大般涅槃經義記 1.118

1.118

自下第八總結眾集，於中有四：一明娑羅眾集多少，縱廣三十二由旬處，大眾充滿，此處生善，名吉祥地。其一由旬有四十里，三十二由旬合有一千二百八十里，眾皆充滿。前優婆塞莊嚴處中十二由旬，此中三十二由旬，下師子中四十由旬，何故不等？當應三廣住處故爾，與《法華》同。二「爾時四方無邊身」下釋防疑難。疑相云何？無邊身大，三十二由旬，其處至狹，安得相受，復容餘眾？故今釋之，四方無邊，所坐之處或如錐頭、針鋒、塵許，故得相受。人多說言有其十方無邊身來，準前驗此，唯有四方。三「十方」下明眾皆集，於中先明他方眾集，唯止菩薩。「及閻浮」下此方眾集，雜類皆聚，先明人集，除迦葉等，「乃至」已下餘眾皆集。十六行惡，如下〈師子品〉中宣說，四「陀那婆」下明所集眾皆捨惡念，慈心相視。於中初法、次喻、後合，下簡闡提。

From here down, the eighth concludes generally with the gathering of the assembly, within which there are four parts: First, it explains the size of the assembly gathered at the sāla [grove]: an area thirty-two yojanas in length and breadth was filled with the great assembly; because goodness was produced in this place, it is called the auspicious ground. One yojana is forty li; thirty-two yojanas together make one thousand two hundred and eighty li, and the assembly completely filled it. Previously, the place adorned by the upāsakas was twelve yojanas, here it is thirty-two yojanas, and below, in [the chapter on] Siṃha, it is forty yojanas—why are they not equal? It must be because of the three vast dwelling places, the same as in the Lotus Sūtra. Second, from "At that time, the Anantakāyas of the four directions" onward, it resolves and guards against doubts and objections. What is the nature of the doubt? Anantakāya's body was vast, while thirty-two yojanas is an extremely narrow place; how could it accommodate them and still hold the rest of the assembly? Therefore, it is now explained: the places where the Anantakāyas of the four directions sat were perhaps the size of an awl's point, a needle's tip, or a speck of dust; thus they could be accommodated. Many people say that there were Anantakāyas coming from the ten directions; verifying it against what precedes, there were only four directions. Third, from "The ten directions" onward, it explains that the assemblies all gathered. Within this, it first explains the gathering of assemblies from other directions, which were exclusively bodhisattvas. From "and Jambudvīpa" onward, it explains the gathering of the assembly of this world, where various sorts gathered together; it first explains the gathering of humans, excluding Kāśyapa and others; from "and so on" onward, the rest of the assemblies all gathered. The sixteen evil practices are as proclaimed below in the "Siṃha Chapter." Fourth, from "Dānavas" onward, it explains that the gathered assemblies all abandoned evil thoughts and looked upon one another with compassionate minds. Within this, there is first the dharma, next the metaphor, and finally the application; below, it excludes the icchantikas.