大般涅槃經疏 6.12

6.12

今釋此章。諸比丘雖聞新伊未除舊執，謂佛無常，所以請住。雖信法常，未信佛常，口雖請新，意猶從舊。佛訶其舊執云：汝等不應作如是語。佛酬其請新，故言：所有正法悉付迦葉。如來緣謝故去，迦葉機興故付。內同佛德，外委大臣秉正法教，乃指圓伊而作依止，酬其所請。此中為學新伊者故，故言法付迦葉。下文為不學新伊者故，故言迦葉無常不堪付囑，各各為緣。今初、以法酬請中為二：一法說破、二譬說破。法說者，汝欲學新伊，應改迷生信，猶存偽執真法不染，故云：汝先修習無常苦者非是真實。次譬中又二：譬、合。初「如春時」去，先開放逸失寶譬、次開求得不得譬，亦名有方便譬、無方便譬。春時者，年物俱新，適悅時也，譬五塵六欲是耽湎之境。諸人者，總譬放逸之徒。在大池浴者，大池譬生死河，浴譬恚慢愛憎等也，乘船譬乘諸業，游戲譬著可愛果。失瑠璃寶者譬無解，因於放蕩慧解潛昏，故言失耳。故此章破行失為便，非先解後失，著樂翳解義言失耳。沒深水中者，生死陰覆也。從「是時諸人」去，為無方便求解不得作譬。諸人者，通是迷徒，別擬三修。悉共入水者，信於初教義如入水。求覓是寶者，作劣三修。競捉瓦石者，證三為真。自謂得者，言得滅度。歡喜持出一句，譬上稱歎象迹。第一善修無我，內執在懷，故言歡喜。向佛稱歎，故言持出。譬上封執生疑之意。乃知非真者，為有方便求解得者作譬。譬聞今教破昔理行非實，方知苦無常等偽同瓦礫，故言乃知非真。都從上來合作六意，共消求得之文。夫寶珠者，珠是本有，非適今也。而眾生著樂沈沒水底，拙觀推求竟不能得即理寶珠。以聞今教知前不實，知字知義始自今經，即名字寶珠。是時寶珠猶在水中，以珠力故水皆澄清者，觀行寶珠。依教觀理，理為所詮，故言猶在水中。能詮如所詮、所詮如能詮，故言以珠力故水則澄清，於是大眾乃見寶珠。故在水下猶如仰觀虛空月形者，相似寶珠。仰觀於月彷彿類珠，似解隣真故言乃見，相似位明矣。虛空譬相似常，月圓譬相似樂，月光譬相似淨，非上非下以上比下自在無閡譬相似我（云云）。是時一人，譬分證寶珠。以一名人，人得其門，故言一人。方便力者，道前圓修。安徐者，安於生死作涅槃解。微妙正觀徐詳審諦不昏，教水不動心波與理相應，即分得寶珠。此約六位顯有方便勝修之人求得寶珠，約行義便。汝等比丘者，合得失兩譬。又二。而復兩番合者，初番合三修得失、後番合四修得失。應用此意遍歷諸法，皆有劣勝兩種修也。故文云「在在處處常修我想常樂淨想。」豈獨今經，非止一境觸處成觀，思之。

