大乘義章 1.11

1.11

第五階云如來垂終說大涅槃，獨為究竟了義之唱。然實涅槃垂終，所說未必垂終偏是了義。如雙林前宣說《勝鬘》、《楞伽》、《法鼓》、《如來藏經》、《鴦掘摩羅》、《寶女經》等，皆是圓滿究竟了義，何獨《涅槃》偏是了義？如佛初年說《寶女經》及《尼揵子》，二年宣說《廣博嚴淨》，五年宣說《摩訶般若》，七年宣說《般周三昧》，九年宣說《鴦掘摩羅》及《法鼓經》，十年宣說《如來藏經》，如是等經皆是圓滿究竟了義，何獨《涅槃》偏是了義？誕公所言頓漸之言，義同前破。然佛一化，隨諸眾生，應入大者即便為說，隨所宣說，門別雖異，無不究竟，何獨《涅槃》偏是了義？菩提流支言：佛一音以報萬機，判無漸頓。是亦不然。如來雖復一音報萬，隨諸眾生，非無漸頓。自有眾生藉淺階遠，佛為漸說；或有眾生一越解大，佛為頓說。寧無頓漸？辨非如是。

Regarding the fifth period, it is claimed that when the Tathāgata was on the verge of the end, he preached the Great Nirvāṇa, which was uniquely the proclamation of the ultimate, nītārtha teaching. In reality, however, though the Nirvāṇa was spoken on the verge of the end, what was spoken on the verge of the end is not necessarily exclusively nītārtha. For before the Twin Trees, he preached the Śrīmālādevī, Laṅkāvatāra, Mahābherī, Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra, Aṅgulimālīya, Ratnastrikā, and so forth, all of which are complete, ultimate, and nītārtha; why should the Nirvāṇa alone be exclusively nītārtha? For instance, in his first year the Buddha preached the Ratnastrikā and the Nirgrantha; in his second year he preached the *Vipulaviśuddha; in his fifth year he preached the Mahāprajñā; in his seventh year he preached the Pratyutpanna-samādhi; in his ninth year he preached the Aṅgulimālīya and the Mahābherī-sūtra; and in his tenth year he preached the Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra. Sūtras such as these are all complete, ultimate, and nītārtha; why should the Nirvāṇa alone be exclusively nītārtha? The words of Master Tan regarding sudden and gradual are refuted in their meaning just as above. Throughout the Buddha's career of conversion, whenever there were sentient beings who ought to enter the Mahāyāna, he immediately preached it for them; in accordance with what was preached, although the particular gates differed, none failed to be ultimate; why should the Nirvāṇa alone be exclusively nītārtha? Bodhiruci said: 'The Buddha responds to the myriad capacities with a single voice; definitively there is neither gradual nor sudden.' This is also not the case. Although the Tathāgata responds to the myriads with a single voice, according to the various sentient beings, it is not without gradual and sudden. Sentient beings themselves exist who rely on the shallow to advance to the distant, for whom the Buddha gradually preaches; or sentient beings exist who leap over in a single step to understand the great, for whom the Buddha suddenly preaches. How could there be no sudden and gradual? The discernment should not be like that.