大般涅槃經義記 4.131

4.131

第二難中，「若聞涅槃一經於耳則斷煩惱，如來云何先說有人恒沙佛所發菩提心不解義者」舉此徵前，如來前於〈四依章〉中宣說熙連乃至三恒佛所發心聞經不解，故今對之而為徵問。諸罪人等一聞涅槃能滅煩惱，何故前說恒沙佛所發菩提心聞經不解？若不解義，云何能斷？執前徵此，心不見理，烏能斷結？下佛答之，但答初難，後難自遣，故不別解。答意如何？明今聞經能發心者即是義趣，上品之人聞經能解一分之義，是故經力能令其人除罪發心。「非極凡」下，一闡提等云何得知？唯是四依上品弟子。上說有人四恒佛所發菩提心方能解於一分之義，解義之人方能滅罪，今聞經者能滅重罪，明知是善解義之人，非是餘者，故下說為大菩薩矣。文中有三：一簡定其人除一闡提，餘聞能作菩提因緣。闡提有三：一下品闡提斷一切善；二中品闡提無出世善；三上品闡提，雖少求出，邪謗未捨，今皆除之。

In the second difficulty: "If hearing the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] once passing through the ear eradicates afflictions, why did the Tathāgata previously state that there are people who generated the bodhi mind under buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges but did not understand the meaning?" He adduces this to challenge the preceding: previously, in the chapter on the four refuges, the Tathāgata proclaimed that those under Hiraṇyavatī and up to three Ganges sands of buddhas generated the resolve and heard the sūtra without understanding; therefore, he now poses a challenge against this. If various transgressors, upon hearing the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] once, are able to eliminate afflictions, why was it previously stated that those who generated the bodhi mind under buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges heard the sūtra without understanding? If they do not understand the meaning, how could they sever them? Clinging to the former to challenge the latter: if the mind does not perceive the principle, how could it sever the fetters? Below, the Buddha answers him; he answers only the first difficulty, and the latter difficulty is resolved of itself, so it is not separately explained. What is the intention of the answer? It explains that those who hear the sūtra now and can generate the resolve are precisely of that purport: people of the highest grade who hear the sūtra are able to understand a portion of its meaning; therefore, the power of the sūtra can cause such persons to eliminate transgressions and generate the resolve. From "It is not the extreme ordinary..." onward, how could icchantikas and the like be meant? They are exclusively the supreme disciples of the four refuges. It was stated above that only after generating the bodhi mind under four Ganges sands of buddhas can one understand a portion of the meaning; one who understands the meaning is only then able to eradicate transgressions. Now, those who hear the sūtra and can eradicate heavy transgressions are clearly known to be people who skillfully understand the meaning, not anyone else; hence below they are called great bodhisattvas. Within the text there are three parts: first, specifying the persons, excluding icchantikas, while the rest, upon hearing, can make it a cause and condition for bodhi. There are three kinds of icchantikas: first, lower-grade icchantikas, who have severed all wholesome roots; second, middle-grade icchantikas, who lack supramundane wholesome roots; third, upper-grade icchantikas, who, although seeking liberation to a slight degree, have not yet abandoned false views and slanders; all are now excluded.