大般涅槃經疏 16.17

16.17

「爾時佛讚」下，第四佛述其誓。又為三：一讚、二記、三證。此初，讚也。「汝今」下，是記。記文有三：一記超越行、二記成道果、三記轉法輪。三「乃往」下，引證，一引昔、次證今。初舉昔中有三：一陳菩薩昔行、二者諸天謀議、三者𭛷試陳解。初昔行，如文。「我修如是」下，諸天謀議。二輪者，福慧也。「大仙我當與汝俱往」下，是第三𭛷試。先譬燒、打、磨三試、次合三試者，一說半偈試有智無智，若知文義未盡即是有智，若不知者即是無智。二示可畏身試有畏無畏，若心堅固不生怖畏，若其浮弱即生怖畏。三從索身試其能捨不捨（云云）。半偈者，但說無常一邊，不說常邊，故言半偈。有為三相，何故但明生滅而不言住？一解：四句偈迮，是故略之。問：若略，何不略餘字？答：此復有義。住法不顯生滅遷謝，但明始終中間宜略。問：三相遷法那得有住？住即是常，常即不遷，又與無常異。答：言是無常之住，並三相自是無常而有無常之住，亦應有無住之常（云云）。文云「所說空義」，此偈明無常，那得是空？舊解：無常未是空，但是空方便，後云得空。一解：不然。只無常即是空之異名。《大品》云「無常即動相，動相即空相。」《淨名》云「不生不滅是無常義。」今亦無常是不生不滅義。文云「寂滅為樂」者，涅槃之體非生非滅，今此既云寂滅為樂，亦得生滅生已寂滅。生為樂不？答：任道者是例，不任則不例。生起相滅除相，正取除生除滅，是寂滅樂。生是起相，涅槃無生，是故不例。超越十二劫者，《出曜》、《佛藏》等經皆云超九劫。或云：根緣不同，佛為增減說之。「次善男子汝今亦爾」下，證今（云云）。

From "Then the Buddha praised him" onward, the fourth [part] is the Buddha's endorsement of his vows. It also has three [sections]: first, praise; second, prophecy; third, confirmation. This initial part is the praise. From "You now" onward is the prophecy. The prophetic text has three [parts]: first, prophesying transcendent practice; second, prophesying the attainment of the fruit of the Way; third, prophesying the turning of the wheel of Dharma. Third, from "In the past" onward, adducing confirmation: first, adducing the past; next, confirming the present. In the initial citation of the past, there are three [aspects]: first, recounting the bodhisattva's past practices; second, the deliberation of the devas; third, testing and recounting understanding. The initial past practice is as in the text. From "I cultivate such" onward is the deliberation of the devas. The two wheels are merit and wisdom. From "Great Sage, I shall go together with you" onward is the third, the testing. First, it uses the metaphor of the three tests of burning, striking, and grinding; next, it matches the three tests: First, speaking half a verse to test whether he has wisdom or lacks wisdom; if he knows that the textual meaning is incomplete, he possesses wisdom, and if he does not know, he lacks wisdom. Second, manifesting a terrifying body to test whether he has fear or lacks fear; if his mind is firm, he does not give rise to terror, and if it is weak and floating, he gives rise to terror. Third, demanding his body to test whether he can renounce it or not (and so forth). "Half a verse" means it only speaks of the impermanent side and does not speak of the permanent side; hence it is called half a verse. Among the three characteristics of the conditioned, why does it only clarify arising and cessation without mentioning abiding? One explanation: a four-line verse is narrow and restricted, therefore it was abbreviated. Question: If it was abbreviated, why not abbreviate other words? Answer: There is another meaning to this. The dharma of abiding does not clearly show the transition and decay of arising and cessation; it only clarifies the beginning and the end, so the middle ought to be abbreviated. Question: How can there be abiding in the transitional dharmas of the three characteristics? Abiding is permanence, and permanence is non-transition, which is different from impermanence. Answer: It is called the abiding of impermanence; together with the three characteristics, it is inherently impermanent, yet there is an abiding of impermanence, just as there must be a permanence devoid of abiding (and so forth). The text says, "the meaning of emptiness spoken." This verse clarifies impermanence; how can it be emptiness? An ancient explanation states: impermanence is not yet emptiness, but merely an expedient for emptiness, and later it says one attains emptiness. Another explanation states: this is not so. Impermanence is simply another name for emptiness. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā says, "Impermanence is the characteristic of movement; the characteristic of movement is the characteristic of emptiness." The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says, "Non-arising and non-cessation is the meaning of impermanence." Here too, impermanence is the meaning of non-arising and non-cessation. As for the text saying "extinction is bliss": the essence of nirvāṇa is neither arising nor cessation. Now, since it says here that extinction is bliss, arising and ceasing having arisen and ceased, it is extinct. Is arising bliss or not? Answer: Those who conform to the Way follow the analogy; those who do not conform do not follow the analogy. Arising is the characteristic of originating; cessation is the characteristic of eliminating. It precisely takes the elimination of arising and elimination of cessation as the bliss of tranquil extinction. Arising is the characteristic of originating, and nirvāṇa is devoid of arising, therefore it does not follow the analogy. Regarding transcending twelve kalpas: sūtras such as the Udāna and the Buddhapiṭaka all state transcending nine kalpas. Alternatively, it is said: Because capacities and conditions differ, the Buddha spoke of it with increase or decrease. Next, from "Good son, you now are also like this" onward, confirms the present (and so forth).