大般涅槃經集解 7.70

7.70

Sengliang states: Believing that the Buddha is permanent, yet when they begged him to stay, he would not, because he is unconstrained. Clinging to past teachings and giving rise to doubt, they then sought adjudication from the Buddha; this is the intent of this metaphor. Fayao states: Once the principle of permanence is revealed, they first know that the past intent lay in permanence, compared to it still being beneath the water. Sengzong states: Having only the wisdom of hearing, they are not yet able to enter into principle, like not having entered the water; not having cultivated superior wisdom, it is not called attaining the pearl. It is not that they lack the wisdom of hearing, which is metaphorically called seeing it from afar. Baoliang states: Having attained understanding through faith, they know entirely that the intent of permanence is ubiquitous beneath the teachings of the past.