大般涅槃經集解 7.48

7.48

Sengliang states: Spring is the beginning of agriculture. The teaching of impermanence is the beginning of learning. Fayao states: The time when flora blooms and flourishes, gladdening the feelings, is used as a parable for the time when the listeners' capacities are aroused. Hearing the Dharma in season, there are none who are not gladdened and enlightened. Sengzong states: The parable has three intentions: first, it clarifies the parable of attaining understanding in the presence of a past buddha; next, it clarifies the parable of losing understanding; finally, it clarifies the parable of responding anew to the present Buddha and hearing permanence to arouse understanding. Sentient beings have roots of goodness; meeting a past buddha, response and resonance intersect, and the sprouts of goodness unfold, comparing to that harmonious and seasonable time. Zhixiu states: The purport of the parable has two parts. The former, from the beginning up to 'then knew it was not real', reveals that the learners originally had the understanding of the ultimate cultivation of the future fruit, but being benefited by the Buddha's partial teaching, they sought it and could not find it. The latter, from 'at that time the precious gem' up to the end of the parable, clarifies that today's teaching reveals the purport of ultimate cultivation, showing that those who seek beneath the former partial teaching will ultimately be able to attain it therein. Opening these two intentions, he admonishes learners to beware of that former loss and aspire to this later attainment. In the former parable there are two intentions: the first, up to 'submerged in deep water', directly reveals that the jewel of ultimate cultivation was submerged in the water of partial teaching. When spring arrives, plants and trees sprout; this compares to the arousal of the resonance and the issuance of teaching, where the good mind flourishes.