大般涅槃經疏 12.23

12.23

「復次如蛇脫故皮」，即答第六應去之問。問：云何捨生死如蛇脫故皮？此中還舉蛇喻為答，文有兩譬：前蛇喻是正答、次金師譬助答。蛇譬譬一方應去、金師譬處處應來、處處應去（云云）。「復次如庵羅樹」下，是品中第七，答云何觀三寶猶如天意樹。今還舉人間樹為答。天樹隨天，欲見華果長短悉隨天意，譬佛適緣，宜見生王宮、宜見滅雙樹（云云）。人樹三時榮枯不同，取其譬便，亦應無在。文為五：一明佛身有三異、二明如來密語、三明興衰、四勸立丈夫志、五論起沒。前三是三寶，佛身是佛寶、密語是法寶、興衰是僧寶。然三寶有兩：一體多約果人、別體並約因果。佛是果人，僧是因人。此中既云僧有興衰，即是別體。初佛身譬，又三：初譬、次合、三領解，可尋。次「善男子如來密語」下，明法寶，文有四：法、譬、合、結。莊嚴云：密是涅槃總名，不可別翻。如四非常從大乘出，於一無常即備四義，各有其意，苦為破樂，乃至空為破有。智者應解如此密語。大乘亦爾，雖說一常，各有其意（云云）。今奇一事論密語者，佛但說一具四種意。如說有句，即具於無、亦有亦無、非有非無。但作有解，不名智臣。此與四教義合。佛說生滅，即不生滅、即亦生滅亦不生滅、即非生滅非不生滅。但作三藏生滅之解，即非智臣。此義又與四門義合。有門乃至非有非無門（云云）。六卷譬與此異，三者劍、四澡槃（云云）。三合譬中，先合無常、後合於常。初文具以四無常合四種語，以是義故。「是正解脫」去，是舉常教為合，亦四，而不與前相對，初明不動、次明無相、三明常不變、四佛性。雖有四種只一涅槃，亦如四句只先陀婆。四「是諸比丘」下，總結，可尋。

From "Furthermore, just as a snake sheds its old skin" answers the sixth question regarding responding and departing. The question asked: How does one abandon saṃsāra just as a snake sheds its old skin? Here it turns back to adduce the simile of the snake as an answer. The text has two similes: the earlier snake simile is the direct answer, and the subsequent goldsmith simile assists the answer. The snake simile illustrates responding and departing from one region; the goldsmith simile illustrates responding and arriving everywhere, and responding and departing everywhere (and so forth). From "Furthermore, just as an āmra tree" onward is the seventh [part] of the chapter, answering how one contemplates the Three Jewels like the wishing tree of heaven. Now it turns back to adduce a tree among humans as an answer. A heavenly tree follows the devas: wanting to see flowers, fruit, long or short, all follows the intent of the devas; this illustrates the Buddha conforming to conditions, as appropriate appearing to be born in the royal palace or appearing to enter extinction at the Twin Trees (and so forth). The human tree flourishes and withers differently across the three seasons; taking it as a convenient simile is also without fault. The text comprises five [parts]: first, clarifying that the Buddha's body has three differences; second, clarifying the Tathāgata's secret words; third, clarifying flourishing and decline; fourth, encouraging the establishment of the resolve of a hero; fifth, discussing arising and perishing. The first three are the Three Jewels: the Buddha's body is the Buddha Jewel, the secret words are the Dharma Jewel, and flourishing and decline is the Saṅgha Jewel. However, the Three Jewels are of two kinds: the single-substance [Three Jewels] mostly relates to realized persons; the distinct-substance [Three Jewels] both relates to cause and fruit. The Buddha is a realized person; the Saṅgha is a person on the causal stage. Since here it says the Saṅgha has flourishing and decline, this is the distinct substance. The first simile of the Buddha's body also has three [parts]: first the simile, next the application, and third the comprehension, which can be examined. Next, from "Good son, the secret words of the Tathāgata" onward clarifies the Dharma Jewel; the text has four [parts]: the Dharma, the simile, the application, and the conclusion. Zhuāngyán says: "secret" is the general name for nirvāṇa and cannot be translated separately. Just as the four kinds of non-permanence emerge from the Mahāyāna, within the single "impermanence" the four meanings are complete, each having its intent—suffering is to destroy pleasure, and so forth up to emptiness is to destroy existence. The wise should understand such secret words. The Mahāyāna is also like this: although it speaks of a single permanence, each has its intent (and so forth). Now, uniquely taking one matter to discuss secret words: the Buddha expounds only one [phrase], yet it possesses four intents. For instance, speaking of the phrase "existence," it already possesses non-existence, both existence and non-existence, and neither existence nor non-existence. Merely producing an understanding of existence does not make one a wise minister. This accords with the meaning of the four teachings. When the Buddha speaks of arising and ceasing, it is identical to non-arising and non-ceasing, identical to both arising and ceasing and non-arising and non-ceasing, and identical to neither arising and ceasing nor non-arising and non-ceasing. Merely producing a Tripiṭaka understanding of arising and ceasing does not make one a wise minister. This meaning also accords with the meaning of the four gates: the gate of existence, up to the gate of neither existence nor non-existence (and so forth). The simile in the six-fascicle [version] differs from this: the third is a sword, and the fourth a washbasin (and so forth). Third, in the application of the simile, first impermanence is applied, and next permanence is applied. The initial text fully uses the four kinds of impermanence to apply to the four kinds of words, by virtue of this meaning. From "this is right liberation" onward adduces the teaching of permanence as an application; it also has four, but does not correspond to the preceding: first clarifying immovable, next clarifying signless, third clarifying permanent and unchanging, and fourth the buddhadhātu. Although there are four kinds, they are only the one nirvāṇa, just as the four phrases are only saindhava. Fourth, from "these bhikṣus" onward is the general conclusion, which can be examined.