大般涅槃經集解 69.10

69.10

Sengliang comments: 'Understanding dharmas': dharmas are specific, while sentient beings are general; the general and specific depend on each other, so by speaking of one, the second is known. Mental factors are mutually dependent; feeling and perception occupy the essential position: if feeling and perception can be severed, one knows that the rest can also be severed; the teaching is also like this. 'Ought to be associated with': only mixed dharmas are spoken of, and what is understood is also mixed. Baoliang comments: Because of these words, Kāśyapa thereupon asked: "Why is the cessation of perception and feeling called liberation?" The Buddha answered, "The Tathāgata sometimes teaches with reference to sentient beings, and upon hearing, they understand; as previously for Mahākāśyapa, he said that when sentient beings perish, wholesome dharmas perish. But dharmas are propagated by persons: if persons no longer practice them, the Dharma will not circulate; therefore, he speaks of sentient beings to illuminate dharmas. When teaching with reference to dharmas, upon hearing, they also understand. Teaching with reference to sentient beings is like speaking to Ānanda: if there is a dharma that can generate afflictions, one should not associate with it—that is a bad spiritual friend; if there is a dharma that can generate the wholesome, one should associate with it—that is a good spiritual friend. Having spoken of dharmas that may be associated with and dharmas that may not be associated with, living beings can therefore, through the Dharma, understand wholesome sentient beings and unwholesome sentient beings: thus the wholesome should be associated with, and the unwholesome should not be associated with."