大般涅槃經義記 9.211

9.211

前八問答明其斷善，下一問答明其生善。迦葉先問，「何時當生」。下佛答中，初對前問正明生時。「或初入獄」怖畏時生，「或出地獄」罪盡時生。「善有三」下，彰彼善根得生所由。由過去善，所生當果不斷故生。先舉三善，次列三名。「過去善因雖復滅盡，果報未熟，是故不名斷過去果」彰所不斷，由此不斷當善得生。「斷三世因名斷善」者，舉其所斷顯所不斷。義如上釋。斷其過去生現之義，名斷過因。現不起故不能生後，名斷現因。後不生故復不生後，名斷來因。唯斷此因，不斷過家當來之果，故善得生。

The preceding eight questions and answers clarified the severing of the good; the following single question and answer clarifies the generation of the good. Kāśyapa first asks, "At what time will they be generated?" In the Buddha's answer below, first, answering the previous question, he directly clarifies the time of generation: "either upon first entering hell," generated at the time of dread, "or upon leaving hell," generated at the time when offenses are exhausted. From "There are three kinds of good" onward, it reveals the reason why those roots of good are able to be generated: because of past good, the future fruit to be generated is not severed; hence they are generated. First it cites the three goods, and next lists their three names. "Although past good causes are extinguished, their karmic retribution has not yet ripened; therefore it is not called severing past fruit" reveals what is not severed; by virtue of this non-severance, future good is able to be generated. "Severing the causes of the three times is called severing the good" cites what is severed to reveal what is not severed. The meaning is as explained above. Severing the meaning of the past generating the present is called severing the past cause. Because the present does not arise, it cannot generate the future; this is called severing the present cause. Because the future does not arise, it again does not generate what follows; this is called severing the future cause. Only these causes are severed, not the future fruits belonging to the past; hence the good is able to be generated.