大般涅槃經疏 7.4

7.4

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.