金剛般若經旨贊 1.21

1.21

經。我皆度令入至滅度之　贊曰。此欲願令生所得之果。即第一心。如前所說。三類眾生。為生死苦之所煎迫。菩薩發心希求思念。皆願度脫。與第一樂。第一樂者。即是涅槃。寂靜殊勝。名為第一。希願彼故。名第一心。涅槃梵音。此云圓寂。圓謂圓滿。具足三德故。寂謂寂靜。異生死喧故。涅槃不同。有其四種。一自性清淨。謂諸眾生本靜心體。此體即是諸法真如。具恒沙德。常恒安樂。雖為二障之所覆染。在二生死處於輪迴。而亦不失本清淨性。其體本寂。故名涅槃。二有餘依。謂即真如。出煩惱障。此有三種。若二乘人。雖斷煩惱。餘苦依身。猶未棄捨。若諸如來。雖無煩惱所感苦身。而有無滿功德依身。雖實無苦。而有示現苦所依。所依身皆名有餘。而障永寂。故名涅槃。三無餘依。謂即真如。出生死苦。此有二種。若二乘人。先斷煩惱。令捨分段麁苦之身。若諸如來。永離生死。是故皆得名無餘依。而苦永寂。故名為涅槃。四無住處。謂即真如。出所知障。大悲般若。常所輔翼。由斯不住生死涅槃。利樂有情。窮未來際。用而常寂。故名涅槃。一切有情。皆有初一。二乘無學。容有前三。唯我世尊。可言具四。今無餘者。即前第三。離生死苦。永安樂故。言滅度者。滅障度苦。即滅二障。度二死苦。寂靜安樂。故名為滅度。唯得無餘。滅障度苦。故入無餘。而滅度之。問。眾生既廣。六道類多。亦五乘性別。有緣無緣。可不可度。若一人而能遍救。則諸聖何置劬勞故。令皆入涅槃。此乃非所應。問。何故而願此不可得義耶。答。菩薩發心。希成佛果。資乎福智。本乎慈悲願行之興。依坐以立。若有所棄。豈曰弘慈。凡起大心。皆無所簡。生所攝者。我皆度之。性類雖多。皆是生攝。但念普救。勝行剋成。度生無多。速自成佛。覩斯妙益。勸發其心。是故經言。我皆令入。若爾則是。意願弘通。故知實理。非皆度盡。然應度者。亦通四生。其胎化生。多人夫攝。有色有想。或具身心。既非難處。可容滅度。卵濕二類。固則不然。既居難處。又未成熟。如何亦使入涅槃耶。答。若在難處。要待其時。若未成熟。而令成熟。已成熟者。而解脫之。皆入涅槃。亦何疑難。若爾涅槃言諺四種。足令滅苦。樂果昭宣。長言無餘。起非煩迂。答。但言涅槃。恐濫方便。凡夫外道。六行所成。未免淪迴。尚拘苦網。為簡於彼。要舉無餘。是故不但言涅槃矣。若爾有餘。亦能滅障。既非方便。聖者方成。何故不言餘滅也　答。由三義故。不言有餘。一是共果故。有苦無苦。所依身者。皆共所得。解脫果故。二宿業得故。謂二乘者。要依故業。分限之身。而證得故。三佛說得故。謂近聞法。修行所得。苦依未滅。非究竟故。非如無餘。是其究竟。要無苦依。故業身盡。任運謝滅。而方證得。是故不說。令得有餘。若爾自性。即是真如。諸佛所師。眾聖所趣。何不令入自性涅槃。答。自性涅槃。眾生本有。但未離障。尚處淪迴。眾生無明。不能契悟真樂本有。失而不知。妄苦本空。得而不覺拔苦與樂。是曰慈悲。願與本性。何所利益。況皆本有。豈願與之。是故不願與其自性。若爾菩薩。有大悲心。應願與其最勝之果。何不願與無住涅槃。答。無住涅槃。唯大乘有。而今般若。通被三乘。能辨聲聞獨覺佛地故。舉三乘通得之果。是故但說無餘涅槃。故亦不是佛無餘涅槃也。若爾不應名第一心。二乘無餘非第一故。答。對生死苦。亦名第一。希願此故。名第一心。如摩訶薩初發心位。亦得此名。此亦爾故。即此無餘。是第一果。是諸眾生。皆所應得。是故菩薩。發大慈悲。四生三界。一切眾生。皆以無餘而令滅度。正是菩薩廣大之行。令一切生得滅度故。亦是菩薩。離損減邊。能度眾生不執空故。亦是欲願能攝持心。攝持修伏度生行故。既是應住願樂之心。故說此文。名答住問。

