大般涅槃經義記 9.9

9.9

In the second, the non-Buddhist takes advantage of [the Buddha's] words to rescue his position: "The self is boundless, but dharma (merit) and adharma (demerit) have distinct demarcations." Because they are distinct, "one who cultivates wholesome dharmas obtains a fine body, and one who practices unwholesome dharmas obtains an evil body"; thus there is difference. Below, the Buddha refutes this in response. "If that were so, the self would not be all-pervading": this interrogates [the notion of] all-pervading by means of [the presence of] differences. "If the self were all-pervading..." below interrogates [the notion of] difference by means of [the claim to be] all-pervading. If it were all-pervading, then this self would reach into that person's body, and that self would also reach into this person's body; therefore, "a good person should also possess evil, and an evil person should also possess good karma." Since good and evil would be shared throughout, how could the bodily retributions differ? From "If that is not so..." onward, he concludes by refuting its all-pervading nature.