大般涅槃經疏 24.4

24.4

「復次善男子」下，二別舉遍義應遍一切。別舉四種遍有中道：一顛倒上下、二生死、三斷常、四因果。他解：此四是《中論》八不，不上不下是不來不出，不因不果是不一不異，餘兩可知。一師云：法門無量，何必如此。今明初以上下屬當凡夫顛倒，橫計上下，不見中道。諸佛體之不上不下，得見中道。次生死約六度遍行，既不斷於無明愛惑、惑心求佛，是二中間則有生老病死，不見中道。諸佛體之不生不死，得見中道。三斷常，約二乘厭生死，是背常入涅槃，是向斷，不見中道。諸佛體之非常非斷，於二乘法得見中道。四者十二因緣觀智是因、得菩提是果、修因克果次第淺深、此約別教地前不見中道。諸佛體之知非因果、於菩薩法能見中道。上文云「一切諸法中悉有安樂性」，《普賢觀》云「毘盧遮那遍一切處」。譬如耆婆執草成藥，佛亦如是，遍一切法無非中道。中道即是佛性。汝問何義？其義如是。略屬當竟，今更帖文。初云道有三種者，先唱三章門。次「下者」下，解釋。下者，外道邪見謬謂梵天以為涅槃；實非涅槃，還是生死，故名為下。所言上者即是凡夫，未免八倒，無常計常，常是上法當得上果，故名為上。所言中者，第一義空智慧，無常見無常，如理而見，不同外道故不名下、不同凡夫故不名上，而是兩邊之上故言是上，又言與佛不異故言是上。

From "Furthermore, good son" onward is the second part, specifically raising the ubiquitous meaning, which should pervade all. It specifically raises four kinds of middle way that are ubiquitously present: first, inverted high and low; second, saṃsāra; third, annihilation and permanence; fourth, cause and effect. Another interpretation says: these four are the eight negations of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā: neither high nor low is neither coming nor going; neither cause nor effect is neither one nor different; the other two can be known. One master says: the Dharma gates are immeasurable; why must it be like this? Now we clarify that first, high and low correspond to the inversions of ordinary beings, who arbitrarily conceptualize high and low and do not see the middle way. The buddhas embody them as neither high nor low, attaining the vision of the middle way. Second, saṃsāra is explained in terms of the ubiquitous practice of the six perfections: since they do not sever the afflictions of ignorance and craving, seeking Buddhahood with a deluded mind, between these two there are birth, aging, sickness, and death, and they do not see the middle way. The buddhas embody them as neither birth nor death, attaining the vision of the middle way. Third, annihilation and permanence: explained in terms of the two vehicles' revulsion toward saṃsāra, which turns away from permanence to enter nirvāṇa, tending toward annihilation, so they do not see the middle way. The buddhas embody them as neither permanent nor annihilated, and within the teachings of the two vehicles they are able to see the middle way. Fourth, the contemplative wisdom of the twelve links of dependent origination is the cause, and attaining bodhi is the fruit; cultivating the cause to achieve the fruit in shallow and deep stages corresponds to the stages prior to the bhūmis in the Separate Teaching, where they do not see the middle way. The buddhas embody them, knowing they are neither cause nor fruit, and within the bodhisattva teachings they can see the middle way. The previous text says: "Within all dharmas there is the nature of peace and bliss." The Contemplation of Samantabhadra Sūtra says: "Vairocana pervades all places." Just as Jīvaka took up grass and made medicine, the Buddha is also like this: pervading all dharmas, there is none that is not the middle way. The middle way is itself buddhadhātu. You asked what its meaning was? Its meaning is like this. The brief correspondences being concluded, we now further comment on the text. First, stating that there are three kinds of ways begins by announcing the three headings. Next, from "The low" onward explains them. The low refers to the heterodox views of non-Buddhists who mistakenly regard Brahmā as nirvāṇa; in reality, it is not nirvāṇa but still saṃsāra, hence it is called low. That which is called the high refers to ordinary beings who have not escaped the eight inversions; regarding the impermanent as permanent, the permanent is a superior dharma and should attain a superior fruit, hence it is called high. That which is called the middle refers to the wisdom of paramārtha-śūnyatā; seeing the impermanent as impermanent, seeing in accordance with reality, unlike non-Buddhists it is not called low, and unlike ordinary beings it is not called high; rather, because it is above the two extremes, it is said to be high, and again because it is not different from the Buddha, it is said to be high.