大般涅槃經疏 2.15

2.15

Second is listing the assemblies in between. Jambudvīpa is one side, and the immeasurable worlds are the other side; the "in-between" is further divided into two: first, concluding the preceding and listing what follows; second, grieving for those close at hand and summoning those far off. As for concluding what precedes, this concludes the preceding thirty-four assemblies. The selection and omission of the two assemblies involves both practical affairs and that which is revealed. As for practical affairs, Kāśyapa had entered the meditative absorption of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti) and, being held by that absorption, did not come. Ānanda was ensnared by Māra and therefore did not come. As for what is revealed: Kāśyapa's [absence] was to reveal the non-abandonment of minor precepts. Kāśyapa was the eldest son who was just about to uphold the Buddhadharma. If the Buddha were approaching extinction, he should have relaxed the minor precepts, telling Ānanda: "After my parinirvāṇa, those who are able to keep all the minor precepts do well; those who cannot may abandon them." Kāśyapa later asked: "Which are the minor precepts?" Ānanda said: "I do not know." Thereupon he reproved Ānanda, saying: "You received the Buddha's command face to face, and now you say you do not know which may be abandoned and which may not be abandoned. Moreover, we are ridiculed by non-Buddhists [who say]: 'The precepts instituted by their master are all abandoned after his demise.'" Furthermore, they must not be abandoned. If Kāśyapa had come, how could he have maintained the rectitude of this matter? Ānanda's [absence] was to reveal that at the very end the Buddha praised, entrusted [the Dharma], and revealed the power of divine dhāraṇī. If Ānanda had come, [the Buddha] would neither have inquired after him nor praised him, nor would he have sent Mañjuśrī to uphold the dhāraṇī and untie the snare. That these two assemblies did not come reveals this intention. Question: The Buddha ordered the minor precepts to be abandoned, yet Kāśyapa did not permit it. Why did teacher and disciple oppose each other? Answer: It is not so. The Buddha spoke for those of sharp faculties, adapting to whatever benefited them; Kāśyapa acted for those of dull faculties, causing things to remain as before. Therefore it was not a defiance. Next, listing what follows has three parts: first, humans and devas; second, mountain deities; third, river and ocean deities. As for the first text, these are the humans and devas of the various realms of the four heavens, above and below. The sūtra says "in between"; what does "in between" not encompass? Although the text does not speak of the three continents and the ten billion sets of four continents, by deduction of principle they must be present. Why is this? If distant lands from other regions were still able to come, for what reason would [Pūrva-]Videha in the east and [Apara-]Godānīya in the west not arrive? If the ten directions still came, with what intent would the ten billion sets of four heavens not come? If we infer from the expression "in between", the assembly should be the most numerous; it can only be understood in thought, not recorded in writing (and so forth). Next, below "and the various mountain deities", others say mountain deities have the form of mountains, but this is not necessarily so. Tree deities reveal half their bodies and do not take the form of trees; mountain deities need not take the form of mountains—it is simply that the divine spirit is attached to the mountain. It first lists the various mountains, next discusses their appearances, and finally clarifies their proceeding to the Buddha. The ocean deities are also like this, as in the text. As for the Hiraṇyavatī (Xīlián), tradition says that the Bhāgīrathī (Bāntí) is the Hiraṇyavatī. Now I say this is not so: the Bhāgīrathī is large and the Hiraṇyavatī is small. Some say it is four zhang wide, or eight zhang, north of the city. The Bhāgīrathī is south of the city, a hundred li away; the Buddha resided between them to enter nirvāṇa, and it was reached by the scattering of flowers. The translation of "Hiraṇyavatī" has not yet been seen. Next, below "the grove turned white", this is grieving for those close at hand and summoning those far off: those already gathered grieve, and those not yet gathered are summoned. This again has two parts: first, grieving for those close at hand; next, summoning those far off. First, regarding grieving for those close at hand, three signs in all are manifested. The śāla trees have been explained as before. This grove, lush and flourishing, suddenly turned white, just like white cranes. There were cranes in the grove, and when the grove transformed, it was no different from the cranes. This symbolizes something: if flourishing were definitively flourishing, it should not suddenly transform; if withered were definitively withered, it should not be like cranes. Since being withered is like cranes, then withered is not withered; since flourishing suddenly transforms, then flourishing is not flourishing. That which is neither flourishing nor withered, the nirvāṇa in between, symbolizes manifesting birth and death while being without birth and death. With this single transformation of the Twin Trees, each understands according to their kind: those of superior capacity penetrate its source, those of inferior capacity grieve over its traces, and those of middling faculties are between grief and penetration. The "Chapter on Manifesting Sickness" says: "The foolish and vulgar view of inferior beings says that [the Buddha] will certainly enter nirvāṇa, whereas only the bodhisattvas, Mañjuśrī, and the like are able to know that the Tathāgata is eternally abiding and unchanging." This is precisely the meaning. Next, that the halls and pavilions in the open sky are distinct with splendid adornments symbolizes that the marks of the Buddha's body are foremost in heaven and earth. Now, the karmic conditions of the body have already drawn to an end, and unsurpassable wisdom no longer resides to direct them; this is what inferior people grieve over. Furthermore, while halls are originally erected on the ground, now they are situated in the sky; thus there are halls in empty space, distinct with carved lines, engravings, and splendid adornments. Motionless, not falling, wondrous and beautifully adorned, they symbolize that the treasury within space is fully complete and without diminution; this is what middling people value. Furthermore, that the splendid halls are stately, luminous, delightful, and beneficial represents their existence. That they are high up in the open sky with no one to use them represents their non-existence. When the matter of existence and non-existence is concluded, one should gather this emptiness and existence back into neither-emptiness-nor-existence; this is what superior people penetrate. Inferior people grieve, superior people penetrate, and middling people grieve and penetrate, in between the two. Third, that beneath the halls there are many flowing springs and bathing pools symbolizes that the Buddha's body and mouth flow downward, issuing forth immeasurable verbal teachings, just like bathing pools. A bathing pool has two functions: first, it can wash away defilement and dirt; second, it eliminates heat and distress. This symbolizes that the Buddha's teachings can exhaust adventitious defilements externally and eliminate ignorance internally. That there are wondrous lotus flowers symbolizes following the Buddha's teachings, which is precisely cultivating the cause. Because the cause surpasses worldly fruition, both places are cited as an analogy. The conditions for conversion being on the verge of ending is like the halls being lifted high. The verbal teachings flowing and moistening are like the pure springs in the pools. In terms of its fundamental essence, it neither departs nor remains; spoken in terms of its benefit, we therefore speak of departing and remaining. The text saying "all beheld the signs of the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa" refers, on the surface, to what is seen by inferior people. If fully discussed, there should be both the penetration of the superior and the grief of the inferior, fully as stated before. Although these three signs differ before and after, their intention is the same as before. Previously, with a great sound, he encouraged inquiries; when they inquired, the secret teachings were revealed, just as now pure springs flow forth beneath the halls to benefit many people. Previously, the front of his face emitted five-colored light shining everywhere, eliminating the three obstacles and generating the three kinds of good, causing them to establish their practice and advance. Now, the high halls soar far away, leaving behind what is below and rising into the sky, distinct with splendid adornments and various decorations; compared to the previous shaking of the earth and water symbolizing the overturned seeing of nature, now the transformation of the grove compared to cranes prevents them from stagnating in flourishing or withering, returning them to the center and converging on the ultimate. Because sentient beings are difficult to awaken, he once again claps his hands, grieving for those close at hand and summoning those far off; though the marks differ again, the intention is identical to before, merely causing them once more to gain understanding.