大般涅槃經疏 11.20

11.20

從「善男子方等經者」下，是第二章，正明佛性能起善業。文為二：初明作善業、次論義。初文者，有人云：佛性能起，起於正道所作善業。今觀前譬，佛性但為善業之緣；今文明以佛性教作善惡業，故喻喻之。從「迦葉復白佛」去，二論義。初雙問甘毒，如文。次佛答，為三：一明愚智二人、次明一體三寶、三明中道圓觀。妙解次第相生，由智不惑，教識一體三寶，妙觀得成，能作善業；愚者反此，善業不成。初約愚智中三：先佛更徵問、次迦葉答、三佛為釋。釋中初有七行半偈，又二：前四行半雙辨愚智、次三行偏明智者。初文兩譬兩合，前一行同服甘露有夭有壽，次半偈同服毒藥有死有生。古來三解。一云：同稟大乘有得有失，後譬同稟小乘有得有失。二云：約師弟，師說大乘無得之教，弟子解者為壽、迷者為夭。小乘師說有得之教，弟子作大解為生、守小教為死。三者只是一大乘經，於其得者作甘露名，於彼失者作毒藥名。又只作一甘露名，說其稟行者有得有失；只作一毒藥名，說諸有稟者有生有死，反覆相成。今明於其失者俱名甘露及以毒藥。保愛染著名為甘露，傷毀破壞故名毒藥。於其得者俱名甘露亦名毒藥，入理生善故名甘露，顯體破惡故名毒藥。具此二義，名善業教。諸文之下各有合譬，尋之可見。譬如癩人服鴆病差，解藥還醒。譬學無常苦空斷惑，知是大方便，即入摩訶衍。從「聲聞及緣覺」下，偏明智者。皆約人辨，初約二乘、次約菩薩、後約眾生。似約三諦而作善業，菩薩即中增進善業，二乘即空而中以作善業，眾生即假而中便作善業，故舉三人意或在此。

From "Good sons! The vaipulya sūtras…" downward is the second section, which directly clarifies that the buddhadhātu is able to give rise to wholesome karma. The text has two parts: first, clarifying the performance of wholesome karma; second, debating its meaning. Regarding the first part, someone says: "The buddhadhātu is able to give rise [to it], giving rise to the wholesome karma produced by the noble path." Now, looking at the preceding simile, the buddhadhātu merely serves as a condition for wholesome karma; the present passage clarifies that through the teaching of the buddhadhātu one performs wholesome and unwholesome karma, and therefore similes illustrate it. From "Kāśyapa again addressed the Buddha…" onward is the second part, debating its meaning. First, he jointly questions nectar and poison, as in the text. Next, the Buddha answers, having three parts: first, clarifying the two persons, the foolish and the wise; second, clarifying the three jewels of a single essence; third, clarifying the perfect contemplation of the middle way. The wondrous understandings arise in succession: because the wise are not deluded, they are taught to recognize the three jewels of a single essence, the wondrous contemplation is accomplished, and they are able to perform wholesome karma; the foolish are the opposite of this, and their wholesome karma is not accomplished. In the first part, concerning the foolish and the wise, there are three: first, the Buddha further questions him; second, Kāśyapa answers; third, the Buddha explains for him. In the explanation, there are initially seven and a half verses, which again have two parts: the first four and a half verses jointly distinguish the foolish and the wise; the subsequent three verses specifically clarify the wise. In the first text, there are two similes and two applications. The first one line [states that] when taking ambrosia together, some die prematurely while others have long life; the next half-verse [states that] when taking poison together, some die while others live. Historically, there have been three interpretations. The first says: "When receiving the Mahāyāna together, there is gain and there is loss; the latter simile means that when receiving the Hīnayāna together, there is gain and there is loss." The second says: "This concerns master and disciple: when a master expounds the Mahāyāna teaching of non-attainment, for a disciple who understands, it is long life, and for one who is deluded, it is premature death. When a Hīnayāna master expounds the teaching of attainment, a disciple who forms the great understanding lives, while one who clings to the lesser teaching dies." The third says: "It is only the single Mahāyāna sūtra: for those who attain it, it is termed 'ambrosia', and for those who lose it, it is termed 'poison'. Furthermore, it is given only the single name 'ambrosia' to say that among those who receive and practice it, there is gain and there is loss; it is given only the single name 'poison' to say that among all those who receive it, there is living and there is dying, mutually complementing each other." Now it is clarified that for those who lose it, it is called both 'ambrosia' and 'poison': cherishing and being attached to it is called 'ambrosia', while injury and destruction are called 'poison'. For those who gain it, it is also called both 'ambrosia' and 'poison': entering the principle and generating goodness is called 'ambrosia', while revealing the essence and destroying evil is called 'poison'. Possessing these two meanings is called the teaching of wholesome karma. Beneath each passage there is an application of the simile, which can be seen upon examination. It is like a leper taking poison and being cured of his disease, returning to consciousness through the antidote. It is like training in impermanence, suffering, and emptiness to eliminate delusions, and knowing this to be a great expedient means, one immediately enters the Mahāyāna. From "Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas…" downward specifically clarifies the wise. All are distinguished in terms of persons: first in terms of the two vehicles, next in terms of bodhisattvas, and lastly in terms of sentient beings. It resembles performing wholesome karma in terms of the three truths: bodhisattvas, being identical with the middle, advance their wholesome karma; the two vehicles, being identical with emptiness yet reaching the middle, thereby perform wholesome karma; sentient beings, being identical with the provisional yet reaching the middle, then perform wholesome karma. Therefore, bringing up the three kinds of persons perhaps has this intention.