大乘義章 18.30

18.30

次辨大小，還約凡夫二乘菩薩及佛辨之。於此人中分別有三：一簡聖異凡。凡夫涅槃名之為小，賢聖涅槃悉名為大。聖是大人，大人所得故名為大。又復就彼一大涅槃分為三乘，以本收末故悉名大。故經說言「摩訶衍者，出生一切聲聞緣覺。」又經說言「汝等所行是菩薩道。」如是等也。二簡大異小。凡夫二乘所得名小，諸佛菩薩涅槃是大。是以經中宣說，菩薩住大涅槃。二乘所得乘捨悲願，不能廣益一切眾生，故名為小。又未證之、未得緣起三昧法門建立大義，故名為小。諸佛菩薩可得涅槃，不捨悲願廣益一切，故名為大。故《地論》言「不捨大悲，以大願力大涅槃示現。」又佛菩薩證法實性，以此緣起法門之力，能建大義，無所不為，故得名大。三簡果異因。唯佛涅槃名之為大，餘悉名小，如《涅槃經》第七德中具廣解釋。彼言：菩薩不見佛性斷煩惱故，所得涅槃但有樂淨而無我常，故不名大；諸佛見性而斷煩惱，所得涅槃常樂我淨，故名為大。菩薩隨分亦少見性，於佛所見猶未明了，故言不見。有斷煩惱，故名為淨。分得涅槃，故說為樂。常者是其法身之義，由不見性不顯成身，故不名常。我是佛義，彼未是佛，無八自在，故不名我。以是故小。佛不同此，所以是大。大小如是（此三門竟）。

Next is to distinguish the great and the small, again examining them in relation to the ordinary person, the two vehicles, the bodhisattva, and the Buddha. Among these persons, there are three distinctions: First, distinguishing the noble from the ordinary. The nirvāṇa of the ordinary person is termed small, while the nirvāṇas of the worthy and noble are all termed great. Because the noble are great persons, what is attained by great persons is therefore called great. Furthermore, in reference to that one great nirvāṇa, it is divided into the three vehicles; because the branch [teachings] are subsumed into the root, all are termed great. Thus the sūtra states: "The Mahāyāna gives birth to all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas." The sūtra also states: "What you practice is the bodhisattva path," and so forth. Second, distinguishing the great from the small. What is attained by ordinary persons and the two vehicles is called small; the nirvāṇa of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas is great. Hence it is proclaimed in the sūtra that bodhisattvas abide in the great nirvāṇa. Because what the two vehicles attain abandons compassion and vows, and cannot broadly benefit all sentient beings, it is called small. Furthermore, because they have not yet realized it, and have not attained the Dharma-gate of the samādhi of dependent origination to establish the great meaning, it is called small. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas can attain nirvāṇa without abandoning their compassionate vows to broadly benefit all; therefore it is called great. Thus the *Daśabhūmika-śāstra* states: "Without abandoning great compassion, through the power of great vows, the great nirvāṇa is manifested." Furthermore, Buddhas and bodhisattvas realize the true nature of dharmas; through the power of this Dharma-gate of dependent origination, they can establish the great meaning and leave nothing undone; therefore it obtains the name 'great'. Third, distinguishing the fruition from the cause. Only the Buddha's nirvāṇa is called great; all the rest are called small, as is explained in detail in the seventh virtue of the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*. It states there: Because the bodhisattva severs afflictions without seeing Buddha-nature, the nirvāṇa attained has only bliss and purity but lacks self and permanence, and therefore is not called great; because the Buddhas sever afflictions having seen the nature, the nirvāṇa attained possesses permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and is therefore called great. The bodhisattva, in accordance with their stage, also sees the nature to a small degree, but compared to what the Buddha sees, it is not yet clear; thus it is said that they "do not see." Having severed afflictions, it is therefore called pure. Having partially attained nirvāṇa, it is therefore called blissful. Permanence is the meaning of the dharmakāya; because they do not see the nature and do not manifest the completion of the body, it is not called permanent. Self is the meaning of the Buddha; because they are not yet a Buddha and lack the eight masteries, it is not called self. For this reason, it is small. The Buddha is not like this, which is why it is great. The great and the small are like this (this concludes the third gate).