大般涅槃經集解 6.59

6.59

Daosheng states: If one with partial understanding should still receive further teaching, how much more so one who is entirely without understanding? Sengliang states: This means the illness of the śrāvaka is completely identical to that of an ordinary person, not a half-day illness. Why? If one understands the impermanence of the three realms, one should not give rise to the notion of impermanence regarding the Buddha. To state that the Buddha is impermanent means one does not understand causes and conditions, and possesses the view of permanence regarding the three realms; in principle, this is identical to an ordinary person. Fayao states: This analogy clarifies why they have not yet attained the four meanings above: it is truly because when they were ordinary persons they were drunk on the five desires, their passions were heavy, and their faculties dull; therefore today they have only a faint understanding and are not yet sobered—how could you abandon them? Sengzong states: The preceding four analogies were analogies for the noble ones; this one applies commonly to both ordinary persons and noble ones. Zhiyong states: This analogy differs in its story from the previous malaria analogy, but the intent is the same; both use the unexhausted delusion as an illustration.