大般涅槃經義記 7.108

7.108

佛答有三：一嘆其能問、二勅聽許說、三正答之。嘆中，初言「善哉」總嘆，「為欲」下別。別中有三：一嘆問所為、二「汝已親」下嘆問所因、三「我不見」下歎問殊勝。問所為中，「為益眾生，憐念世間」明其為益。凡夫二乘為欲利益，令得樂也；憐愍慈念，使出苦也。「為欲增長偏益菩薩故問」，總結。問所因中，因福、因智。「汝已親近」是因福也，「久已通」等是因智也。福中，初先明其自利：「汝已親近無量諸佛」自利始也，「於佛種善」自利次也，「成就菩提」自利終也。准《法華論》，初地已上名得菩提，德王今已住第十地，故說久成。「降伏」已下明其利他，降魔邪耶令得菩提，化令入正。智中，「久通諸佛祕藏」明具證智，「已問過佛」明具教智。嘆問勝中，言「我不見若天人等能問是義」舉劣顯勝。此初段竟。勅聽可知。

The Buddha's answer has three parts: first, praising his ability to ask; second, enjoining him to listen and granting permission to speak; third, answering directly. In the praise, the initial word "Excellent!" is the general praise, while from "For the purpose of wanting" onward is specific. Within the specific there are three parts: first, praising the purpose of the question; second, from "You have already approached closely" onward, praising the cause of the question; third, from "I do not see" onward, praising the supremacy of the question. In the purpose of the question, "For the benefit of sentient beings, out of sympathy for the world" clarifies that it is for benefit. For ordinary beings and the two vehicles, it is for the purpose of wanting to benefit them and cause them to attain bliss; sympathizing with them with loving mindfulness, it causes them to escape suffering. "Asking for the sake of increasing and specifically benefiting bodhisattvas" is the general conclusion. In the cause of the question, it is caused by merit and caused by wisdom. "You have already approached closely" is caused by merit; "having long penetrated" and so forth is caused by wisdom. Within merit, it first clarifies his self-benefit: "You have already approached countless Buddhas closely" is the beginning of self-benefit; "planting roots of goodness in the presence of Buddhas" is the continuation of self-benefit; "perfecting bodhi" is the culmination of self-benefit. According to the *Fahua lun*, from the first bhūmi upward is called attaining bodhi; King of Virtue currently abides in the tenth bhūmi, hence it says he has long perfected it. From "subduing" onward clarifies his benefiting of others: subduing māras and heretics to cause them to attain bodhi, transforming them to cause them to enter the correct path. Within wisdom, "having long penetrated the secret treasury of all Buddhas" clarifies possessing wisdom of realization; "having already questioned past Buddhas" clarifies possessing wisdom of teaching. In praising the supremacy of the question, the statement "I do not see any god, human, or the like who can ask about this meaning" points out the inferior to reveal the supreme. This concludes the first section. Enjoining to listen can be understood.