肇論新疏 3.432

3.432

顯涅槃之用也。即出現大用無涯，通前兩科。如是次第者，深有所以，謂初示所得之體，次示證得之門。既非得而得，從得起用，開示眾生，故最後示業用之大。至哉斯論，三語皆善，記錄登為四聖，今古號為四絕。歷世名德寶而玩之，良有以也。囊括，小變《易》文。彼曰「括囊無咎」，謂括結其囊口也。今取包含之義。終古，久也。謂涅槃之體既遍既圓，稱體之用亦彌綸包羅。亭毒，養育也。疎而下，謂妙用無形，義如疎遠，然應機之道未嘗遺漏。文借老書。彼云：「天網恢恢，疎而不漏。」汪洋，歎用廣大。

This reveals the functioning of nirvāṇa. That is, the manifestation of its vast functioning is boundless, permeating the preceding two sections. That there is such a sequence has a profound reason: that is, first it showed the essence that is attained, and next it showed the gate of realization. Since it is attained without attainment, functioning is initiated from attainment to reveal it to sentient beings; hence at the very end it shows the greatness of its karmic functioning. How consummate this treatise is! Its statements in all three parts are good; in the records it ascends to the ranks of the four sages, and from past to present it has been called the 'four peerless gems.' That renowned and virtuous figures through the generations have treasured and savored it is truly with good reason. 'Encompassing' (nangkuo) slightly adapts the text of the Yijing. There it says, 'Tying the sack brings no blame,' meaning binding the mouth of the sack. Here it takes the meaning of containing all things. 'From the remote past' (zhonggu) means of long duration. It means that since the essence of nirvāṇa is both all-pervading and perfect, the functioning that accords with this essence also encompasses and embraces all. 'Nourishing and sustaining' (tingdu) means nurturing. From 'coarse...' onward, it means that the wondrous functioning is formless, its sense like being distant and detached, yet the path of responding to capacities never leaves anything out. The phrasing borrows from the book of Laozi, where it says: 'Heaven's net is wide; coarse though it is, nothing slips through.' 'Vast and boundless' (wangyang) is an exclamation of the greatness of its functioning.