Now, to explain this section: Although the monks had heard of the new [letter] I, they had not eliminated their old attachments; thinking the Buddha was impermanent, they requested that he remain. Although they believed that the Dharma is permanent, they did not yet believe that the Buddha is permanent; although their mouths requested the new, their intent still followed the old. The Buddha rebuked their old attachment, saying: "You should not speak such words." The Buddha answered their request for the new, and therefore said: "All the correct Dharma is entrusted to Kāśyapa." Because the conditions for the Tathāgata had drawn to an end, he departed; because the capacity of Kāśyapa had arisen, it was entrusted to him. Internally identical to the Buddha's virtues, externally entrusted as a great minister to uphold the correct Dharma and teaching, he pointed directly to the perfect [letter] I as a refuge, answering what they had requested. Here, for the sake of those who learn the new [letter] I, he therefore says the Dharma is entrusted to Kāśyapa. Later in the text, for the sake of those who do not learn the new [letter] I, he therefore says Kāśyapa is impermanent and cannot bear the entrustment; each is for different conditions. Now, the first part, within answering the request by means of the Dharma, has two parts: 1. refutation by expounding the Dharma; 2. refutation by expounding a simile. Expounding the Dharma means: if you wish to learn the new [letter] I, you should transform delusion and generate faith; while false attachments still remain, the true Dharma cannot be imbued. Therefore it says: "What you previously cultivated concerning impermanence and suffering is not real." Next, within the simile, there are again two parts: the simile and its application. First, from "Like in springtime..." onwards, first sets forth the simile of negligence and losing the jewel, and next sets forth the simile of seeking and either attaining or not attaining; these are also called the simile of having skillful means and the simile of lacking skillful means. "Springtime": a time when year and things are both new and delightful, illustrating the five sense-objects and six desires as a realm of indulgence. "Various people": a general simile for the company of the negligent. "Bathing in a great pond": the great pond illustrates the river of birth and death; bathing illustrates anger, pride, love, hate, and the like; boarding a boat illustrates boarding various karmas; amusing themselves illustrates attachment to desirable karmic fruits. Losing the vaiḍūrya jewel illustrates lacking understanding: due to dissipation, wisdom and understanding are imperceptibly dimmed; therefore it is described as a "loss." Hence in this section, refuting the loss through conduct is expedient; it does not mean understanding first and losing it later, but rather that attachment to pleasure obscures understanding, which is figuratively called "loss." "Sank into the deep water": being obscured by birth and death and the aggregates. From "At that time the people..." onwards sets forth the simile of lacking skillful means and seeking understanding without attaining it. "The people": generally refers to the deluded crowd, specifically referring to the three cultivations. "All entered the water together": placing faith in the initial teaching is figuratively like entering the water. "Seeking this jewel": engaging in the inferior three cultivations. "Competed to grab tiles and stones": verifying the three [characteristics] as real. "Each claiming to have obtained it": saying they have attained extinction. The single sentence "joyfully took it out" illustrates praising the elephant's footprint above. First, well cultivating non-self, inner attachment was held in their hearts, hence it says "joyfully"; praising it before the Buddha, hence it says "took it out." This illustrates the intent of holding fast to attachments and giving rise to doubts above. "Only then did they realize it was not real" forms a simile for those with skillful means who seek understanding and attain it. This illustrates that upon hearing the present teaching refute the former principle and practice as unreal, only then did they realize that suffering, impermanence, and so forth are false, identical to tiles and gravel; therefore it says "only then did they realize it was not real." Taken altogether from above, this forms six meanings that jointly explain the text on seeking and attaining. As for the precious jewel: the jewel is fundamentally possessed, not merely of the present. Yet sentient beings, attached to pleasure, sink to the bottom of the water; investigating with clumsy contemplation, they ultimately cannot attain the jewel that is the principle itself. Through hearing the present teaching, knowing the former was not real, knowing words and knowing meanings begins from the present sūtra: this is the jewel of the name-and-word stage. "At that time the precious jewel was still in the water; by the power of the jewel, the water became completely clear and pure": this is the jewel of the contemplative practice stage. Contemplating the principle based on the teaching, the principle is what is expressed; therefore it says "was still in the water." That which expresses corresponds to that which is expressed, and that which is expressed corresponds to that which expresses; therefore it says that by the power of the jewel the water became clear and pure, and thereupon the great assembly saw the precious jewel. "Still beneath the water, just like looking up at the shape of the moon in the sky": this is the jewel of the stage of resemblance. Looking up at the moon, it vaguely resembles a jewel; resembling understanding borders on truth, hence it says "thereupon saw"; the stage of resemblance is clearly revealed. Empty space illustrates resemblance permanence; the round moon illustrates resemblance bliss; the moonlight illustrates resemblance purity; being neither above nor below, taking what is above to compare with what is below, unobstructed in freedom, illustrates resemblance self (and so on). "At that time, one person": illustrates the jewel of partial realization. Because "one" designates a person, and this person has found the entrance, it says "one person." "The power of skillful means": the perfect cultivation prior to the path. "Calmly and slowly": being at peace in birth and death, understanding it as nirvāṇa. The subtle, correct contemplation is calm, detailed, and precise without dullness; the water of the teaching is unmoving, the waves of the mind correspond with the principle, which is partially obtaining the precious jewel. This uses the six stages to reveal that a person of supreme cultivation with skillful means seeks and obtains the precious jewel, which is convenient in terms of practice. "You monks": applies the two similes of attainment and loss. This again has two parts. The reason it is applied in two turns is that the first turn applies to the gain and loss of the three cultivations, and the later turn applies to the gain and loss of the four cultivations. Applying this meaning across all phenomena, in each case there are the two kinds of cultivation, inferior and supreme. Therefore the text says: "In every place, always cultivate the thought of self, and the thoughts of permanence, bliss, and purity." How could this be only in the present sūtra? It is not confined to a single realm: wherever one touches, contemplation is accomplished. Reflect on this.