[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) › 3.7 # 大般涅槃經疏 3.7 大般涅槃經疏 3.7 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.7) 從此訖眾問是涅槃施。分文為三：此品施常住五果，擬對此土雜類眾；〈哀歎品〉施勝三修，擬對此土聲聞眾；〈長壽品〉去隨問而施，擬對此土諸菩薩眾（云云）。問：有他方眾，何文擬之？答：從〈現病品〉去更明五行十德，〈師子吼〉問性及〈迦葉〉、〈陳如〉，擬對他方諸菩薩眾。然佛平等說，普雨一切，豈容分隔？一往分文以示起盡，於無分別中作差別說。問：若爾，始終只是一涅槃施，則無餘章。答：前明通意，得作此說（云云）。此品為四：初因獻食以明不食。不食是常，破於無常，開非常非無常。二因其請住，以不住破住，開非住非不住。三因於論義，有為無為且共置之，開非有為非無為。四因催供，明為滅須食、為不滅不食，開非滅非不滅。四段在文可尋。生起者，眾被召來意在開密，故因食明常。常則應住，故因常請住。住非圓極，是故遮住以無住破住。住與無住互成得失，故有為無為且共置之。若置非求是，是亦無是，故即非是。是故文言「方便涅槃即是而非」，故催其施今正是時。第二第三亦復如是，是非俱非、寂滅為樂，事窮理盡，故低頭飲淚而辦供也。通別者，雖分四段，不可一向。何者？圓滿妙說義不可盡，隨其類音各各得解，不可各解局於圓法。今三意望之：一、別舉常破無常。文云「我今施汝常命色力安無閡辯。」別明於我，以有我故所以論於我住我觀，若無我者誰住誰觀？文云「汝今當觀。」別明於淨，有為不淨、無為即淨。文云「善覆如來有為之相。」別明於樂，樂即涅槃，一切諸佛皆至是處。文云「生已不住，寂滅為樂。」若一向從別則成對治，失於圓旨，此義可知（云云）。二、明通者，今所明常，不言常異於我，常即是我亦即淨樂，我即是常亦即淨樂，淨樂亦爾。文云「是常法印即是諸佛之法界也。」若但是常，常即缺減不具四德，寧當得是法界印耶？三、明非通非別畢竟清淨。何者？若但是常破於無常，是待對法，經論所害。《釋論》云「無常者是對治法，非第一義。」常治無常亦復如是。《中論》云「若法為待成，是法還成待。」今言常者，非常無常，故非通別。若是通者，通即對別，別既被非，通寧得是？當知常者非通非別。文云「二施果報等無差別」，無通無別乃名為等。我亦如是，非我無我。文云「汝今當觀諸佛境界。」佛境界者，無我無無我，淨亦如是，非淨非不淨。文云「有為無為且共置之。」捨有捨無即非淨非不淨，樂亦如是非樂非不樂，名寂滅樂。文云「不應思惟長壽短壽。」無長無短即非樂非不樂。如是三意不可定三，不縱不橫不並不別，即通而別即非通別，不一二三而一二三，須識圓妙乃解於常。又此四文成前起後。言成前者，上大聲普告令最後問，為欲顯發方便密教；今果為開雙非之教。上面門放光却障生善，咸欲成就第一空行；今果勸觀諸佛境界。上地動翻倒咸歸佛所；今果示有為無為且共置之，欲求正法應如是學，如是學已寂滅為樂，同於如來所至到處。故涅槃施成前召請等義。言起後者，教觀諸佛境界，即般若德。欲求正法應如是學，且共置之，即解脫德。寂滅之樂佛所到處，即法身德。如此分文即顯佛語上中下善，不徒開章。 > From this point through the congregation's questions is the gift of nirvāṇa. Dividing the text into three: this chapter gives the five fruits of permanence, intended to address the miscellaneous assembly of this land; the 'Lamentation Chapter' gives the superior three cultivations, intended to address the śrāvaka assembly of this land; and from the 'Longevity Chapter' onward, it gives according to their questions, intended to address the bodhisattva assembly of this land (and so forth). Question: There is an assembly from other directions; which text addresses them? Answer: From the 'Manifesting Illness Chapter' onward, further elucidating the five practices and ten virtues, the Siṃhanāda questions on nature, and Kāśyapa and Kauṇḍinya, are intended to address the bodhisattva assemblies from other directions. However, the Buddha teaches with impartiality, universally raining \[the Dharma\] upon all; how could there be divisions? Dividing the text provisionally is only to show the beginning and the end, making differentiated explanations within the non-differentiated. Question: If so, from beginning to end it is only a single gift of nirvāṇa, so there would be no other sections. Answer: Having previously explained the universal intent, one may speak in this way (and so forth). This chapter consists of four parts: First, by occasion of offering food, not eating is clarified. Not eating is permanence; it refutes impermanence and discloses neither-permanence-nor-impermanence. Second, by occasion of his requesting \[the Buddha\] to stay, refuting staying by non-staying discloses neither-staying-nor-non-staying. Third, by occasion of debating doctrine, temporarily setting aside both the conditioned and unconditioned discloses neither-conditioned-nor-unconditioned. Fourth, by occasion of urging the offering, clarifying that for extinction food is needed, whereas for non-extinction food is not eaten, discloses neither-extinction-nor-non-extinction. These four sections can be found in the text. As for the progression: The assembly was summoned with the intention of revealing the secret; hence, by occasion of food, permanence is clarified. If permanent, \[the Buddha\] ought to stay; hence, by occasion of permanence, he requests him to stay. Staying is not the consummate ultimate; therefore, staying is negated, refuting staying with non-staying. Staying and non-staying mutually constitute gain and loss; hence the conditioned and unconditioned are temporarily set aside together. If one sets aside the false to seek the true, the true is also without trueness, and thus is immediately not true. Therefore, the text states, 'The nirvāṇa of expedient means is precisely true and false,' and so he urges his offering, \[saying\] 'Now is precisely the time.' The second and third are also like this: both affirmation and negation are negated, and quiescence is bliss; phenomena and principle are fully exhausted, so he bows his head, weeps, and prepares the offering. As for the universal and particular: although divided into four sections, it must not be taken in only one way. Why so? The consummate and subtle preaching has inexhaustible meaning; according to their respective categories of sound, each attains understanding, and their individual understandings must not delimit the consummate Dharma. Now, looking at it through three perspectives: First, particularly raising permanence to refute impermanence. The text states: 'I now bestow upon you permanent life, colour, strength, ease, and unhindered eloquence.' Particularly clarifying the self: because there is a self, one therefore