大般涅槃經義記 8.342

8.342

Second, Siṃhanāda seizes upon [the Buddha's] words to present a further objection, which directly challenges buddha-nature. Because it was said before that it is seen through cultivating the path, it concurrently challenges the noble path. Within his objection to nature, he first posits a dilemma based on the previous metaphor: Is it one, or is it many? Below, he poses the objection based on this: "If it is one, then when an ox eats it, it is exhausted," which objects to and refutes individual attainment. If the grass is one, then when an ox eats it, it is exhausted, and the others have no share in it. If the nature is one, when one person attains it, the others would have no share. How can one say that all cultivators see it? "If it is many, why say that the nature is also like this?" objects to and refutes the meaning of unity. If the grass were many, the nature should also be many; how could one say that sentient beings all share the buddha-nature in common, like the kṣānti grass? Below, he challenges the noble path: "What the Buddha said, that cultivating the path one sees the nature, this meaning is not so," citing it to negate it generally. From "Why?" downward, he explains. "If the path is one, then like the kṣānti grass it should be exhausted"—clinging to oneness, he objects to and refutes the meaning of individual attainment. From "If the path is many" downward, clinging to distinctness, he objects to and refutes the meaning of complete attainment. Since the paths are many, how could one person completely cultivate them? If one does not completely cultivate them, how can one be said to attain the sarvajña-jñāna? Sarva is a Sanskrit word; here it is translated as 'all-knowledge'. Below, the Buddha answers him; his primary purpose is to explain the nature, but because of his question, he comprehensively discusses the noble path. What is the intended explanation? It clarifies that although the dharma is one, this does not hinder individual attainment. In the text, he first adduces the two metaphors of the road and the tree; next, he clarifies the dharma in reference to them; afterward, he adduces the three metaphors of the gate, the bridge, and the good physician, and below, he clarifies the dharma in reference to them.