大般涅槃經集解 63.49

63.49

Sengliang comments: The intent of the answer is that if [the Buddha] had not gone and not prophesied, externally it would have fostered manifold evils in others, and internally he would have suffered severe retribution for a long time; therefore it was prophesied beforehand that he would definitely enter hell. And now when [the Buddha] went there, he indeed sank into Avīci. How could this be a lack of compassion? It is precisely that by which his evil causes are extinguished. 'Truly without duality': because people heard the Buddha's words, they did not believe Sunakkhatta's words, and thus external evil was not increased, causing his suffering of retribution to be lessened.