大般涅槃經義記 2.11

2.11

上奪昔偽勸修今真，自下第二就真為說三事涅槃。文別有三：一許安眾生令住祕藏；二「我亦」下，自許安住；三「何等」下，顯其所住祕藏之相。初中，「當令一切生」者，凡夫眾生；「及我子」者，菩薩名子，以諸菩薩德堪紹繼，故說為子；「四部眾」者，謂聲聞眾，在家、出家，各分男、女，故有四部。同教令證大般涅槃，名安祕藏。大般涅槃昔隱不說，故名祕密。權教所覆，故復名藏，故下文言「十一部中所不說故，名之為藏。」又於其中包含諸德，亦名為藏。第二段中，「我亦復當安住是中入涅槃」者，自許安住，已住同他，是故言「亦」。實則久住，對今息化始入名「當」。息化歸真，名入涅槃。第三段中，「何等祕藏」，牒問起發，下對顯之。應先解釋三事涅槃，然後釋文，義如別章。文中先喻，喻中初言「猶如伊字」，總舉喻事，此乃舉其胡書伊字。下辯喻相，文有四句，前後不次，若正，應言三點若並則不成伊、縱亦不成、三點若別亦不得成，如摩醯首羅面上三目乃得成伊，準合應爾。但今文中先舉縱、並，次舉摩醯三目成伊，却明別異。道「如摩醯面上三目」，立喻顯喻。合中初言「我亦如是」，合初伊字。此言不足，若具，應言「我之所得祕密之藏亦復如是」。下別合之，先合不成，「解脫之法亦非涅槃，乃至般若亦非涅槃」，合上縱、並不得成伊；「三法各別亦非涅槃」，合上文中三點若別亦不成也。此成、不成，別章具論，今此略以三義釋之：一就真應相對分別，應化三事，無常生滅不成涅槃，以不成故今須滅之；真德三事方成涅槃，以真成故今入其中。二約性淨方便分別，方便三事菩提門收，不成涅槃；性淨三事方成涅槃，此經偏明性淨之果為涅槃故。三就性淨總別分別，別分不成，總攝則成，如彼三點別不成伊，總攝則成。「我今安住如是三」下，合如摩醯首羅三目乃得成伊，此乃安住真常三事，亦可安住性淨三事，故成涅槃。所住雖常，為化眾生，滅應歸之，故言為生名入涅槃，所謂入於化滅涅槃，故下大眾聞之悲啼。「如世伊字」，舉喻以帖，隨法麁分。

The above revoked past falsehood and exhorted cultivation of the present truth; from here below is the second [section], which expounds the three aspects of nirvāṇa in terms of the truth. The text has three divisions: (1) promising to settle sentient beings and cause them to abide in the secret treasury; (2) from "I also..." downward, he promises to abide [there] himself; (3) from "What is..." downward, reveals the characteristics of the secret treasury in which they abide. In the first, "shall cause all sentient beings" refers to ordinary sentient beings; "and my sons" refers to bodhisattvas being called sons, because the virtues of bodhisattvas are capable of continuing the lineage, hence they are called sons; "the fourfold assembly" refers to the śrāvaka assembly, divided into male and female, at home and left home, hence there are four assemblies. Directing them all together to realize Mahāparinirvāṇa is called settling them in the secret treasury. Mahāparinirvāṇa was concealed and not spoken of in the past, hence it is called secret. Because it was covered by the provisional teachings, it is further called treasury; hence the text below says: "Because it was not spoken of in the eleven divisions [of scriptures], it is called a treasury." Moreover, because it encompasses all virtues within it, it is also called a treasury. In the second section, "I also shall abide in this and enter nirvāṇa" promises that he himself will abide; already abiding in common with others, he therefore says "also." In reality, he has long abided in it; in contrast to now ceasing his transformative activity and just entering it, he says "shall." Ceasing transformation and returning to the true is called entering nirvāṇa. In the third section, "What is the secret treasury?" cites the question to initiate [the discourse]; below he explains it in response. One should first explain the three aspects of nirvāṇa and then explain the text; the meaning is as in the separate chapter. In the text, the metaphor comes first. In the metaphor, it first says "just like the letter *i*," generally citing the metaphor; this cites the letter *i* in the Indic script. Below, it explains the characteristics of the metaphor. The text has four clauses, not in strict order. If arranged correctly, it should say: if the three dots are placed side by side, they do not form an *i*; vertically, they also do not form it; if the three dots are separate, they also cannot form it; only like the three eyes on the face of Maheśvara do they form an *i*. According to the application, it should be so. But in the present text, it first cites vertical and side by side, next cites Maheśvara's three eyes forming the *i*, and then clarifies their separateness. Saying "like the three eyes on the face of Maheśvara" establishes a metaphor to elucidate the metaphor. In the application, it first says "I also am like this," matching the initial letter *i*. These words are incomplete; if complete, it should say "The secret treasury attained by me is also like this." Below, it matches them individually. First, it matches non-formation: "The dharma of liberation is also not nirvāṇa, up to wisdom also is not nirvāṇa" matches the above where vertical or side by side cannot form an *i*; "the three dharmas being separate from each other is also not nirvāṇa" matches the above text where the three dots being separate also does not form it. This formation and non-formation are discussed fully in a separate chapter; here we briefly explain it with three meanings: (1) Distinguishing them in terms of the contrast between the true and the responsive: the responsive and transformational three aspects, being impermanent and subject to arising and ceasing, do not constitute nirvāṇa; because they do not constitute it, they must now be extinguished. The three aspects of true virtue only then constitute nirvāṇa; because they truly constitute it, he now enters into them. (2) Distinguishing them in terms of the naturally pure and expedient means: the three aspects of expedient means are subsumed under the gate of bodhi and do not constitute nirvāṇa; the three aspects of natural purity only then constitute nirvāṇa, because this sūtra specifically clarifies the fruit of natural purity as nirvāṇa. (3) Distinguishing them in terms of the general and specific of natural purity: distinguished separately, they do not constitute it; taken together as a whole, they do constitute it, just as those three dots separately do not form an *i*, but taken together as a whole they do form it. From "I now abide in such three..." downward matches that, like the three eyes of Maheśvara, it only then forms an *i*. This is abiding in the three true and eternal aspects, or it can also be abiding in the three naturally pure aspects, hence constituting nirvāṇa. Although what he abides in is eternal, for the sake of transforming sentient beings he extinguishes the manifestation and returns to it; therefore it is said that for the sake of sentient beings it is called entering nirvāṇa, which refers to entering the nirvāṇa of transformation and extinction. Hence the great assembly below, hearing it, weeps sorrowfully. "Like the mundane letter *i*" adduces the metaphor to apply it, roughly distinguishing according to the dharmas.