大般涅槃經義記 4.105

4.105

就初段中，先喻、後合。喻中，先舉無想天喻，後舉樹神類顯無想。前中，初言「無想天者」舉其喻事名為無想，明其非有。「若無想」下，彰其非無。「以是義」下結無定處，以其無想而有壽命故無定處。「以此難知故」下舉彼樹神顯之，「譬如樹神依樹而住」舉其喻事，「不得定言依枝節」等明其非有，「雖無定」下顯其非無，「無想如是」約後顯前。下約顯法，句別有三：初「佛法亦爾，甚深難解」總嘆顯深；二「如來實無憂悲苦惱」明實無愛即是有我；三「而於生」下彰化有愛，明共無我。

In the first section, the simile comes first, and the application follows. In the simile, it first presents the simile of the heaven of non-conception, and subsequently presents the tree spirit to illuminate non-conception by analogy. In the former, the opening words, "The heaven of non-conception," present the matter of the simile as non-conception, clarifying that it is not existent. From "If non-conception" onward, it shows that it is not non-existent. From "By this meaning" onward, it concludes that there is no fixed location; because there is no conception yet there is lifespan, there is no fixed location. From "Because this is difficult to know" onward, it presents that tree spirit to illustrate it: "Just as a tree spirit dwells in reliance on a tree" presents the matter of the simile; "one cannot definitively say it relies on the branches, nodes," and so forth clarifies that it is not existent; from "Although there is no fixed" onward, it shows that it is not non-existent; "non-conception is like this" applies the latter to illuminate the former. Below, it applies this to reveal the doctrine, wherein there are three distinct clauses: first, "The Buddha's teachings are likewise, extremely profound and difficult to understand" broadly praises and reveals their profundity; second, "The Tathāgata truly has no grief, sorrow, suffering, or distress" clarifies that truly lacking craving is possessing the self; third, from "Yet toward sentient [beings]" onward, it demonstrates that in transformation there is craving, clarifying that it is together with non-self.