大般涅槃經義記 7.205

7.205

辯河喻中，聲聞、緣覺乃至十住不見佛性，名為涅槃非大涅槃者，涅槃大小進退不定，乃有三階：一簡聖異凡，凡夫所得一向是小，三乘賢聖所得皆大。問曰：二乘所得涅槃云何名大？分大為小，故小即大，故經說言「汝等所行是菩薩道」，所行既爾，所得亦然。二簡大異小，凡夫二乘所得名小，佛菩薩得通名為大，故上文言「菩薩住於大般涅槃種種示觀」。三簡果異因，凡夫二乘菩薩所得斯名為小，以未見佛性，斷惑不窮，不得常、樂、我、淨等故；諸佛所得獨名為大，以見佛性，斷惑究竟，具足常、樂、我、淨法故。此義如下第七德中具廣分別，今此所論義當後門。

In analyzing the metaphor of the river, that śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas up to the ten abodes do not see buddha-nature, and that this is called nirvāṇa but not mahāparinirvāṇa—the greatness or smallness of nirvāṇa is not fixed in advance or retreat, but rather has three tiers: First, distinguishing the noble from the ordinary: what ordinary persons attain is solely lesser; what the worthy and noble of the three vehicles attain is entirely great. Question: Why is the nirvāṇa attained by the two vehicles called great? Differentiating the great yields the lesser, so the lesser is precisely the great; therefore the sūtra says: "What you practice is the bodhisattva path." Since what is practiced is so, what is attained is also like this. Second, distinguishing the great from the lesser: what ordinary persons and the two vehicles attain is called lesser; what buddhas and bodhisattvas attain is collectively called great; hence the text above says: "Bodhisattvas abide in mahāparinirvāṇa and display various observations." Third, distinguishing the fruit from the cause: what ordinary persons, the two vehicles, and bodhisattvas attain are all called lesser, because they have not yet seen buddha-nature, their severing of delusion is not exhaustive, and they have not attained permanence, bliss, self, purity, and so forth; what all buddhas attain is alone called great, because they have seen buddha-nature, their severing of delusion is ultimate, and they fully possess the dharmas of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. This meaning is broadly differentiated in full below under the seventh virtue; what is discussed here properly corresponds to the latter gate.