大般涅槃經義記 8.301

8.301

「汝不可以有退心故言無性」下，是第四段，明退心人不無佛性。然此一文義有兩兼，近則明前退心之人不無佛性，顯其非外；遠則廣上然不失壞，舉修得果，明本有性故非外，以有性故終必得果名不失壞。於中有二：一明退人終必得果；二「師子言：云何有退不退」以下，明退心人終所起行。初中，「不可以有退心言無佛性」遮其無見，二「譬如二人俱聞」已下舉得顯有，「以是義故我經說」下結成有性。就舉得中，先喻、後合。喻中有四：一二人俱發喻；二「路值」下，訪問所求喻；三「聞是事已一人悔」下，有進有退喻；四「時悔還者見是事」下，退人後得喻。初中，「二人」喻修行者，進退兩分說為二人。「俱聞他方有七寶」等，喻聞正法。說生死外有佛可求，名聞他方。「山」喻涅槃，「泉」喻佛性。「有能到者永斷貧」等，聞到有益，得涅槃財名「斷貧窮」，證性常住名「增壽命」。「唯路懸」等，聞修有苦。「時彼二人俱欲共往」，喻起思惟，思欲趣向。「一人嚴」下，喻明修行，先明二人起行因別。「相與前進」正明修行。

From "You cannot say that because there is a regressing mind there is no nature" downward is the fourth section, clarifying that people with a regressing mind are not without the buddha-nature. Yet this single passage embraces two meanings: closely, it clarifies that the aforementioned person with a regressing mind is not without the buddha-nature, revealing that they are not outside; distantly, it expands upon the aforementioned "yet it is not lost or destroyed," citing the attainment of the fruit through cultivation to clarify that because they originally possess the nature, they are not outside, and because they possess the nature, they will ultimately and necessarily attain the fruit, which is termed "not lost or destroyed." There are two parts within this: first, clarifying that those who regress will ultimately and necessarily attain the fruit; second, from "The Lion [Roar Bodhisattva] said: 'Why is there regression and non-regression?'" downward, clarifying the practice ultimately aroused by those with a regressing mind. In the first part, "You cannot say there is no buddha-nature because of a regressing mind" refutes the view of nonexistence; second, from "Just as when two people both hear" downward adduces attainment to reveal existence; from "For this reason, my sūtra says" downward concludes the existence of the nature. In adducing attainment, there is first a simile and then an application. In the simile there are four parts: 1. the simile of the two people both setting out; 2. from "Encountering on the road" downward, the simile of inquiring about what is sought; 3. from "Having heard this, one person regretted" downward, the simile of progressing and regressing; 4. from "Then the one who regretted and returned saw this" downward, the simile of the regressing person later attaining it. In the first, "two people" illustrates practitioners; divided into progressing and regressing, they are spoken of as two people. "Both hearing that in another land there are seven treasures" and so forth illustrates hearing the true Dharma. Stating that outside of saṃsāra there is a Buddha to be sought is called hearing of another land. "Mountain" illustrates nirvāṇa; "spring" illustrates the buddha-nature. "If there is one able to reach it, poverty will be perpetually severed" and so forth refers to hearing that reaching it brings benefit: attaining the wealth of nirvāṇa is called "severing poverty," and realizing the permanent abiding of the nature is called "increasing lifespan." "Only the road is distant" and so forth refers to hearing that cultivation involves suffering. "Then those two people both wished to go together" illustrates giving rise to reflection and wishing to proceed toward it. From "One person prepared" downward illustrates cultivation, first clarifying the different causes for the two people's arousing practice. "Advancing forward together" directly illustrates cultivation.