大般涅槃經疏 13.26

13.26

Next, explaining the title: the text says, "'Noble' means that it is practiced by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas," and therefore it is called "noble practice." This contains two meanings: what bodhisattvas practice is sequential practice; what Buddhas practice is non-sequential. There is also one practice which is the Tathāgata's practice; though it is generally called noble practice, its meaning has not yet been made manifest, so it will now be explained separately. Why? "Noble" is defined as correct. What bodhisattvas practice is shallow before and deep later; the ultimate does not know the conventional, and the conventional does not know the middle; being one-sided rather than correct, it is only generally called noble practice, not yet having the specific meaning. If there is further one practice that is the Tathāgata's practice, one practice is all practices, and one wisdom is all wisdom; therefore we know that the round practice is called correct and called noble. Thus the text above says: "This Mahāyāna sūtra is called the Buddha vehicle." Such a Buddha vehicle is the most supreme and unexcelled; persons of round capacity practice the Buddha vehicle and cultivate the Tathāgata's practice. The Lotus Sūtra says: "When the Buddha's children have practiced the path, in future ages they will accomplish right awakening." This is precisely the meaning. The sūtra text has two [explanations]: general explanation and specific explanation. People mostly follow the general, failing to recognize the specific meaning. Now, following the specific explanation to establish the title, it is called "noble practice." Pure practice: pure means undefiled; entering into existence and sharing the dust, yet the dust cannot defile them; the name is established with respect to function. Heavenly practice: the name is established with respect to the principle of truth. Infant-like practice: the name is established with respect to a metaphor. Practice with illness: the name is established with respect to what is treated. Tathāgata's practice: the name is established with respect to the person of the round [teaching]. They are all called "practice" because not dwelling is called practice: being unattached to one's own realization and causing others not to dwell, it is therefore called practice. The text lists the five practices and the one practice, and noble practice is at the beginning; the name is established from the beginning, hence it is called the "Chapter on Noble Practices."