大般涅槃經疏 1.7

1.7

上代直唱消文釋意，分章段起小山瑤、關內憑等，因茲成則。此經文句盈縮非一，有二三四五七八。梁武但制中前中後；開善唯序正，光宅足流通；靈味問有緣起，答有餘勢；河西五門，婆藪七分，興皇八門。雖蘭菊各美，而經遮論開。牧女添水，遮也；派深析重，開也。今分為五，又為七：一列章、二示處、三釋名、四生起、五通別、六引證、七異解。

In former generations, they directly chanted [the text], explaining the words and elucidating the meaning; dividing the chapters and sections began with Xiǎoshān Yáo and Guānnèi Píng, becoming the rule because of them. In this sūtra, the contractions and expansions of the textual sentences are not uniform; there are divisions into two, three, four, five, seven, and eight. Emperor Wǔ of Liáng only established 'middle-prior' and 'middle-after'; Kāishàn had only the introduction and main body, while Guāngzhái added the dissemination section; Língwèi held that questions have origins and answers have surplus momentum; Héxī had five gateways, Vasubandhu seven divisions, and Xīnghuáng eight gateways. Although the orchid and chrysanthemum are each beautiful, the sūtra prohibits while treatises open up. The cowherd maiden adding water is prohibiting; deep branching and substantial analysis are opening up. Now we divide it into five, and also into seven: first, listing the sections; second, indicating the passages; third, explaining the names; fourth, explaining the sequence of arising; fifth, general and specific; sixth, citing scriptural proof; seventh, different interpretations.