[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大般涅槃經疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767) › 3.10 # 大般涅槃經疏 3.10 大般涅槃經疏 3.10 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.10) 從「爾時世尊」去，第二、受供。文為三：一許受施、二正受、三釋施。許受又二：一敘許、二佛唱許。初經家舉三號。佛然其所請，故以三號而對許之。舉世尊許為主，舉種智許為師，舉調御許為親。既許為主即斷其貧，既許為親即袪其窮，既許為師即除其困，三失還得，三求遂克。世尊者，一切之所瞻仰，如世孝子之事親，如婆羅門之事火，如諸天之奉帝釋。事親即親義，事火即師義，奉釋即主義（云云）。又世尊者，如學無學等眾星之瞻佛月，如四種菩薩海水繞佛須彌寶山。檀林師子等喻，喻戒定慧。世所崇仰，故言世尊。一切種智者，或以相好色身遍對一切，一切各解，故名一切種智。何者？世有眾生事八十神，一神一好隨其所覩見其所事；如來一身遍令其解，故名一切種智。又不以色身為佛，以一切種智為佛，一切種智依此色身見相莊嚴，當知智慧具足故名一切種智。調御者，稱適機緣應生應滅應受不受，皆為調御一切眾生。他經以調御、丈夫為兩號，今經合為一號。文云「自既丈夫復調丈夫。」善哉善哉者，印其法譬兩請。次「我今為汝除斷貧窮」去，是佛唱許，斷貧是許主，法雨是許師，生法芽是許親。從「汝今於我」去，是正受。汝今於我欲求常命色力者，述其請父；安者，述其請主；無閡辯者，述其請師。我當施汝者，即是許三（云云）。舊明涅槃正體是常，治於無常，故序五時云：《般若》雖明尊特之佛為成無生，《楞嚴》雖云七百僧祇，豈及《法華》無量壽？《法華》無量壽猶是無常，至涅槃教始明常樂。遠斥鹿苑、近破法華，同歸涅槃圓常，窮源盡性之說。如此說者，偏摘諸經對緣一句作無常義，偏取涅槃破病之常以為正體，二塗俱失。何者？般若佛母、涅槃佛師，楞嚴三佛、涅槃三點，法華一乘、涅槃佛性。一乘即佛性，一切眾生悉一乘故。云何一乘還破一乘？法身云何破於法佛？佛師云何破於佛母？故知惑其方便迷於部教，互相是非失其正旨。今所不用。地人雖無五時之執，以當現常破無常義，義勢相似已同舊壞。興皇解云：常無常者，藥病相治，無常治常。若識無常是治常方便，病去藥盡；若不識者，執藥為病。病即斷見，故云王今病重。常治無常，亦是方便，病去藥盡；若不識者，即成常見。識兩方便，能斷斷常則非斷常。故智者見法生即滅斷見，見法滅即滅常見；若不識者，還是二見。今明此釋與舊不同，若得意者無所間然；逐語生想，俱同前病。何者？彈常無常是互論方便，指非常非無常而為正體，如避空求空，去空逾遠。何者？佛言二施果報等無差別。若其昔說五果無常、今說是常，可是差別；若常無常俱是非常非無常者，方是等無差別，亦是顯發方便密教。若得此意，《般若》、《楞嚴》莫非祕密。然此常義，斯教之喉衿、眾經之心首、群聖之窟宅、諸佛之法界，不可思議，如來智慧說不可盡。若嶷然常、若當現常、若破病常，豈會圓理？今試言之。夫佛出世本為大事因緣，大事因緣即是常住，常法包容故名為大，常立諸法故名為事，常機常感故曰因緣。常無差別，差別說常。下文云「諸佛所師，所謂法也。以法常故諸佛亦常，三世諸佛悉師此常。常無師弟，師弟俱常。如是分別，名世界常。我今為汝除斷貧窮，無上法雨雨汝身田令生法芽，汝今於我欲求壽命色力安樂無閡辯才，我當施汝常命色力安無閡辯。」又云「我今哀憫汝及一切，是故今日欲入涅槃。若諸天人於此最後供養我者，悉皆當得不動果報。」如此等文皆明常法發生常善，是名為人常也。若欲遠離四顛倒者，應知是常樂我淨，我是佛義、常是法身、樂是涅槃、淨是正法，以此四種破四顛倒。又云「先所修習四法相貌悉是顛倒，欲得真實修諸想者，如彼智人巧修我想常樂淨想。譬如明醫，先以鹹苦治其本病，本病雖去復患鹹苦，後以淨乳治於鹹苦。佛亦如是，先以無常治其常病，常病既去更病無常，今以真常破昔無常。故云我為醫王欲伏外道，是故唱言無我無人，為此因緣而說有我。常破無常亦復如是。又東方雙者，即是於常為破無常。又二鳥雙游，譬於如來無二二用。如是等文皆明常法對破無常。」《釋論》亦云「常與無常是對治法，非第一義。」是名對治常也。第一義者則非常無常。今經亦云「二施果報等無差別。」若常破無常、無常異常，是則差別，非第一義。第一義者非常無常，故無差別。若二鳥雙游明其二用，二鳥俱息明其雙寂，即用而寂寂滅為樂，是大涅槃。如是等文皆第一義常也。當知是常四悉無閡。常亦間隔因緣大事，常亦寂絕畢竟妙理，常亦出生建立諸法，常亦對治破於倒惑，自在若此。云何偏據，是於對治藥病互論，埋沒圓能、害諸經論。又大涅槃本自有之，非適今也。又二十五有悉皆有我，我即佛性，佛性即常。佛性雄猛難可毀壞。此多文義即是現常。又云「夫有心者皆當作佛，未來當得常樂我淨。」如是等文即是當常。又三世有法無有是處，既無三世，何得復有現常當常？《淨名》云「但以世俗文字說有三世，非謂菩提有去來今。」若固執當現、各據三世，不解我意，寧會偈旨？又此常者，顯發如來方便密教。昔覆於常，今開辯常無別；今常異昔無常，開昔無常即是今常。次我今為汝斷貧窮者，若除四趣貧窮，即開諸惡無常而顯於常。下文云「懺四重禁，除謗法心，盡五逆罪，滅一闡提。」即其義也。若斷人天貧窮，即開諸善無常而顯於常。文云「我今於此處，不求天人身，設使得之者，心亦不甘樂。」又云「因滅是色，獲常色等。」即其義也。若斷二乘貧窮，即開無漏無常而顯於常。文云「為諸聲聞開發慧眼（云云）。」若斷方便菩薩貧窮，即開六度通別無常而顯於常。文云「令諸菩薩了見佛性。」又云「自此之前，我等皆名邪見人也。」總而言之，開諸有餘悉是無餘，開諸不了悉是了義，是名顯發如來方便密教，悉皆安置三點四德祕密藏中。又此常者即是佛性，佛性即常。既開於常，即開佛性。既為此等作親開正、作主開緣、作師開了，除斷貧窮開境界性，悉皆當得不動果報即開果性。若例此義，何人何法何教何行何位何用而不是常？何法不是非常非無常？豈復更有善惡三乘差別等性？畢竟悉是大般涅槃，言語道斷心行處滅不可思議，竪深橫廣無邊無底，能建大義充滿法界不可窮盡。何得判是嶷然破病當現常耶？如此常義猶若虛空，略對四家示其梗概。次正受中五果之名，文中不釋。私云：五既並果，具攝因果一切萬德。先消名、次對法。五法並常，故初云常。連持曰命。常命則以無始無終而無斷絕，以非色為色。吾今此身即是法身，作用為力遍一切處，用無窮盡。不動名安。雖具力用，安固不動。被機有辯，無緣慈悲普施法藥。次對法者，此即三密：命即意密，色力及安即身密，無閡即口密。亦名四德，意是常德、身是樂我、口即淨德。若得此意，遍一切法無非此五。佛具此五故以施人，以五常故施亦無盡，言無盡者即五果也。 > From "At that time the World-Honoured One" onwards is the second \[section\]: accepting the offering. The text has three parts: first, granting acceptance of the almsgiving; second, the actual acceptance; and third, explaining the almsgiving. Granting acceptance also has two parts: first, narrating the consent; and second, the Buddha vocally proclaiming his consent. First, the compiler of the sūtra raises three epithets. Because the Buddha assented to his request, he granted it in response through these three epithets: raising "World-Honoured One" grants being his lord; raising "All-Modes-Knowledge" (sarvākārajñatā) grants being his master; and raising "Tamer" grants being his kin. Since he grants being his lord, he cuts off his poverty; since he grants being his kin, he dispels his destitution; since he grants being his master, he removes his distress. The three losses are regained, and the three quests are fulfilled. "World-Honoured One" means that he is looked up to by all, just as in the world a filial child serves their parents, a brahmin serves fire, and the devas venerate Śakra. Serving parents conveys the meaning of kin; serving fire conveys the meaning of master; and venerating Śakra conveys the meaning of lord, and so forth. Furthermore, "World-Honoured One" means that just as the stars of those in training and beyond training look up to the moon of the Buddha, and just as the waters of the four kinds of