[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大乘義章](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851) › 18.4 # 大乘義章 18.4 大乘義章 18.4 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [18.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18.4) 第一釋名。涅槃是其天竺人語，依彼具言名為摩訶般涅槃那。摩訶名大，大義有六：一者常義，故《涅槃》云「所言大者，名之為常。譬如有人壽命無量，名大丈夫。」二者廣義，故《涅槃》云「所言大者，其性廣博，猶如虛空無所不至。涅槃如是，故名為廣。」三者多義，能別非一，故《涅槃》云「譬如大藏，多諸珍異。涅槃如是，多有種種妙法珍寶，故名為大。」四者深義，淵奧難測，故《涅槃》云「大者名為不可思議，一切世間聲聞緣覺不能測量涅槃之義，故名為大。」五者高義，位分高出，餘人不至，故《涅槃》云「譬如大山，一切世人不能得上，故名為大。涅槃如是，凡夫二乘及諸菩薩不能窮到，故名為大。」六者勝義，如世間中勝上之人名為大人，涅槃如是，諸法中勝，故名為大。大義如是。何者是大？大有三種：一者體大，性淨涅槃體窮真性義充法界；二者相大，方便涅槃過無不盡德無不備；三者用大，應化涅槃妙用曠博化現無盡。故《涅槃》云「大般涅槃能建大義。」義猶用也。所言般者，此翻名入。入義有三：一就實論入。息妄歸真，從因趣果。二真應相對。息化歸真，故名為入。三唯就應現。捨有為過趣入無為，故名入。言涅槃者，人釋種種。有人釋言：涅槃之名，非胡非漢，直是佛語。若論佛語，一切皆是，豈獨涅槃？故《涅槃》云「種種異論文章呪術皆是佛說。雖是佛說，不離方言；若離方言，佛則無說。涅槃之體，非名字故、非音聲故。」有人復言：涅槃胡語，名總萬德，此方更無一名能翻，故存胡本說為涅槃。涅槃之體實備萬德，涅槃一名非盡萬德。若使涅槃名盡萬德，是則宣說萬德之時，不應隨德更立名字，欲說常義更立常名，以名彼義，如是一切；明知涅槃名不盡德。又設涅槃名總萬德，此方還以萬德總名翻彼涅槃，何為不得而言叵翻？又《涅槃》云「隨其類音普告眾生：『今日如來將欲涅槃。』」隨類異告，云何叵翻？若正相翻名之為滅，隨義傍翻名別種種，或言不生、或曰不出、或謂無作、或謂無起、或名無為、或字無相、或言不燃、或曰不識、或稱寂滅、或云安穩、或名解脫、或字彼岸，如是種種悉如經說。云何得知是滅非總？今此且以四義驗之：一准昔以求。如來昔於餘契經中，每常宣說煩惱滅無身亡智喪以為涅槃。今日涅槃名不異昔，何忽是總？二據終以驗。如來垂滅，大音普告：「今日如來將欲涅槃。」時諸眾生聞佛涅槃，咸皆悲惱，詣佛請住。若使涅槃名含萬德，是則宜唱萬德示人，眾生應喜，何故悲惱詣佛請住？聞佛涅槃悲惱請住，明知涅槃是滅非總。三准定方言。外國之人見人死滅，咸皆稱言某甲涅槃。世人死滅，何德可總亦稱涅槃？世人死滅名涅槃故，明知涅槃是滅非總。四取文為證。如《涅槃》中，佛嘆純陀：「善哉善哉！能知如來示同眾生方便涅槃。」世間眾生何曾有彼萬德涅槃？如來示同，此說如來同世盡滅名同涅槃，明知涅槃是滅非總。又《法華》說「日月燈佛說法華竟，於後夜分入於涅槃。」下文重頌「佛此夜滅度，如薪盡火滅。」長行之中云言涅槃、偈言滅度，明知涅槃是滅非總。問曰：若使涅槃是滅，何故經言諸結火滅名為滅度，離覺觀故稱曰涅槃。釋言：外國滅有多名，略有三別：一者涅槃，翻名為滅；二彌留陀，此亦名滅；三者毘尼，此亦名滅。其猶外國菩提末伽，此通名道。外國說滅有多名，故諸結火滅名彌留陀，離諸覺觀名曰涅槃。《涅槃經》中，彌留陀滅翻為漢言，涅槃之滅仍存胡語，似若是別。若具翻之，此方名少，彼彌留陀此翻名滅，彼中涅槃此亦名滅，是故得言外國涅槃此翻名滅，滅煩惱故、滅生死故名之為滅，離眾相故、大寂靜故亦名為滅。那者名息，究竟解脫永蘇息故。息何等事？息煩惱故、息生死故，又息一切所行事故。《涅槃》云「雖得禪定智慧解脫，不名畢竟。若能斷除三十七品所行之事，方得名為畢竟涅槃。」以息如是三十七品所行事故，亦名為息。名義如是。 > First, explaining the name. "Nirvāṇa" is the language of the people of India; according to their complete phrasing, it is called mahāparinirvāṇa. "Mahā" means "great." There are six meanings of "great": First is the meaning of permanence. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "That which is called 'great' is named 'permanent.' Just as a person whose lifespan is immeasurable is called a great man." Second is the meaning of vastness. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "That which is called 'great' has a nature that is broad and vast, just like empty space reaching everywhere. Nirvāṇa is like this; hence it is called vast." Third is the meaning of manifoldness, for the distinguishing \[virtues\] it can manifest are not one. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Like a great treasury having many rare treasures, nirvāṇa is like this, possessing many kinds of wonderful Dharma treasures; hence it is called great." Fourth is the meaning of profundity, deep and unfathomable. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "'Great' means inconceivable; all worldly beings, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas cannot fathom the meaning of nirvāṇa; hence it is called great." Fifth is the meaning of loftiness, its rank and status towering high where other people cannot reach. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Like a great mountain that all worldly people cannot ascend, hence it is called great; nirvāṇa is like this, where ordinary persons, the two vehicles, and the bodhisattvas cannot fully reach, hence it is called great." Sixth is the meaning of supremacy. Just as in the world a superior person is called a great man, nirvāṇa is like this, being the supreme among all dharmas; hence it is called great. Such are the meanings of "great." > What is it that is great? There are three kinds of greatness: First is greatness of essence: the nirvāṇa of original purity fundamentally exhausts the true nature, its meaning filling the dharma-realm. Second is greatness of characteristics: in the nirvāṇa of skillful means, there is no fault that is not exhausted and no virtue that is not fully present. Third is greatness of function: the nirvāṇa of response and transformation has a wondrous function that is vast and extensive, its manifestations being endless. Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Mahāparinirvāṇa can establish great meaning." "Meaning" is synonymous with function. > As for "pari," here it is translated as "entering." There are three meanings of entering: First, discussing entering in terms of the real: putting an end to delusion and returning to truth, proceeding from the cause to the fruit. Second, pairing the real and the responsive: putting an end to transformation and returning to truth; hence it is called entering. Third, solely in terms of responsive manifestation: relinquishing the faults of the conditioned and entering into the unconditioned; hence it is called entering. > As for "nirvāṇa," people explain it in various ways. Some explain: "The name nirvāṇa is neither foreign nor Chinese; it is simply the Buddha's speech." If one discusses the Buddha's speech, all of it is such; how could it be nirvāṇa alone? Thus the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Various distinct treatises, compositions, and incantations are all spoken by the Buddha. Although spoken by the Buddha, they do not depart from regional dialects; if they departed from regional dialects, the Buddha would have spoken nothing. The essence of nirvāṇa is not names and not sounds." > Others further say: "Nirvāṇa is a foreign word, a name that subsumes myriad virtues; in this land there is no single name that can translate it, so the foreign original was preserved and spoken of as nirvāṇa." The essence of nirvāṇa indeed possesses myriad virtues, but the single name "nirvāṇa" does not exhaust the myriad virtues. If the name nirvāṇa exhausted the myriad virtues, then when proclaiming the myriad virtues, one should not establish further names according to each virtue—establishing the name "permanent" when wanting to speak of the meaning of permanence to name that meaning, and so on for all others. Clearly we know that the name nirvāṇa does not exhaust the virtues. Furthermore, even if the name nirvāṇa subsumed the myriad virtues, this land could still translate that nirvāṇa with an overarching name for myriad virtues; why would that be impossible such that one says it cannot be translated? Moreover, the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Following their respective classes of voices, he universally proclaimed to sentient beings: 'Today the Tathāgata is about to enter nirvāṇa.'" Since it was proclaimed differently according to classes, how could it be untranslatable? > If properly translated, it is named "cessation" (nirodha). Translated collaterally according to meaning, its names are manifold: it is called non-arising, or non-emergence, or non-action, or non-origination; or it is named the unconditioned, or designated the signless; or it is called unburning, or not known, or praised as quietude, or called peace and security, or named liberation, or designated the other shore. Such diverse names are entirely as the sūtras explain. How do we know it is cessation and not an overarching \[term for all virtues\]? Now let us verify it through four points: > First, seeking it based on the past. In other sūtras in the past, the Tathāgata constantly preached that the cessation and nonexistence of afflictions and the demise of the body and extinguishing of consciousness constituted nirvāṇa. Today the name nirvāṇa is no different from the past; how could it suddenly be an overarching term? > Second, verifying it by the end. When the Tathāgata was on the verge of cessation, he universally proclaimed with a great voice: "Today the Tathāgata is about to enter nirvāṇa." At that time, all sentient beings, hearing that the Buddha would enter nirvāṇa, were all grieved and distressed, and approached the Buddha to entreat him to remain. If the name