大般涅槃經集解 60.16

60.16

Sengliang comments: This clarifies that because the nature of defilements is not cessation, wisdom cannot extinguish them. If one takes saltiness being able to make the bland salty as a metaphor for wisdom being able to extinguish defilements, this meaning is not so. Why? Saltiness and blandness do not coexist. When saltiness arises, blandness has already passed away. The past ceases of itself, not extinguished by saltiness. If dharmas have no cessation, how could wisdom forcibly make them cease? If the cessation of past dharmas were not self-cessation, how could it be forced? How can one say it extinguishes delusion? As for 'other dharmas', this is raised by an opponent to resolve the objection about forcing above. They claim that because the power of the light of wisdom is strong and the nature of the darkness of delusion is weak, wisdom can extinguish delusion; but this is also not so. Why? Both dharmas cease as soon as they arise; in arising and perishing, how could strength and weakness extinguish another?