bodhisattvas encircle the Buddha as Mount Sumeru, the precious mountain. The similes of the sandalwood forest, the lion, and so forth are metaphors for morality, concentration, and wisdom. Being revered and looked up to by the world, he is called "World-Honoured One". As for "All-Modes-Knowledge": he may universally confront all beings with his physical body endowed with marks and signs, and each being understands in their own way; hence it is named "All-Modes-Knowledge". Why? In the world there are sentient beings who worship eighty gods, and each god has a feature; according to what they behold, they see what they worship. The Tathāgata's single body causes all of them to understand universally; hence it is called All-Modes-Knowledge. Furthermore, one does not take the physical body to be the Buddha; one takes All-Modes-Knowledge to be the Buddha. All-Modes-Knowledge relies upon this physical body to manifest its ornamentation of marks; one should know that because wisdom is fully complete, it is called All-Modes-Knowledge. As for "Tamer": adapting to capacities and conditions, responding with appearance or extinction, accepting or not accepting—all are done to tame all sentient beings. Other sūtras treat "Tamer" and "Leader" (puruṣadamya-sārathi) as two titles; the present sūtra combines them into one title. The text states: "Being a hero himself, he further tames heroes." "Well said, well said!" endorses his two requests, in doctrine and in simile. Next, from "I shall now eliminate your poverty" onwards, is the Buddha's vocal proclamation of consent: cutting off poverty grants \[being his\] lord; the rain of Dharma grants \[being his\] master; causing the sprout of Dharma to grow grants \[being his\] kin. From "You now \[desire to seek from me\]" onwards is the actual acceptance. "You now desire to seek from me permanent life, physical strength..." recounts his request for a father; "peace" recounts his request for a lord; "unimpeded eloquence" recounts his request for a master. "I shall bestow them upon you" is precisely granting the three, and so forth. The old \[commentators\] explained that the real essence of nirvāṇa is permanence, which cures impermanence. Therefore, in setting forth the five periods, they said: Although the Prajñā sūtras explain the dignified and special Buddha in order to accomplish non-arising, and although the Śūraṅgama-sūtra speaks of seven hundred asaṃkhyeyas, how could they equal the immeasurable lifespan of the Lotus Sūtra? Yet the immeasurable lifespan of the Lotus Sūtra is still impermanence; only when reaching the teaching of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra are permanence and bliss first made clear. Remotely rejecting the Deer Park and closely refuting the Lotus Sūtra, they make all converge in the perfect permanence of the Nirvāṇa, as the discourse that fathoms the source and exhausts the nature. Those who speak in this way selectively pluck a single phrase spoken in response to conditions from the various sūtras and interpret it as impermanence, and selectively seize upon the permanence that cures illness in the Nirvāṇa as the real essence; both approaches are mistaken. Why? Prajñā is the mother of the Buddhas, and Nirvāṇa is the master of the Buddhas; the Śūraṅgama has the three Buddhas, and Nirvāṇa has the three dots \[of the letter 'i'\]; the Lotus has the One Vehicle, and Nirvāṇa has the buddhadhātu. The One Vehicle is itself the buddhadhātu, because all sentient beings are entirely of the One Vehicle. How could the One Vehicle in turn refute the One Vehicle? How could the dharmakāya refute the Dharma-Buddha? How could the master of the Buddhas refute the mother of the Buddhas? Therefore, one should know that being confused about their expedient means and bewildered by the divisions of the teachings, they mutually affirm and deny, losing the correct purport. We do not accept this now. Although the Dilun masters do not hold to the five periods, by using future and present permanence to refute the meaning of impermanence, the force of their doctrine is similar and already shares the same flaw as the old \[masters\]. Master Xīnghuáng explained: Permanence and impermanence are medicine and illness curing one another: impermanence cures permanence. If