大般涅槃經義記 2.34

2.34

Regarding the section below on affirming oneself and faulting others: first they fault others, and then they affirm themselves. In the first part, they first set up a metaphor to fault others: 'person' is a metaphor for worldlings and all bodhisattvas; the bewilderment and confusion of mind are called being 'drunk'; the turbidity and stupor of mind and intent are called 'dizziness'; 'mountains, rivers, rocks,' and so on are metaphors for the five aggregates of worldlings; the 'sun, moon, stars, and constellations' are metaphors for the Buddha's five aggregates. Looking with inverted views, they grasp them as dharmas of permanence, bliss, self, and purity; contrary to the preceding objects, this is called 'all turning around.' Seeing mountains, rivers, and so on all turning around is a metaphor for worldlings falsely conceiving the five aggregates of the lower grounds to be permanent, blissful, and so forth; seeing the sun, moon, and so on all turning around is a metaphor for the bodhisattvas conceiving the Buddha's five aggregates to be permanent, blissful, and so forth. The śrāvakas consider all of these to be inversions, and therefore it is called 'turning around.' From 'If one does not cultivate' downward, it faults others through a doctrinal explanation. First, it brings up worldlings and all bodhisattvas as the people who do not cultivate. Below, it then reveals the error: 'Such persons are not called noble' clarifies that they lack correct understanding. 'Much negligence' and so forth clarifies that they have erroneous faults. Negligence is the cause, and birth and death is the result; those who do not cultivate the Path are those who are negligent. Showing that they themselves cultivate, they are not called negligent; because they are not negligent, the Buddha should not have said earlier that I am negligent. The above faults others. 'For this reason, we have cultivated well' is an affirmation of themselves. Because not cultivating the conceptions of impermanence and so forth means that one is not called noble and serves as the cause and condition for much negligence and transmigration, therefore what we cultivate is called good.