大般涅槃經義記 9.92

9.92

下佛答之，先翻後執，明性離緣，獨不能用，要假修道。「若言佛性住眾生」下，對破初執，明無定性住眾生中。前中，先釋涅槃上難；「若修道者得菩提」下，釋去向前菩提上難。就涅槃中，初明眾生以不修道不得涅槃，「非我咎」下明由煩惱是故不得。前中，先喻、次合、後結。前中，「河邊有七種人」總以標舉。河喻生死，七人通喻一切凡聖。眾生本來常在生死，何故言邊？身雖恒在，心未觀入，是以言邊。又對未起亦得言邊。「為洗浴」等，明入所為。為除業垢而觀生死，名為「洗浴」。為離煩惱而觀生死，名「畏寇賊」。為集諸善而觀生死，名為「採華」。觀生死過名「入河中」。下別顯之。合文之中，先合初總，「生死如是」合前河也。「七人」還合七種人也。言「畏煩惱」合畏寇。賊、洗浴、採華，略而不合。「發意欲度」合入河中。下別合之，於中先辨七人之相，然後釋文。汎論七人有其兩門：一別行門、二共行門。別行之中，三乘各七。小乘七者，闡提常沒，常沒三塗；外凡有信及至煖頂，名「出已沒」；忍心已上名「出已住」；見道「觀方」；斯陀行去「觀方已行」；那含果上名「行已住」；阿羅漢果名「上高山」。中乘七人准小可知，唯最後身獨悟為異。大乘七者，善趣位前判為常沒；善趣位中名出已沒，故《地持》言善趣之人數退數進；習種已上名出已住；初地觀方；二地已去名觀已行；八地已上名行已住；佛為上山。共行七者，略有三門：一開小合大。二乘因中開為六人，如上初門，羅漢、辟支、菩薩及佛合為第七。此義如下〈迦葉品〉說。二開大合小以論七人。凡夫二乘通名常沒，常沒分段、變易世間。大乘人中分為後六，如上後門。三大小俱開。外凡常沒，常沒三有；小乘法中五停心觀乃至煗頂名出已沒；忍；世第一名出已住；四沙門果名為觀方；辟支佛人名觀已行，行於十二因緣法故；菩薩之人名行已住；佛為上山。今此所說，就共行中末後言耳。雖舉七人，宗顯初人不得所由，就常沒人觀修道故；通則為明前之五人不得所以。

Below, the Buddha answers, first overturning the latter attachment, explaining that the nature is separated from conditions and cannot function on its own, but must rely on cultivating the path. From "If you say that the buddha-nature resides within sentient beings" onward, it confronts and refutes the former attachment, explaining that there is no fixed nature residing within sentient beings. In the former part, it first resolves the objection raised above regarding nirvāṇa; from "If those who cultivate the path attain bodhi" onward, it resolves the objection raised earlier regarding bodhi. Regarding nirvāṇa, it first explains that sentient beings do not attain nirvāṇa because they do not cultivate the path; from "it is not my fault" onward, it explains that it is due to afflictions that they do not attain it. In the former part, there is first an analogy, next the application, and finally a conclusion. In the former part, "there are seven kinds of persons on the riverbank" introduces them in general. The river is an analogy for birth-and-death; the seven persons are a broad analogy for all ordinary persons and noble ones. Sentient beings have originally always been in birth-and-death; why does it say "on the bank"? Although their bodies are always within it, their minds have not yet contemplated and entered it, hence it says "on the bank." Furthermore, contrasted with what has not yet arisen, one may also say "on the bank." "For bathing," etc., explains what they enter for. Contemplating birth-and-death to eliminate karmic defilements is called "bathing." Contemplating birth-and-death to leave afflictions behind is called "fearing bandits." Contemplating birth-and-death to gather wholesome [qualities] is called "picking flowers." Contemplating the faults of birth-and-death is called "entering the river." Below, this is elucidated in detail. Within the text of the application, it first applies the initial general point: "birth-and-death is like this" applies to the river mentioned before. "The seven persons" applies back to the seven kinds of persons. The statement "fearing afflictions" applies to fearing bandits; "bathing" and "picking flowers" are omitted and not applied. "Arousing the intention to cross over" applies to entering the river. Below, they are applied individually; within this, the characteristics of the seven persons are first distinguished, and then the text is interpreted. Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to the seven persons: 1. the separate-practice approach, and 2. the shared-practice approach. In the separate-practice approach, each of the three vehicles has seven. The seven of the small vehicle are: The icchantika is "constantly submerged," constantly submerged in the three wretched realms. The outer ordinary person who possesses faith up through the stages of warmth and summits is called "having emerged, they sink." Those from the stage of patience onward are called "having emerged, they abide." The path of vision is "looking at the directions." From the sakṛdāgāmin onward is "having looked at the directions, they go forward." The fruit of the anāgāmin is called "having gone forward, they abide." The fruit of the arhat is called "ascending the high mountain." The seven persons of the middle vehicle can be understood by analogy with the small [vehicle], differing only in their individual awakening in the final existence. The seven of the great vehicle are: prior to the stage of the wholesome destinies, they are categorized as "constantly submerged." Within the stage of the wholesome destinies, they are called "having emerged, they sink"; thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi states that persons in the wholesome destinies repeatedly regress and repeatedly advance. From the lineage of practice onward, they are called "having emerged, they abide." The first bhūmi is "looking at the directions." From the second bhūmi onward is called "having looked [at the directions], they go forward." From the eighth bhūmi onward is called "having gone forward, they abide." The Buddha is "ascending the mountain." Regarding the seven of shared practice, there are briefly three approaches: 1. Opening the small and combining the great: In the causal stage of the two vehicles, six persons are distinguished, as in the first approach above; the arhat, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and buddha are combined as the seventh. This meaning is explained below in the "Kāśyapa Chapter." 2. Opening the great and combining the small to discuss the seven persons: Ordinary persons and the two vehicles are collectively called "constantly submerged," constantly submerged in the worlds of fragmentary and inconceivable transformation [birth-and-death]. Among persons of the great vehicle, they are divided into the latter six, as in the latter approach above. 3. Both great and small are opened: The outer ordinary person is "constantly submerged," constantly submerged in the three realms of existence. In the teaching of the small vehicle, from the contemplation of the fivefold mind-stopping up through warmth and summits is called "having emerged, they sink." Patience and the supreme worldly dharma are called "having emerged, they abide." The four fruits of the śramaṇa are called "looking at the directions." The pratyekabuddha is called "having looked [at the directions], they go forward," because they practice the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination. The bodhisattva is called "having gone forward, they abide." The Buddha is "ascending the mountain." What is discussed here refers only to the very last of the shared-practice approaches. Although seven persons are cited, the principle is to elucidate the reason why the first person does not attain [nirvāṇa], observing the cultivation of the path with respect to the constantly submerged person; in a broad sense, it is to explain the reasons why the previous five persons do not attain it.