大般涅槃經義記 9.10

9.10

In the third, the non-Buddhist establishes a simile to rescue his position: "Just as when a single room is lit with hundreds of thousands of lamps," the lamps are distinct while the light is shared throughout; "the self is also like this," like the light pervading throughout; "cultivating good and practicing evil" are distinct and do not intermingle, like the lamps. Below, the Buddha refutes this in response. "To say that the self is like a lamp—this meaning is incorrect": he cites this to reject it generally. From "Why is that?" onward, he demonstrates its incorrectness in detail. The points are distinct in three ways: First, "Light arises from conditions and increases along with the lamp; the self is not like this"—so it cannot serve as a simile. Second, "Light emerges from the lamp and abides in a different place; the self is not like this"—so it cannot serve as a simile. Third, "Light coexists with darkness; the self is not like this"—it does not abide in the same place as non-self; for this reason it cannot serve as a simile. In the text, he first says "Light coexists with darkness" to briefly state the thesis. From "Why?" onward, he explains it. "Just as when a single lamp is lit, the illumination is unclear" properly discusses the lamp's light coexisting with darkness; "only with many lamps is it clear" raises the many to show [the insufficiency of] the few. "If the first lamp dispelled [it], there would be no need for a later lamp": this questions the later [lamp] with respect to the first; "if a later lamp is needed, know that the first coexisted [with darkness]": this adduces the later to prove the former.