佛遺教經論疏節要 1.35

1.35

Because he went to the twin trees and only then manifested extinction, the treatise calls this the "particular characteristic of the cause". "Śāla" is translated here as "firm". Speaking of "twin trees": their upper branches joined together, and their lower roots were connected; one flourished while the other withered—their joining together resembled intertwined branches, and their flourishing and withering resembled trees yielding to each other. Their flowers were like lotuses, their fruit as large as vases, and their sweetness like honey. According to the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, there was a pair in each of the four directions, representing the four virtues in order to break the eight inversions; if relying on the three-roll sūtra text, it seems there was only one pair, in order to break annihilationism and eternalism. This is also what is differently seen by the two capacities of the great and small. "About to enter nirvāṇa": "about to enter" is the cause, and "nirvāṇa" is the fruit. Hence the treatise calls it the "particular characteristic of cause together with fruit". Above, it was clarified that if the twin trees represent the four virtues, that is apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa; the present text means relinquishing sopadhiśeṣa to enter nirupadhiśeṣa. Regarding "midnight": this accomplishes two kinds of middle ways, hence the treatise calls it the "universal particular characteristic": first, the middle way of correct awakening; second, the middle way that transcends correct awakening. Thus we know that entering extinction at midnight represents transcending the two extremes of annihilationism and eternalism. "Quiet and without a sound": having transcended the middle way of correct awakening, the treatise calls it the "particular characteristic of the fruit". "Quiet" means that its self-nature is free from thought. "Without a sound" means that its self-nature is beyond predication. This is prakṛti-viśuddha-nirvāṇa, beyond mind and speech; it is also the "nirvāṇa fruit free from thought and beyond predication in its self-nature" in the basic treatise.