one recognizes that impermanence is an expedient to cure permanence, when the illness is gone, the medicine is exhausted. If one does not recognize this, one clings to the medicine as the illness; the illness is the view of annihilation, hence it is said, "The king's illness is now severe." Permanence curing impermanence is also an expedient; when the illness is gone, the medicine is exhausted. If one does not recognize this, it turns into the view of permanence. If one recognizes both expedients, one can cut off both annihilation and permanence, and then it is neither annihilation nor permanence. Therefore, when the wise see dharmas arise, they extinguish the view of annihilation; when they see dharmas cease, they extinguish the view of permanence. If one does not recognize this, they remain the two views. Now we clarify that this interpretation is different from the old ones. If one grasps the meaning, there is nothing to find fault with; but if one pursues the words and generates conceptualizations, it shares the same illness as before. Why? Criticizing permanence and impermanence is a mutual discussion of expedients, pointing to neither-permanence-nor-impermanence as the real essence; this is like fleeing emptiness to seek emptiness, which takes one farther away from emptiness. Why? The Buddha stated that the karmic retributions of the two givings are equal and without distinction. If what was preached formerly was that the five fruits are impermanent, and what is preached now is that they are permanent, then there could indeed be a distinction. Only if both permanence and impermanence are neither-permanence-nor-impermanence are they equal and without distinction, which also reveals and manifests the esoteric teaching of expedient means. If one grasps this intention, nothing in the Prajñā or Śūraṅgama is not esoteric. However, this meaning of permanence is the throat and collar of this teaching, the heart and head of all sūtras, the dwelling place of the multitude of sages, and the dharmadhātu of all Buddhas; it is inconceivable, and the Tathāgata's wisdom cannot exhaust its exposition. Whether it be rigid permanence, future/present permanence, or the permanence that cures illness—how could these accord with the perfect principle? Let us now try to speak of it: The Buddha's appearance in the world is fundamentally for the sake of the one great cause and condition. The great cause and condition is itself permanent abiding. Because the permanent Dharma encompasses all, it is called "great"; because it permanently establishes all dharmas, it is called "cause"; because permanent capacities evoke permanent responses, it is called "condition". Permanence has no distinction, yet through distinction one speaks of permanence. Later the text states: "That which all Buddhas take as their master is the Dharma. Because the Dharma is permanent, all Buddhas are also permanent; all Buddhas of the three periods of time take this permanence as their master. In permanence there is neither master nor disciple, yet both master and disciple are permanent." Such distinctions are named the "worldly permanence". "I shall now eliminate your poverty and pour down the supreme rain of Dharma upon the field of your body, causing the sprout of Dharma to grow. You now desire to seek from me lifespan, physical strength, peace, and unimpeded eloquence; I shall bestow upon you permanent life, physical strength, peace, and unimpeded eloquence." It also states: "I now take pity on you and all beings; therefore I wish to enter nirvāṇa today. If devas and humans make this final offering to me, all shall attain the unshakeable karmic retribution." Such passages all illuminate that the permanent Dharma gives rise to permanent goodness; this is named the "permanence for persons". If one wishes to depart far from the four inversions, one should know permanence, bliss, self, and purity: "self" is the meaning of the Buddha; "permanence" is the dharmakāya; "bliss" is nirvāṇa; "purity" is the correct Dharma. By means of these four, one shatters the four inversions. It also states: "The marks of the four dharmas cultivated previously were all inversions. If one wishes to attain truth and cultivate various conceptions, one should be like that wise