefore, he manifested the sign of certain departure to urge them to ask. The meaning of the six kinds of quaking is fully explained in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. There are two ideas here: up to 'the minds of sentient beings were shaken', within the quaking there was sound, describing the aspects of magnitude. From 'Tuṣita heaven' down to 'quaked greatly in this manner', it clarifies that there must be a great event. There are three kinds [of quakings] for the stage of training (śaikṣa) and three kinds for the stage beyond training (aśaikṣa); five kinds have already passed, and this is the sixth." Fayao stated: "Now that the Great Being had departed and there was no one to initiate the questioning, the earth was therefore shaken to signify nirvāṇa, accelerating the occasion for their entreaty; the i-character nirvāṇa was proclaimed on account of this." Baoliang stated: "This is the seventh sign. The intention behind the occurrence of this sign was not to summon the assembly; rather, seeing the Buddha's majestic light remained tranquil, the people of the time became somewhat indolent in mind, so he manifested this sign again to signify that he would certainly depart. From here down to the simile of the two men, old and young, is the first part: stating their own suffering, entreating while remonstrating with the Buddha. It contains three ideas: first, speaking eleven and a half lines of verse directly stating their suffering and entreating; second, the final two lines of verse clarify that if the Buddha remains in the world, there will be the benefit of dispelling suffering; third, because the Buddha remained silent after the entreaty, they further cite circumstances to remonstrate with the Buddha." Zhixiu stated: "This is the first section. That there was this sound in the earth signifies two meanings: first, to let them know that this is a great quaking; second, to let them know that this quaking is a sign of nirvāṇa." Huilang stated: "Radiating light from the mouth at the end of the previous chapter, and the quaking at the beginning of this chapter, are both intended to expound permanence again for those of inferior faculties. From radiating light from the mouth down to the verses, it is the first section among six, manifesting the sign of nirvāṇa. It has three subsections, and this is the first subsection."