大般涅槃經義記 3.21

3.21

The third major section clarifies the characteristics of liberation. From here down, the fourth [section] brushes away the expressions and analogies. Why must they be brushed away? Previously, analogies were borrowed to compare and liken [things] to liberation, and people thought that liberation was completely equivalent to those analogies; therefore, below, they are brushed away. Herein there are two parts: first, clarifying that the analogies established previously are non-analogies taken as analogies; second, from "Why does the Tathāgata make two kinds of statements?" downward, clarifying that analogies are non-analogies, and cannot be spoken of definitively. In the former part there are three points: first, clarifying that the previous analogies are non-analogies taken as analogies; second, from "One of true liberation has no peer among all humans and devas" downward, clarifying the reason why they are non-analogies taken as analogies; third, from "Just as something peerless..." downward, demonstrating by analogy the characteristics of non-analogies taken as analogies. Within the first point, it first clarifies that they are not analogies, and from "The Tathāgata, at times, due to causes and conditions..." downward, reveals how they serve as analogies.