大般涅槃經義記 1.125

1.125

次辨得失。昔來所傳，麁看似是，細窮則非。兩義辨之：一準問以驗、二即文以求。準問驗者，若〈眾品〉前與〈眾品〉後廣略別者，便應兩處別問別答，何緣略中與廣為問、廣文之中與略作答？然「三告」下迦葉廣問，如來廣答。廣答未竟，忽爾中分前略後廣，不亦枉乎？「三告」已下併問通答，明是一分，非別廣、略。又若六分，一次第說，是則應在〈純陀章〉初併問使託，然後併答，不應純陀〈哀歎章〉後方始為問，〈純陀〉、〈哀歎〉二章之後別為問答，明知與前分齊全別，不得相從合為六分。若使〈純陀〉、〈哀歎〉所辨與後義異，不得一處併問併答，「三告」已後併問併答，明是一分，不得與前合為六分。準問如是。

Next is to discern the merits and defects. What has been traditionally transmitted from the past seems correct upon a coarse glance, but upon careful scrutiny it is flawed. This is discerned through two principles: first, examining by reference to the questions; second, investigating in accordance with the text itself. As for examining by reference to the questions: if before the "Chapter on the Assemblies" and after the "Chapter on the Assemblies" there were a distinction between brief and extensive, then in both places there ought to be separate questions and separate answers. For what reason would a question be posed in the brief [section] toward the extensive [section], and an answer be made in the extensive text toward the brief [section]? Yet, from the "Three Announcements" onward, Kāśyapa questions extensively, and the Tathāgata answers extensively. Before the extensive answer has concluded, suddenly to divide it in the middle into earlier brief and later extensive—is this not an injustice? From the "Three Announcements" onward, there are combined questions and comprehensive answers, clearly showing that it is a single section, not distinct [sections of] brief and extensive. Furthermore, if there were six divisions spoken in sequence, then at the beginning of the "Cunda Section" all questions should have been posed together, entrusted [to the Buddha], and then answered together; one should not only begin asking questions after the "Cunda" and "Lamentation" sections. Having separate questions and answers after the two sections of "Cunda" and "Lamentation" clearly shows that their demarcation is completely different from what precedes them, and they cannot be grouped together to form six divisions. If what is discerned in "Cunda" and "Lamentation" differs in meaning from what follows, so that they could not have combined questions and combined answers in one place, while from the "Three Announcements" onward there are combined questions and combined answers, this clearly is a single section and cannot be combined with what precedes it to form six divisions. Such is the examination by reference to the questions.