大般涅槃經疏 26.14

26.14

「師子吼言如來何故」下，第二時緣，又二：初二月時、次十五日時。前二月時，有問答。答為二：初舉喻明事、次合譬明理。初文者，若依夏時即是二月，若依周時即是四月。眾生悅時，皆保常故，破著悟道。又云六時中者，二解。河西云：外國二月為一時，年有六時，是則春夏冬三時各有前後。《金光明》云「若二二說，足滿六時。三三而說，一歲四時。」今此正取二二，足滿六時。招提云：舉春冬兩時各有孟仲季，故言六時，文中舉孟冬對陽春（云云）。「言二月者」下，第二合譬明理。二法身者，即是真應。河西云：常身無常身俱為照世。果喻四果。一云：是小乘四果，大能兼小故也。二云：是四德。「師子吼言」下，第二明日時，亦先問、次答。問者，《長阿含》說八日出家，八日入涅槃。此云十五日，蓋由感見不同，亦是如來身密自在。次佛答，為二：初就本、次就迹。初本者，欲明妙本圓極，故以十五日為譬。「如十五日」下，即是就迹。

From the passage beginning with "Siṃhanāda said: 'Why does the Tathāgata...'" onward, it secondly explains the conditions of the time, also in two parts: first, the time of the second month; next, the time of the fifteenth day. As for the first, the time of the second month, there is a question and an answer. The answer comprises two parts: first, citing an analogy to clarify the matter; next, matching the simile to clarify the principle. In the first text: if relying on the Xia calendar, it is the second month; if relying on the Zhou calendar, it is the fourth month. When sentient beings are joyful, they all hold to permanence, so this breaks attachment and enables awakening to the Path. It is also said that regarding "among the six seasons," there are two explanations. Hexi says: in foreign lands, two months make one season, and a year has six seasons; thus the three seasons of spring, summer, and winter each have an earlier and later part. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa states: "If spoken of by twos, it completes the six seasons; if spoken of by threes, a year has four seasons." Here it precisely takes them by twos to complete the six seasons. Zhaoti says: taking the two seasons of spring and winter, each having the first, middle, and last month, it therefore speaks of six seasons; the text brings up the first month of winter to contrast with warm spring, and so forth. From "Speaking of the second month..." onward, the second part matches the simile to clarify the principle. The two Dharmakāyas are the real and responsive bodies. Hexi says: the permanent body and the impermanent body both illuminate the world. The fruit analogizes the four fruits. One explanation says: these are the four fruits of the Hīnayāna, because the Great can encompass the Small. A second explanation says: these are the four virtues. From "Siṃhanāda said..." onward, the second part clarifies the time of the day, likewise first with a question and next an answer. Regarding the question: the Dīrgha Āgama states that he left home on the eighth day and entered nirvāṇa on the eighth day; here it says the fifteenth day, which is perhaps because the responsive perceptions [of beings] differ, and it also reflects the sovereignty of the Tathāgata's physical secret. Next, the Buddha's reply has two parts: first, with respect to the fundamental; next, with respect to the traces. First, regarding the fundamental: wanting to clarify that the wondrous fundamental is perfectly consummate, he therefore uses the fifteenth day as an analogy. From "Just as on the fifteenth day..." onward, it addresses the traces.