大般涅槃經義記 8.51

8.51

前中，「闡提無有佛性」法說明無。「如王」下喻，喻有八句：一眾性聞性喻，「王」喻眾生，「箜篌」喻身，「聲」喻佛性，性淨稱「妙」，聞皆愛好名「心耽著，情無捨離」；二「即告」下隨聞推求喻，「臣」喻如來眾性。問佛性之所從名「告智臣聲出何處」；三「大臣答」下聖為開示喻，說性從於五陰中現名「箜篌出」；四「王復語」下請聖求見喻，求見性體名「持聲來」；五「臣即答」下就因辨果喻，說陰為性開曉總心名「持箜篌置於王前」，就因辯果故云是聲；六「王語箜篌出聲」已下即相求性喻，亦名求性不得喻也，「箜篌出聲」總相求性，求不得方性不顯了名「聲不出」，「即斷絃」下別相求性，隨一一陰破折分張求性不得名「斷絃等聲亦不出」；七「王即瞋」下不解謗聖喻；八「臣白王」下聖為解釋喻，「夫取聲者，法不如是」呵情妄取，「以眾緣」下顯示證儀，具行方見，名以眾緣巧脩乃悟，名「善方便聲乃出耳」。

In the former part, 'The icchantika has no buddha-nature' is a doctrinal explanation of absence. From 'Like a king' downward is the metaphor, which has eight clauses: First, the metaphor of sentient beings' nature hearing the nature: the 'king' represents sentient beings; the 'lute' represents the body; the 'sound' represents the buddha-nature. The purity of the nature is praised as 'wondrous'; that all who hear it delight in it is called 'the mind is deeply attached, with no thought of abandoning it.' Second, from 'He immediately told...' downward is the metaphor of investigating in accordance with what was heard: the 'minister' represents the Tathāgata, and [the king's action represents] sentient beings' nature. Asking about the origin of the buddha-nature is called 'told the wise minister: Where does the sound come from?' Third, from 'The great minister answered...' downward is the metaphor of the noble one providing instruction: explaining that the nature manifests from within the five aggregates is called 'comes from the lute.' Fourth, from 'The king spoke again...' downward is the metaphor of requesting the noble one to seek to see it: seeking to see the essence of the nature is called 'bring the sound here.' Fifth, from 'The minister immediately replied...' downward is the metaphor of identifying the fruit in terms of the cause: explaining the aggregates as the nature to instruct the general mind is called 'brought the lute and placed it before the king'; identifying the fruit in terms of the cause, he therefore says it is the sound. Sixth, from 'The king said to the lute: Produce sound' downward is the metaphor of seeking the nature within phenomenal marks, also called the metaphor of seeking the nature without finding it: 'lute, produce sound' is seeking the nature in general marks; failing to find it, so that the nature is not manifested, is called 'the sound does not come forth'; from 'he immediately cut the strings' downward is seeking the nature in distinct marks: breaking apart and dissecting each individual aggregate and failing to find the nature is called 'cut the strings and so forth, yet the sound still did not come forth.' Seventh, from 'The king was then enraged' downward is the metaphor of failing to understand and slandering the noble one. Eighth, from 'The minister said to the king...' downward is the metaphor of the noble one providing an explanation: 'As for obtaining the sound, the principle is not like this' rebukes emotional, deluded grasping; from 'Through various conditions' downward demonstrates the manner of realization: only when all practices are complete is it seen, which is called skillful cultivation through various conditions bringing about awakening, termed 'only through skillful expedients does the sound come forth.'