大般涅槃經疏 22.15

22.15

「復次」下，第五功德，文為三：標、釋、結。標如文。釋中二：先釋、次論義。初釋者，舊解五事有三說。冶城云：通外凡及三十心，既言不生邊地、諸根完具，即是其證。二云：此德不淺。何者？登地已上皆因事表裏。言諸根完具者，非耳眼等，乃是出世信首根。諸邊地者，非世間邊陲無佛法處，乃是離斷離常。諸天護念者，以佛為天。四眾恭敬者，為物福田。三開善云：此乃登地菩薩猶生欲界，故言完具等。若論無漏，得變易報；而此菩薩猶有有漏，故今受生。雖有此五，心不存著，正以不著為體。今評之。開善全是三藏菩薩義。初家通地前，是別教初心，不關經意。中間登地，是證道意。就文為二：先明功德、後論義。初功德者，有標、釋、結。標如文。釋者，此五前四是報果，後一是習果。次論義中，先問；次佛答，又二：先贊問、次正答。答中有二：初是勝劣章；次「善男子」下，是顯勝劣相。初舉五章定是樂勝是我常淨可見，異是中道不共，無漏是證中道，利益安樂等是化他。次文云離渴愛，是釋定釋樂。生死斷不相續，是釋常。得作菩薩，是釋淨。斷一切貧善法，是釋勝釋我。無分無果，是釋異釋不共，兼得釋無漏利益眾生。佛說五事因大涅槃得，人師解通內外三十心，當知地前不名為得。佛自說是無漏，開善云是有漏，既公抗佛語，豈不疑誤後生？故知人解全不可信，將來學者但自依經。

From "Furthermore..." onward is the fifth merit, and the text has three parts: stating [the topic], explaining it, and concluding. The statement is as in the text. In the explanation there are two parts: first, explaining; next, debating the meaning. In the first explanation, older commentaries offered three views on the five matters. Yěchéng said: they apply throughout the external ordinary beings and the thirty mind-stages; since the text says 'not being born in borderlands' and 'having complete sense faculties,' these are the proof. The second view says: this virtue is not shallow. Why? From the stages (bhūmis) upward, all inner realization is expressed through external events. The statement that sense faculties are complete refers not to ears and eyes, but to the supramundane faculty of faith as the foremost. The borderlands are not worldly frontiers devoid of the Buddhadharma, but being free from annihilationism and eternalism. The devas' protection and mindfulness means taking the Buddha as deva. Being revered by the fourfold assembly means being a field of merit for creatures. The third view, Kāishàn's, says: this refers to a bodhisattva who has ascended the stages but is still reborn in the desire realm, hence the text speaks of having complete [faculties], etc. If spoken of in terms of being undefiled, one attains transformation-birth retribution; yet this bodhisattva still possesses defilement (āsrava), hence he now undergoes rebirth. Although he has these five, his mind does not cling to them, taking non-attachment precisely as the essence. Now I evaluate these. Kāishàn's view is entirely the bodhisattva doctrine of the Tripiṭaka [Teaching]. The first master's application to the pre-stage levels is the initial mind of the Separate Teaching, and has nothing to do with the sūtra's meaning. The middle view of ascending the stages is the meaning of the path of realization. In the text there are two parts: first, clarifying the merit; next, debating the meaning. In the first part on merit, there are a statement, an explanation, and a conclusion. The statement is as in the text. In the explanation, the first four of these five are fruition retributions, and the last one is a habit-fruition. Next, in the debate on the meaning, first comes the question; next the Buddha answers, again in two parts: first praising the question, next giving the direct answer. In the answer there are two parts: first is the section on superiority and inferiority; next, from "Good son..." onward, reveals the characteristics of superiority and inferiority. First, the five topics are raised: 'fixed' is bliss; 'superior' is self; 'permanence' and 'purity' are evident; 'different' is the uncommon middle way; 'undefiled' is realizing the middle way; 'benefit, peace, and bliss' and so forth are transforming others. Next, the text states 'free from thirsting craving,' which explains 'fixed' and explains 'bliss.' 'Saṃsāra is cut off and does not continue' explains 'permanence.' 'Attaining the state of being a bodhisattva' explains 'purity.' 'Severing all poverty in wholesome dharmas' explains 'superior' and explains 'self.' 'Without division and without fruition' explains 'different' and explains 'uncommon,' and concurrently explains 'undefiled' and 'benefiting sentient beings.' The Buddha taught that the five matters are obtained through the great nirvāṇa. Human teachers explain them as applying throughout the inner and outer thirty mind-stages; one should know that prior to the stages it is not called 'attaining.' The Buddha himself stated they are undefiled, yet Kāishàn said they are defiled. Since this openly opposes the Buddha's words, how could it fail to confuse and mislead later generations? Therefore, we know that human interpretations are entirely unreliable; future scholars must simply rely on the sūtra itself.