大般涅槃經義記 7.117

7.117

就初段中，先法後喻。法中，初明凡人不定，後論凡法。人中，但明犯重謗法五逆不定，闡提不定前已辯竟，故此不論。法中，初就四塵法門以說不定。「色與色相俱不定」者，礙是色性，青、黃、赤等形現可覩名為色相。香、味、觸中亦有性相，性皆是礙，與色體同，故略不舉。相別各異，故偏舉之。「生至無明」就十二緣以明不定，十二緣中觀法多途，依彼七十七智觀門，先觀生相能起老、死，如是逆推乃至最後觀察無明能起諸行。今依此門以舉因緣，故言生相至無明相。「陰」者是其五陰法門，「入」者是其十二入門，「界」者是其十八界門，「二十五有」及與「四生」各是一門，前七別舉，法相眾多不可備列，故復通舉。「乃至一切」此等皆悉從緣集起，緣離散壞，故皆不定。下以喻況，喻別有三，皆先立喻，後合顯法。

In the first section, the doctrinal explanation comes first and the metaphors follow. In the doctrinal explanation, it first explains that ordinary persons are indeterminate, and afterward discusses ordinary dharmas. Among persons, it only explains that those who commit the major offenses, slander the Dharma, or commit the five heinous sins are indeterminate; the icchantika's indeterminacy was already discriminated previously, so it is not discussed here. In the dharmas, it first explains indeterminacy with respect to the doctrinal category of the four dusts. "Matter and the characteristics of matter are both indeterminate": obstruction is the nature of matter, while visible shapes and appearances like blue, yellow, and red are called the characteristics of matter. In fragrance, taste, and tangibility there are also nature and characteristics; their nature is in all cases obstruction and of the same essence as matter, so they are omitted and not raised. Their characteristics are individually distinct, so they are singled out. "From birth to ignorance" explains indeterminacy with respect to the twelve links of dependent origination. Within the twelve links of dependent origination, the methods of contemplating dharmas are manifold; relying on the contemplative gate of the seventy-seven knowledges, one first contemplates the characteristic of birth as able to give rise to aging and death, tracing backward in this way down to finally contemplating ignorance as able to give rise to karmic formations. Now, relying on this gate to raise causes and conditions, it therefore says "from the characteristic of birth to the characteristic of ignorance". "Aggregates" refers to the doctrinal category of the five aggregates; "bases" refers to the doctrinal category of the twelve bases; "elements" refers to the doctrinal category of the eighteen elements; the "twenty-five realms of existence" and the "four modes of birth" are each a category; the preceding seven are raised separately, and because the marks of dharmas are numerous and cannot be fully listed, they are again raised collectively. "Down to all": all these arise through the aggregation of conditions, and disintegrate upon the dispersal of conditions, hence all are indeterminate. Below, it illustrates with metaphors; the metaphors are divided into three, each first establishing the metaphor and afterward applying it to reveal the dharma.