person who skillfully cultivates the conception of self, permanence, bliss, and purity. For example, a skilled physician first cures the original illness with salty and bitter \[medicines\]; although the original illness is gone, the patient suffers again from the salty and bitter, so later he cures the salty and bitter with pure milk. The Buddha is also like this: he first cures the illness of permanence with impermanence; once the illness of permanence is gone, they fall ill with impermanence; now he shatters the former impermanence with true permanence. Therefore he says: 'I am the king of physicians, wishing to subdue the non-Buddhists; therefore I proclaim no-self and no-person. For this reason and condition, I preach that there is a self.' Permanence shattering impermanence is also like this. Furthermore, the eastern pair signifies using permanence to shatter impermanence. Moreover, the two birds flying together illustrates the non-dual two functions of the Tathāgata. Such passages all illuminate the permanent Dharma as counteracting and shattering impermanence." The Treatise \[on the Great Prajñāpāramitā\] also states: "Permanence and impermanence are antidotal dharmas, not the ultimate truth (paramārthasatya)." This is named the "antidotal permanence". The ultimate truth is neither permanent nor impermanent. The present sūtra also states: "The karmic retributions of the two givings are equal and without distinction." If permanence shatters impermanence, and impermanence is different from permanence, then there is distinction, which is not the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth is neither permanent nor impermanent, and therefore has no distinction. If the two birds flying together illuminates their two functions, the two birds resting together illuminates their dual quiescence; quiescence within function, and cessation as bliss—this is the great nirvāṇa. Such passages are all the "permanence of the ultimate truth". One should know that this permanence is unimpeded across the four siddhāntas: permanence also demarcates the great matter of causes and conditions; permanence also enters the quiescent, ultimate, wondrous principle; permanence also gives birth to and establishes all dharmas; permanence also counteracts and shatters inversions and delusions. Its freedom is like this. How could one grasp it one-sidedly, treating it merely as the mutual play of medicine and illness in an antidote, thereby burying the perfect power and harming the various sūtras and treatises? Furthermore, the great nirvāṇa is inherently possessed from the beginning; it is not something that just began now. Moreover, all the twenty-five states of existence possess the self; the self is the buddhadhātu, and the buddhadhātu is permanent. The buddhadhātu is heroic and fierce, difficult to destroy. These many texts and meanings are precisely "present permanence". It also states: "All who have minds shall become Buddhas; in the future they shall attain permanence, bliss, self, and purity." Such passages are precisely "future permanence". Furthermore, that there are dharmas in the three periods of time is impossible. Since there are no three periods of time, how could there still be present permanence and future permanence? The Vimalakīrti Sūtra states: "It is only through worldly words and letters that the three periods of time are spoken of; it does not mean that bodhi has past, future, or present." If one stubbornly clings to future and present, each relying on the three periods of time, failing to understand my meaning, how could one accord with the purport of the verse? Moreover, this permanence reveals and manifests the Tathāgata's esoteric teaching of expedient means. Formerly, permanence was concealed; now it is disclosed and explained that permanence is not distinct: present permanence is different from former impermanence, yet opening the former impermanence is itself present permanence. Next, as for "I shall now eliminate your poverty": if one eliminates the poverty of the four destinies, one opens up the impermanence of all evils to reveal permanence. The text below says: "Confessing the four grave prohibitions, eliminating the mind that slanders the Dharma, exhausting the five heinous sins, and