discusses 'my abiding' and 'my contemplating'; if there were no self, who would abide and who would contemplate? The text states: 'You should now contemplate.' Particularly clarifying purity: the conditioned is impure; the unconditioned is pure. The text states: 'Skillfully concealing the conditioned marks of the Tathāgata.' Particularly clarifying bliss: bliss is precisely nirvāṇa, and all Buddhas reach this place. The text states: 'Having arisen, it does not abide; quiescence is bliss.' If one follows the particular exclusively, it becomes an antidote and loses the consummate purport; this meaning can be understood (and so forth). Second, clarifying the universal: that which is now clarified as permanence does not mean that permanence is different from the self; permanence is precisely the self, and is also purity and bliss; the self is precisely permanence, and is also purity and bliss; purity and bliss are also like this. The text states: 'This seal of the permanent Dharma is precisely the dharmadhātu of the Buddhas.' If it were only permanence, permanence would be deficient and not complete with the four virtues; how could it be the seal of the dharmadhātu? Third, clarifying that it is neither universal nor particular, being completely pure. Why so? If it were only permanence refuting impermanence, it would be a relative phenomenon, which is repudiated by the sūtras and treatises. The \*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa\* states: 'Impermanence is an antidotal Dharma, not the ultimate truth.' Permanence remedying impermanence is also like this. The \*Mūlamadhyamakakārikā\* states: 'If an entity is established in dependence, that entity again becomes dependent.' Now, in speaking of permanence, it is neither permanent nor impermanent; hence it is neither universal nor particular. If it were universal, universal would stand opposed to particular; since the particular has already been negated, how could the universal be affirmed? One should know that permanence is neither universal nor particular. The text states: 'The retributions of the two offerings are equal and without difference'; having neither universal nor particular is called equality. The self is also like this: neither self nor non-self. The text states: 'You should now contemplate the realm of the Buddhas.' The realm of the Buddhas is neither self nor non-self. Purity is also like this: neither pure nor impure. The text states: 'Temporarily set aside both the conditioned and unconditioned.' Relinquishing existence and relinquishing non-existence is precisely neither pure nor impure. Bliss is also like this: neither blissful nor non-blissful, termed the bliss of quiescence. The text states: 'One should not think of long life or short life.' Being neither long nor short is precisely neither blissful nor non-blissful. Such three perspectives cannot be fixed as three; they are neither vertical nor horizontal, neither parallel nor separate, being identical to the universal yet particular, and identical to neither universal nor particular, not one, two, or three, yet one, two, and three; one must recognize the consummate subtlety to understand permanence. Moreover, these four passages fulfill what precedes and introduce what follows. As for fulfilling what precedes: above, the loud voice universally announced, bidding them to ask the final questions, desiring to reveal the secret teaching of expedient means; now, as a result, the teaching of dual negation is disclosed. Above, emitting light from the face repelled obstacles and generated goodness, universally wishing to accomplish the practice of primary emptiness; now, as a result, it encourages the contemplation of the realm of the Buddhas. Above, the earth trembled and overturned, everyone returning to the Buddha's place; now, as a result, it indicates that the conditioned and unconditioned should temporarily be set aside together; if one wishes to seek the true Dharma, one should train like this; having trained like this, quiescence is bliss, identical to the place reached by the Tathāgata. Therefore, the gift of nirvāṇa fulfills the meanings of the preceding summoning and requesting. As for introducing what follows: teaching the contemplation of the realm of the Buddhas is precisely the virtue of prajñā. Wishing to seek the true Dharma, one should train like this, setting \[the conditioned and unconditioned\] aside together, which is precisely the virtue of liberation. The bliss of quiescence is the place reached by the Buddha, which is precisely the virtue of the dharmakāya. Dividing the text in this way reveals that the Buddha's words are good in the beginning, middle, and end, not merely dividing chapters. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.6) - [Next: 3.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.8) - [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.3.7) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1767.3.7) · Pramāṇa