[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大般涅槃經義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764) › 2.45 # 大般涅槃經義記 2.45 大般涅槃經義記 2.45 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2.45) 問曰：下說一切聲聞及大迦葉悉常無常，應以大乘付諸菩薩令法久住，不付聲聞，今云何言無上正法悉付迦葉？釋言：付法分別有三：一約時分別。時有二種：一始終常付，付諸菩薩，以諸菩薩常能受持，流布不絕，所以偏付；聲聞弟子大迦葉等悉皆無常，不能流通，所以不付。二隨時別付，通付聲聞及諸菩薩，如《付法藏》說聲聞弟子雖復不能常流法化，亦能一時匡化益物，故通付之。今言正法悉付迦葉，義當後門，以彼迦葉佛滅度後二十年中弘通正法，所以付之。下言大乘付諸菩薩，義當前門。二約人分別，義別有三：一凡聖通付，如下文說「如來今以無上正法付囑諸王、大臣、宰相、四部眾」等；二簡凡付聖，唯付聲聞及諸菩薩，如《付法藏》說；三簡小付大，唯付菩薩，如下文說。今此文中言付迦葉，義當第二；下付菩薩，義當第三。三約法分別，義別有三：一大小分別，小付聲聞、大付菩薩，故下文說「十二部經，唯方廣部菩薩所持，餘十一部二乘所持」；二就大乘淺深分別，淺付聲聞、深付菩薩，故龍樹說《波若》義淺付囑聲聞、《法華》義深付諸菩薩。《波若》多說破相空理，未顯實義，故名為淺；《法華》宣說聲聞作佛，顯其有性，故名為深；三就深經教義分別，論其教法通付聲聞，義付菩薩，故下文言「今問阿難欲令受持《大涅槃經》，阿難比丘所未聞」者，弘廣菩薩當能流通。良以付法有斯多義，故此所說與後不同，喻合可知。 > Question: Below it is said that all śrāvakas and Mahākāśyapa are all impermanent; the Mahāyāna should be entrusted to the bodhisattvas to cause the Dharma to abide long, not entrusted to śrāvakas. Why is it now said that the unsurpassable correct Dharma is entirely entrusted to Kāśyapa? Answer: Distinctions in entrusting the Dharma are of three kinds: First, distinction in terms of time. Time is of two kinds: first, constant entrustment from beginning to end, entrusted to the bodhisattvas; because the bodhisattvas can always uphold it and spread it without cessation, it is specifically entrusted \[to them\]; śrāvaka disciples such as Mahākāśyapa are all impermanent and cannot circulate it, so it is not entrusted \[to them\]. Second, specific entrustment according to the time, entrusted generally to both śrāvakas and bodhisattvas: as the Fu fazang \[zhuan\] says, although the śrāvaka disciples cannot constantly circulate the Dharma-transformation, they can also guide and transform for a time to benefit beings, hence it is generally entrusted to them. Now saying that the correct Dharma is entirely entrusted to Kāśyapa corresponds to this latter approach: because Kāśyapa widely propagated the correct Dharma during the twenty years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, it was entrusted to him. Saying below that the Mahāyāna is entrusted to bodhisattvas corresponds to the former approach. Second, distinction in terms of persons, whose meaning has three variants: first, general entrustment to ordinary people and sages, as the text below says, "The Tathāgata now entrusts the unsurpassable correct Dharma to kings, ministers, prime ministers, the fourfold assembly," and so forth; second, selecting sages over ordinary people, entrusting only to śrāvakas and bodhisattvas, as the Fu fazang says; third, selecting the great over the small, entrusting only to bodhisattvas, as the text below says. In this text, the statement of entrusting to Kāśyapa corresponds to the second; the entrustment below to bodhisattvas corresponds to the third. Third, distinction in terms of dharmas, whose meaning has three variants: first, distinction between Great and Small: the Small is entrusted to śrāvakas and the Great to bodhisattvas, hence the text below says, "Among the twelve divisions of scriptures, only the vaipulya section is upheld by bodhisattvas, and the remaining eleven divisions are upheld by the two vehicles"; second, distinction between shallow and deep regarding the Mahāyāna: the shallow is entrusted to śrāvakas and the deep to bodhisattvas, hence Nāgārjuna says that the shallow meaning of the Prajñā\[pāramitā\] is entrusted to śrāvakas, while the deep meaning of the Lotus \[Sūtra\] is entrusted to bodhisattvas. The Prajñā\[pāramitā\] mostly speaks of the principle of emptiness that breaks marks without yet revealing the real meaning, hence it is termed shallow; the Lotus \[Sūtra\] proclaims that śrāvakas become buddhas, revealing that they have the nature, hence it is termed deep; third, distinction between teaching and meaning in profound sūtras: discussing their teaching, it is generally entrusted to śrāvakas; their meaning is entrusted to bodhisattvas. Thus the text below says: "I now ask Ānanda wishing to cause him to uphold the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra; what Bhikṣu Ānanda has not heard," vast and great bodhisattvas will be able to circulate. Truly because entrusting the Dharma has these many meanings, what is said here differs from what comes later; the metaphor and application may be known \[accordingly\]. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2.44) - [Next: 2.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2.46) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764~en-mt.2.45) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1764.2.45) · Pramāṇa