extinguishing the icchantika." This is its meaning. If one cuts off the poverty of humans and devas, one opens up the impermanence of all goods to reveal permanence. The text says: "I now do not seek the body of a deva or human in this place; even if I were to obtain it, my mind would not relish it." It also states: "By destroying this physical form, one obtains permanent form, and so forth." This is its meaning. If one cuts off the poverty of the two vehicles, one opens up the impermanence of the undefiled to reveal permanence. The text says: "Opening the wisdom eye for all śrāvakas, and so forth." If one cuts off the poverty of expedient bodhisattvas, one opens up the impermanence of the common and distinct six perfections to reveal permanence. The text says: "Causing all bodhisattvas to clearly see the buddhadhātu." It also says: "Prior to this, all of us were called people of wrong views." In general summary, opening all that has remainder to be without remainder, and opening all that is non-definitive to be definitive meaning—this is named revealing and manifesting the Tathāgata's esoteric teaching of expedient means, completely placing them within the secret treasury of the three dots and the four virtues. Furthermore, this permanence is itself the buddhadhātu, and the buddhadhātu is permanent. Having opened permanence, one thereby opens the buddhadhātu. Since he acts as kin for them to open the direct cause, acts as lord to open the conditional cause, acts as master to open the revealing cause, eliminating poverty opens the nature of the objective realm, and all attaining the unshakeable karmic retribution opens the nature of the fruit. If we analogize according to this meaning, what person, what dharma, what teaching, what practice, what stage, or what function is not permanent? What dharma is not neither-permanent-nor-impermanent? How could there still be differentiated natures such as good, evil, or the three vehicles? Ultimately, all are the great parinirvāṇa, where the path of words is cut off and the realm of mental activity ceases, inconceivable, vertically deep and horizontally vast, boundless and bottomless, able to establish the great meaning and pervade the dharmadhātu without exhaustion. How could one judge it to be rigid permanence, permanence that cures illness, or future and present permanence? Such meaning of permanence is like empty space; we have briefly outlined it against the four schools. Next, the names of the five fruits in the actual acceptance are not explained in the text. In private reflection: since the five are all fruits, they fully encompass all the myriad virtues of cause and effect. First, we explain the names; next, we match them with dharmas. The five dharmas are all permanent; hence it first says "permanent". Continuing and sustaining is called "life". Permanent life is without beginning and without end, without discontinuation, taking non-form as form. My present body is itself the dharmakāya; its operation is power, pervading all places, with endless function. Non-motion is called "peace". Although possessing power and function, it is stable and unmoved. Responding to capacities, it has eloquence, universally bestowing the Dharma medicine with unconditioned compassion. Next, matching them with dharmas: these are the three secrets. Life is the mental secret; form, power, and peace are the physical secret; unimpeded eloquence is the vocal secret. They are also called the four virtues: mind is the virtue of permanence; body is bliss and self; speech is the virtue of purity. If one grasps this meaning, throughout all dharmas there is nothing that is not these five. The Buddha is endowed with these five, and therefore bestows them upon others; because the five are permanent, the giving is also inexhaustible; that which is called inexhaustible is precisely the five fruits. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.9) - [Next: 3.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.11) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767~en-mt.3.10) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [大般涅槃經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.mahaparinirvana-mahayana*zh-t375.2.4) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.10) · Pramāṇa