金光明最勝王經疏 2.81

2.81

The commentary says: The second section below is the explanation. The text is divided into three: first, the exposition in terms of dharma; second, the joining of the similes; third, the concluding exposition. Within the first exposition in terms of dharma, it is further divided into five: 1. explanation, 2. hypothetical question, 3. clarification, 4. interrogation, 5. resolution of difficulty. This explanation has three parts: 1. causing them to give rise to a longing mind toward the Buddha; 2. causing them to generate the intention to practice the Dharma; 3. a specific conclusion. This is the first part. Hence the Lotus Sūtra says: “If I abide long, sentient beings will not be able to generate the thought of it being rare to encounter, nor give rise to a thirsting mind,” and so forth; the meaning is the same as this. However, regarding the manifestation of nirvāṇa, according to the “Most Victorious Heavenly King Assembly” of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, there is one cause: because sentient beings delight in hearing of perfect quiescence, he therefore manifests nirvāṇa. The Treatise on the Lotus Sūtra says: “In order to counter and eliminate excessive pride that arises from not accumulating roots of goodness in the Mahāyāna, to remedy this, he spoke the simile of the physician, manifesting the measure of the Tathāgata’s parinirvāṇa.” Asabhāva’s Commentary on the Mahāyānasaṃgraha gives six causes for which the Tathāgata’s transformation body does not abide definitively, fully as explained there. Relying on the Avataṃsaka-sūtra, it says: “Having perfected the Buddha’s deeds, there are ten meanings for manifesting the great nirvāṇa: 1. to make clear that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent; 2. to make clear that all conditioned things are not peaceful; 3. to make clear that the realm of nirvāṇa is the most peaceful; 4. to make clear that nirvāṇa is far removed from all fears; 5. because humans and devas delight in and cling to the physical body, to make clear that the physical body is impermanent and a thing subject to destruction, causing them to seek the pure Dharma-body.” This corresponds to the second meaning in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. “6. to make clear that the power of impermanence is strong and cannot be turned back; 7. to make clear that conditioned dharmas lack self-mastery; 8. to make clear that all dharmas of the three realms are like unbaked earthenware vessels, lacking firmness; 9. to make clear that parinirvāṇa is the most real and indestructible; 10. to make clear that parinirvāṇa is far removed from saṃsāra and is not subject to arising and ceasing. With these ten meanings, he manifests nirvāṇa.” Now, in this sūtra text, there are six meanings in all: 1. to cause them to generate right understanding; 2. to quickly accomplish unexcelled bodhi; 3. to cause them, having seen the cessation, to give rise to the thought of it being rare to encounter with respect to the Buddhas; 4. to cause them to quickly practice the Buddha's teachings—namely, the preceding introductory text and this explanatory text contain these four, which are also to cause them to plant roots of goodness, give rise to practice, faith, and understanding, and sever wrong views; 5. to leave behind the bodily relics (śarīra) to cause them to make offerings and obtain various blessings—namely, below where Kauṇḍinya requests the Buddha’s relics, up to the end of the sūtra where the Buddha answers Ruciraketu: “At times one sees parinirvāṇa: this is an expedient means. And he leaves behind relics, causing sentient beings to revere and make offerings to them. If one makes offerings, in future lives one will be far removed from the eight difficulties, encounter and serve Buddhas, meet good spiritual friends, not lose a virtuous mind, and obtain boundless karmic rewards”; 6. to cause sentient beings to realize perfect quiescence—namely, as stated further below: “They will quickly transcend and not be bound by saṃsāra.” According to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, this is also to manifest nirvāṇa for those who delight in permanence and do not aspire to perfect quiescence.