大般涅槃經義記 9.3

9.3

Within the place, there are two: first, relying on the place of the city to confront and refute non-Buddhists, clarifying that Great Nirvāṇa is permanent, joyful, self, and pure; second, relying on the place of the forest, clarifying that Great Nirvāṇa is permanent, joyful, self, and pure. Regarding the place of the city, Siṃhanāda first asks; the intent of his questioning has three [aspects]: first, he asks why [the Buddha] abandoned the six great cities and came here; second, he asks why he enters nirvāṇa here; third, he asks why the Tathāgata enters nirvāṇa in such an inferior and evil place as Kuśi[nagara]. Below, the Buddha answers individually, first responding, and then questioning. "You should not say it is inferior, evil, narrow, and small" briefly overturns his words; "you should say it is wondrous" instructs him by means of principle. From "Why?" downward, he explains. "The place traversed by the buddhas and bodhisattvas" briefly explains in terms of the dharma; from "Like a lowly person" downward, three metaphors illustrate it; next is the application, and below is the conclusion. From "I recall in the past" downward answers the second question, with three iterations: first, in the past he once heard the Buddha's name and practiced the ten wholesome deeds in this place, and to repay the kindness of the land he came here; second, he once cultivated the four immeasurables in this place; third, he once saw a buddha and generated the mind [for awakening] in this place, and therefore came here. From "When I first went forth" downward, in response to his first question, he clarifies that it was to pursue the various non-Buddhists that he abandoned the six [cities] and came here. First he clarifies abandoning the six, and afterward arriving at Kuśinagara to refute the heterodox and reveal the orthodox, first individually, and then concluding. Within the individual treatment there are three: first, clarifying that the six masters went to Kuśinagara beforehand and increased sentient beings' wrong views; second, from "I saw this" downward, the Tathāgata arrived afterward to overturn the heterodox and reveal the orthodox; third, from "At that time the six masters made this statement" downward, clarifying that the various non-Buddhists clung to the heterodox and disordered the orthodox, and the Tathāgata confronted and refuted them. The first section can be understood.