nirvāṇa encompassed the myriad virtues, then he should have proclaimed the myriad virtues to show them to people, and sentient beings should have rejoiced; why were they grieved and distressed, approaching the Buddha to entreat him to remain? Hearing of the Buddha's nirvāṇa, they grieved and entreated him to remain; clearly we know that nirvāṇa is cessation, not an overarching term. > Third, determining it by regional vernacular. When foreigners see a person die, they all say: "So-and-so has attained nirvāṇa." When worldly people die, what virtue could be subsumed that they are also called nirvāṇa? Because worldly people's death is called nirvāṇa, clearly we know that nirvāṇa is cessation, not an overarching term. > Fourth, taking textual passages as proof. As in the Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\], the Buddha praised Cunda: "Excellent, excellent! You are able to know that the Tathāgata manifests sameness with sentient beings through expedient nirvāṇa." When have worldly sentient beings ever had that nirvāṇa of myriad virtues? The Tathāgata manifests sameness \[with them\]; this speaks of the Tathāgata's being identical with worldly extinction, naming it identical nirvāṇa. Clearly we know that nirvāṇa is cessation, not an overarching term. Moreover, the Lotus Sūtra says: "After the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp finished preaching the Lotus Sūtra, in the final watch of the night he entered nirvāṇa." The verse below reiterates: "The Buddha this night passed into cessation, like fire dying out when firewood is exhausted." In the prose it says "nirvāṇa" and in the verse it says "extinction"; clearly we know that nirvāṇa is cessation, not an overarching term. > Question: If nirvāṇa is cessation, why do the sūtras say that the extinguishing of the fires of all fetters is called extinction, and that being free from vitarka and vicāra is called nirvāṇa? > Explanation: In foreign countries there are many names for cessation, with roughly three distinctions: first is nirvāṇa, translated as cessation; second is nirodha, also named cessation; third is vinaya, also named cessation. It is just like in foreign countries bodhi and mārga are both termed "path." Because in foreign countries there are many names for cessation, the extinguishing of the fires of fetters is called nirodha, and freedom from vitarka and vicāra is called nirvāṇa. In the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, nirodha-cessation is translated into Chinese, while nirvāṇa-cessation still retains the foreign word, seemingly making them appear distinct. If translated fully, this land has fewer terms: their nirodha is translated here as cessation, and their nirvāṇa is also translated here as cessation. Therefore, we can say that foreign nirvāṇa is translated here as cessation: because it extinguishes afflictions and extinguishes saṃsāra, it is called cessation; because it is free from all signs and is great tranquility, it is also called cessation. > "Ṇa" means rest, because it is ultimate liberation, permanently resting. Resting from what things? Because it rests from afflictions, rests from saṃsāra, and furthermore rests from all practiced activities. The Nirvāṇa \[Sūtra\] says: "Although one attains dhyāna-samādhi, prajñā, and liberation, it is not called ultimate. If one can sever and eliminate the practiced activities of the thirty-seven factors of awakening, only then can it be called ultimate nirvāṇa." Because it rests from the practiced activities of such thirty-seven factors, it is also called rest. Such is the meaning of the name. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 18.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18.3) - [Next: 18.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18.5) - [Up: 18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851~en-mt.18.4) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.18.4) · Pramāṇa