大般涅槃經疏 7.4

7.4

前之三品嚴觀所安，此品存本但改「命」為「長」、移「壽」在下，西方語倒不移亦善，譯人左右應無別意。恐依上文，當知如來即是長壽。或依偈初「云何得長壽」，長只是常，何不用常為名？正言由常樂我淨，獲此長壽，從所得立名故也。今釋長壽為四：一同諸佛法身智慧壽命皆悉同等，故言長壽。二由物欣長惡短，引令樹善故。三對破偏修無常之拙，明圓勝修之常。四長短相形，是對治門。會非長短之長，故言長壽。此是涅槃施中第三對菩薩眾隨問而施。凡十四品，諸問答中長壽為首，從初命品，餘各隨便。其文有勸問、正問，初勸比丘、次勸大眾。初勸有三，佛法至三故；又表佛殷勤故；又初勸除疑、二勸受寄、三勸益物。其上疑既盡，初勸則默；既不堪寄付，次勸則辭；既無化力，後勸則推。初文者，何故偏勸問戒律？河西云：佛法有兩，一經、二律，上已問經，今勸問律。是義不然。經深律淺，既能問經，豈不能問律而待勸耶？觀師云：律是聲聞之本，又是今經之宗。不殺為因，得長壽果，故偏勸問。是亦不然。今案經云「於諸戒律」，是則律儀定道俱名為戒。諸語不一，豈獨律儀？又將下驗上，非偏勸問律。空者慧也，寂者定也，當知勸諸比丘問戒定慧。有人作二諦消。是亦不然。二諦文晦，三諦文明。何者？戒定慧三是入真之梯隥即勸問真，本性空寂即是問中，明了通達即是雙照二諦即勸問俗。又言莫謂如來唯修空寂者，如來既不專修真俗，即是勸問非真非俗第一義諦。

The preceding three chapters were arranged by Yán and Guān. This chapter preserves the original text, merely changing 'lifespan' to 'long' and shifting 'life' below. The Western language has inverted word order, so not shifting it is also fine; the translator's stylistic choice probably holds no distinct meaning. Perhaps relying on the text above, one should know that the Tathāgata is indeed long life. Or relying on the beginning of the verse, "How does one attain long life?", 'long' is simply 'permanent'—why not use 'permanent' as the name? It is precisely because through permanence, bliss, self, and purity one obtains this long life, establishing the name based on what is attained. Now I explain long life under four headings: First, identical with all buddhas' dharmakāya, wisdom, and lifespan, which are all completely equal; therefore it is called long life. Second, because beings delight in longevity and dislike brevity, it is used to guide them to cultivate goodness. Third, to counter and refute the clumsiness of one-sided cultivation of impermanence, revealing the permanence of the perfect and superior cultivation. Fourth, long and short are mutually relative; this is a door of therapeutic antidote. Meeting the length that is neither long nor short is therefore called long life. This is the third part of the Nirvāṇa gifts, bestowing according to questions addressed to the assembly of bodhisattvas. There are altogether fourteen chapters; among the various questions and answers, Long Life comes first, starting from the original chapter on lifespan, while the rest follow as convenient. Its text contains urging questions and the actual questions: first urging the monks, next urging the great assembly. The first urging has three parts, because the Buddha-Dharma reaches fulfillment in three; it also signifies the Buddha's earnestness; and moreover, the first urges the removal of doubt, the second urges receiving the entrustment, and the third urges benefiting beings. As their earlier doubts were already exhausted, at the first urging they remained silent; as they were not capable of receiving the entrustment, at the second urging they declined; as they lacked the power of transformation, at the third urging they deferred. Regarding the first passage: Why specifically urge questioning on the vinaya? Héxī says: The Buddha-Dharma has two parts: first, sūtra; second, vinaya. Having already asked about the sūtras above, he now urges asking about the vinaya. This meaning is incorrect. Sūtras are profound and the vinaya is shallow; if they could already ask about the sūtras, could they not ask about the vinaya, such that they required urging? Master Guān says: The vinaya is the foundation of the śrāvakas and also the main theme of this sūtra. Non-killing is the cause, attaining the fruit of long life; therefore he specifically urged asking. This is also incorrect. Now examining the sūtra text, "concerning all the precepts and vinaya," both disciplinary rules and the morality of meditative concentration and the path are called precepts. The word 'all' indicates more than one; how could it only be disciplinary rules? Furthermore, using what follows to verify what precedes, it is not specifically urging questioning on the vinaya. Emptiness is wisdom; stillness is concentration. One should know that he urges the monks to ask about morality, concentration, and wisdom. Some interpret it according to the two truths. This is also incorrect. The text of the two truths is obscure, while the text of the three truths is clear. How so? Morality, concentration, and wisdom are the ladder for entering the absolute, which urges asking about the absolute; original nature being empty and still is asking about the middle; clearly comprehending is illuminating both truths together, which urges asking about the conventional. Furthermore, stating "Do not think that the Tathāgata only cultivates emptiness and stillness": since the Tathāgata does not exclusively cultivate the absolute or the conventional, this is urging questioning on the paramārthasatya that is neither absolute nor conventional.