佛祖統紀 4.9

4.9

若論時味與法華同。談其部內純雜小異（四教儀○句記以十六意辨異二經云。判味同時。而部有異云云。又玄云。涅槃猶帶三乘。此經純一無雜）○然二經教意起盡是同。如法華三周說法。斷奠聲聞咸歸一實（開迹也○斷丁亂反。奠如字。訓決定。依經文。則是決了聲聞法之義）後開近顯遠明菩薩事（顯本也）涅槃亦是先勝三修（籤斥奪三修。十仙小證○涅槃玄。邪三修者。世人隨邪師教。相續為常。適意為樂。動轉為是我。劣三修者。聲聞依半教。謂三界無常。諸有非樂。一切空無我無我所。勝三修者。依佛勝教破於劣修。以常樂我。斥諸比丘無常苦空無我虛偽不真。法身常恒無有變易。歡娛受樂具入自在。如是修者入祕密藏○涅槃經云。闍提首那等十外道）斷奠聲聞入祕密藏（開迹也）後三十六問明菩薩事（顯本也。籤文。廣辨菩薩五行十功。已上釋同）又涅槃臨滅更扶三藏。誡約將來。使末代鈍根不於佛法起斷滅見。廣開常宗破此顛倒。令佛法久住。如此等事。其意則別（玄文已上釋異。籤云。起謂正說初分。盡謂正說末分。法華以本迹二門為初後二分。初則開權顯實斷奠聲聞。後明本門增道損生。重更辨前開權作主久遠成佛。故涅槃正說。開為四段。初純陀品云。明涅槃施斷奠二修。二長壽品去四品。明涅槃義。三現病品去五品。明涅槃行。四師子吼品去三品。明涅槃用。故知初三斷奠聲聞。後但明於涅槃義用。是故二經起盡是同）。

If we speak of the period and flavour, it is the same as the Lotus, but discussing the purity or mixture within the section, there is a slight difference (Fourfold Teachings: The Juji differentiates the two sutras with sixteen points, saying: 'Judged by flavour they belong to the same period, yet their sections differ,' and so forth. Furthermore, the Profound Meaning states: 'The Nirvāṇa still carries the three vehicles, whereas this sutra is purely one without mixture'). / However, the intent of the teaching in both sutras is identical from beginning to end. Just as in the Lotus, the preaching in three cycles determines and settles the śrāvakas to return together to the one real [teaching] (opening the provisional traces; note: duan is pronounced ting-luan; dian is pronounced as written, glossed as 'to determine'; according to the sutra text, it means determining the Dharma of the śrāvakas), and later opens the proximate to reveal the distant, explaining the bodhisattva's deeds (revealing the original ground). In the Nirvāṇa as well, it first presents the superior three cultivations (The Commentary refutes the three cultivations and the minor realization of the ten ṛṣis. The Profound Meaning of the Nirvāṇa states: 'The heterodox three cultivations refer to worldly people following the teachings of heterodox teachers, regarding continuity as permanence, pleasant feelings as bliss, and movement as the self. The inferior three cultivations refer to śrāvakas relying on the half-letter teaching, regarding the three realms as impermanent, all existences as not blissful, and everything as empty, non-self, and without mine. The superior three cultivations rely on the Buddha's superior teaching to refute the inferior cultivations, using permanence, bliss, and self to rebuke the monks' views of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and falsity as untrue, showing that the Dharma-body is permanent and unchanging, enjoying supreme joy and endowed with complete freedom. One who cultivates thus enters the secret treasury.' The Nirvāṇa Sutra mentions ten non-Buddhist teachers, including Jātiśuna), determining and settling the śrāvakas into entering the secret treasury (opening the provisional traces), and afterward uses the thirty-six questions to explain the bodhisattva's deeds (revealing the original ground; the Commentary says: 'broadly distinguishing the bodhisattva's five practices and ten virtues.' The above explains their similarity). Furthermore, on the brink of extinction, the Nirvāṇa further supports the Tripiṭaka to admonish future generations, preventing the dull-rooted of the final age from conceiving views of annihilation toward the Buddha-Dharma, broadly opening the lineage of permanence to break this inverted view and cause the Buddha-Dharma to abide long. In matters such as these, its intent differs (The above explains their difference according to the Profound Meaning. The Commentary states: 'The beginning refers to the initial division of the main discourse; the end refers to the final division of the main discourse. The Lotus takes the two gates of original ground and provisional traces as its initial and final divisions. The first opens the provisional to reveal the real and determines the śrāvakas, while the latter explains the original gate, increasing the path and diminishing births, reconsidering the previous opening of the provisional to become the master and the distant attainment of Buddhahood. Therefore, the main discourse of the Nirvāṇa is divided into four sections: first, the Cunda Chapter explains the presentation of Nirvāṇa to determine the two cultivations; second, four chapters from the Long Life Chapter explain the meaning of Nirvāṇa; third, five chapters from the Manifesting Illness Chapter explain the practice of Nirvāṇa; fourth, three chapters from the Lion's Roar Chapter explain the function of Nirvāṇa. Thus we know that the first three determine the śrāvakas, while the latter only explain the meaning and function of Nirvāṇa. Hence, the beginning and end of the two sutras are identical').