大般涅槃經義記 1.39

1.39

光明之中，初明如來放光普照，「其中」已下明諸眾生蒙光獲益。初中，「爾時」，放光時也。言「世尊」者，放光人也。「於晨朝時」，重復明時。日時寬長，故復曲指。「從其面門」，明放光處。口是面門，何故此放？佛一一相備含多用，寧可具責？又復如來面門放光多為授記，下說眾生皆有佛性，悉當作佛，即是普授眾生記別，故此放之。下明放光。「放種種光」，總以標舉。「其明雜色」，總顯其相。「青、黃、赤」等，別以顯之，別有六色。「光遍」已下辯光分齊，近照三千，遠至十方三千世界。如論中說，千四天下合之為一，名小千界；數小至千復合為一，名中千界；數中至千復合為一，名為大千。此三千界名世界剎，同時成、壞，故合為一，光今遍之。人言此光與下所攝光相別異，云何知異？此六彼五，故知不同。此照十方，下但覆會，明知別異。計應無別，何以得知？下文說言「所放光明還從口入」，自下更無放光之處，故知是一。若爾，何故此六下五？一義解云：頗梨瑪瑙為一雜色，故下說五。外國相傳：所放光中攝五留一以通正法，故下說五，或可如此。何故此中云照十方，下言覆會？蓋隨所照眾生故爾。此中所照眾生未集，故隨所照言至十方；下眾皆集，故隨所照云言覆會。若下所攝唯覆一會，何故下言「必於十方所作已辦，將是最後涅槃之相」？既言十方所作已辦，明與此同。

Regarding the light, first it explains the Tathāgata emitting light that illuminated universally; from “therein” downward, it explains the various sentient beings receiving the light and obtaining benefit. In the first part, “At that time” is the time of emitting the light. The words “World-Honoured One” refer to the person emitting the light. “In the early morning” re-clarifies the time. Because the day and time are broad and long, it points them out in detail again. “From his face-gate” clarifies the place from which the light was emitted. The mouth is the face-gate; why was it emitted from here? Every single mark of the Buddha encompasses manifold functions; how could one demand an exhaustive account? Furthermore, the Tathāgata’s emitting light from the face-gate is mostly to bestow prophecies; below it is explained that sentient beings all have buddha-nature and will all become buddhas, which is universally bestowing prophecies upon sentient beings, and therefore he emitted it from here. Below it explains the emission of the light. “Emitted various kinds of light” summarizes and marks it out. “Its brightness of mixed colors” reveals its appearance in general. “Blue, yellow, red,” etc., reveal them specifically; specifically there are six colors. From “The light pervaded” downward discriminates the scope of the light: nearby it illuminated the three thousand [great thousand worlds], and far off it reached the three thousand worlds of the ten directions. As explained in the treatises, bringing together one thousand sets of four continents forms one, called a small-thousand realm; counting small [thousands] up to a thousand and bringing them together again forms one, called a medium-thousand realm; counting medium [thousands] up to a thousand and bringing them together again forms one, called a great-thousand [realm]. These three-thousand realms are called a world kṣetra; they form and disintegrate at the same time, so they are joined as one; the light now pervaded them. Some say that this light is different from the mark of the light drawn in below. How is it known to be different? This has six [colors] while that has five, so it is known to be not the same. This illuminated the ten directions, while that below merely covered the assembly, clearly showing they are different. In truth, there should be no difference; how is this known? The text below says: “The light that had been emitted returned and entered through the mouth.” From here down there is no other place of emitting light, so it is known to be one. If so, why are there six here and five below? One explanation says: crystal and carnelian form a single variegated color, so five are spoken of below. A foreign tradition says: among the emitted lights, five were drawn in and one was retained to transmit the true Dharma, so five are spoken of below; it may perhaps be like this. Why does it say here that it illuminated the ten directions, while below it says it covered the assembly? It is simply in accordance with the sentient beings illuminated. Here, the sentient beings illuminated had not yet gathered, so in accordance with those illuminated it says it reached the ten directions; below, the assemblies had all gathered, so in accordance with those illuminated it says it covered the assembly. If what was drawn in below only covered a single assembly, why does it say below, “What was to be done in the ten directions must have been completed; this must be the final mark of nirvāṇa”? Since it says what was to be done in the ten directions was completed, it is clear that it is identical with this.