大般涅槃經義記 1.182

1.182

初偈明其生法無常，「一切世間生皆歸死」，明無常寬遍。「壽雖無量，要必當盡」，明無常決定。生無常故，皆死必盡。次有三句，明老無常。「夫盛有衰，合會別離」，汎舉世事，類身必老。「壯年不停」，正明老體；「盛色病侵」，一句明病。下一偈半明死無常，「命為死吞」，當相辨死。「無法常」下，舉類顯死。「無有法常」，舉法以類。「諸王自在，勢力無雙，一切遷動」，舉人以類。「壽亦如是」，約類顯死。

The first verse explains the impermanence of the phenomenon of birth: "All births in the world end in death" explains the broad universality of impermanence. "Though lifespan be immeasurable, it must inevitably come to an end" explains the certainty of impermanence. Because birth is impermanent, all die and must come to an end. Next there are three lines explaining the impermanence of old age. "Flourishing has decline; meeting ends in parting" broadly raises worldly affairs to show by analogy that the body must inevitably age. "Prime years do not halt" directly explains the essence of old age; "flourishing complexion is encroached by sickness" is one line explaining sickness. The following one and a half verses explain the impermanence of death: "Life is swallowed by death" distinguishes death according to its actual mark. From "no dharma is permanent" downward, it raises categories to illuminate death. "No dharma is permanent" raises phenomena to analogize it. "Kings of unhindered mastery with peerless power and influence all shift and pass away" raises persons to analogize it. "Lifespan is also like this" illuminates death in relation to the analogy.