大般涅槃經義記 7.120

7.120

第四明佛不定之中，文別有二：一明如來化滅不定，滅而常存；二「當知如來亦不定」下辯明如來化現不定，用而常寂。前中有四：一明如來隨化現滅、二「一切所有聲聞」已下明二乘人不知佛化取為定滅、三「當知」下明實不滅、四「以是義」下結成不定。初中先明如來現滅，「令諸」已下彰滅所為。所為有四：一欲令諸人戀慕如來，生大憂苦。二欲使諸眾設大供養。三欲令諸人闍維佛身，以何義故千端㲲中唯留二端？即事以求，在外一端為遮灰土，儭身一端為淨舍利。若論所表，為顯如來外離塵染、內德常淨，亦得表佛真應恒在。四為使眾生分散舍利，廣興供養。餘三可知。

Fourth, within clarifying that the Buddha is not fixed, the text specifically has two parts: first, clarifying that the Tathāgata's transformation into extinction is not fixed—though extinguished, he constantly abides; second, from "You should know that the Tathāgata is also not fixed" downward, explaining that the Tathāgata's manifestation of transformations is not fixed—functioning, yet constantly quiescent. In the first [part] there are four: 1. clarifying that the Tathāgata manifests extinction in accord with transformations; 2. from "all śrāvakas" downward, clarifying that persons of the two vehicles do not know the Buddha's transformations and grasp it as fixed extinction; 3. from "You should know" downward, clarifying that in truth he does not become extinct; 4. from "For this reason" downward, concluding that he is not fixed. In the first of these, it first clarifies that the Tathāgata manifests extinction, and from "causing all" downward reveals the purpose of the extinction. The purpose has four aspects: 1. wishing to cause all people to yearn for the Tathāgata and generate great grief and suffering; 2. wishing to cause all the multitude to make great offerings; 3. wishing to cause all people to perform the jhāpita on the Buddha's body—for what reason, among the thousand bolts of fine cotton cloth, were only two bolts left? Examining it by the fact: the one bolt on the outside was to block ashes and earth; the one bolt next to the body was to purify the relics. If discussed in terms of what is symbolized: it was to reveal that externally the Tathāgata is free from defilements of dust, and that his internal virtue is constantly pure; it also symbolizes that the Buddha's true and responsive [bodies] are perpetually present; 4. to cause sentient beings to distribute the relics and extensively raise offerings. The remaining three can be understood.