大般涅槃經疏 23.9

23.9

From "How does a bodhisattva draw near [to good friends]?" onwards, fourthly, he explains the good friend, which has four parts: first, distinguishing what is correct; second, distinguishing what is not; third, corroborating what is not; fourth, corroborating what is correct. The first, clarifying what is correct, has two parts: first, bodhisattvas are correct; second, the Tathāgata is correct. For "Cunda seeing the Buddha was able to be reborn in heaven," there are two explanations. The Abhidharma meaning: one must have higher dhyāna to attain rebirth in heaven; now, seeing the Buddha's power stimulated the dhyāna he had formerly cultivated, so he was able to be reborn in heaven. The second says: merely causing the evil of the lower realm to be subdued, any accompanying scattered goodness enables rebirth in heaven. From "Although having Śāriputra" onwards, secondly, he clarifies what is not correct. Since [Śāriputra] did not yet recognize the capacity of the faculties and could not match conditions, it is therefore said not to be correct. The Tathāgata matches conditions, knowing the illness and recognizing the medicine, and is therefore called correct. From "Formerly when I dwelt in" onwards, thirdly, he corroborates what is not correct. Contemplating white bones is the meditation of the [eight] liberations, while counting breaths is the fundamental meditation. An old explanation says: the son of a goldsmith was skilled at observing the colour of fire, so he should have been taught breath-counting. Now it is clarified that this is not so: the son of a goldsmith was skilled at regulating the mallet, so his habit should have been supported, and therefore he was taught breath-counting. Personally, I note: according to the *Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra*, it says: "Skilled at the bellows, he was well aware of the marks of breath. A fuller of clothes was skilled at grasping marks of purity, and was therefore taught bone contemplation." Now it is clarified that this is not so: the fuller was disgusted with defilement, making it easy to practice the [eight] liberations. From "If sentient beings" onwards, fourthly, he corroborates what is correct, as in the text.