Sūtra: “I will cause all of them to enter [nirvāṇa without remainder] and be liberated.” Commentary: This refers to the desire and wish for the fruit to be attained by sentient beings, namely the foremost mind. As explained above, the three categories of sentient beings are tormented and oppressed by the suffering of birth-and-death; the bodhisattva gives rise to the aspiration, seeks, and contemplates, wishing to liberate all of them and bestow upon them the foremost bliss. The foremost bliss is nirvāṇa itself; because it is quiescent and supreme, it is called “foremost.” Because one aspires to that, it is called the “foremost mind.” “Nirvāṇa” is Sanskrit; here it is translated as “complete quiescence” (yuánjì). “Complete” means consummate, because it is fully endowed with the three virtues. “Quiescence” means stillness, differing from the clamor of birth-and-death. Nirvāṇa is not uniform; there are four kinds. First is the nirvāṇa of original pure nature, referring to the fundamentally quiescent essence of mind in all sentient beings. This essence is the tathatā of all phenomena, endowed with virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, eternally peaceful and joyful. Although it is obscured and defiled by the two hindrances and abides in samsāra amidst the two kinds of birth-and-death, it does not lose its original pure nature. Its essence is fundamentally quiescent; hence it is called nirvāṇa. Second is nirvāṇa with remainder of substratum, referring to tathatā emerging from the affliction hindrance. There are three kinds of this. For persons of the two vehicles, although they have severed afflictions, the physical basis of remaining suffering has not yet been cast off. For the Tathāgatas, although they have no body of suffering induced by afflictions, they have an endowment body of infinite virtues; although they truly have no suffering, they have an underlying basis that manifests suffering. Because all these underlying bodies are called “with remainder,” while the hindrances are forever quiescent, it is called nirvāṇa. Third is nirvāṇa without remainder of substratum, referring to tathatā emerging from the suffering of birth-and-death. There are two kinds of this. For persons of the two vehicles, they first sever afflictions, causing them to cast off the coarse body of suffering of apportioned lifetimes. For the Tathāgatas, they forever transcend birth-and-death. Therefore, both may be called “without remainder of substratum”; because suffering is forever quiescent, it is called nirvāṇa. Fourth is unlocated nirvāṇa, referring to tathatā emerging from the cognitive hindrance, constantly supported by great compassion and prajñā. Because of this, they abide neither in birth-and-death nor in nirvāṇa, benefiting and delighting sentient beings to the exhaustless reaches of the future, functioning yet constantly quiescent; hence it is called nirvāṇa. All sentient beings possess the first kind; non-learners of the two vehicles may possess the first three; only our World-Honoured One can be said to be fully endowed with all four. Now, “without remainder” here refers to the third kind above, because one transcends the suffering of birth-and-death and is eternally peaceful and joyful. The phrase “liberate through extinction” (mièdù) means extinguishing hindrances and crossing over suffering—that is, extinguishing the two hindrances and crossing over the suffering of the two kinds of death, quiescent, peaceful, and joyful; hence it is called “liberate through extinction.” It is solely by attaining [nirvāṇa] without remainder that one extinguishes hindrances and crosses over suffering; therefore, one enters [nirvāṇa] without remainder and liberates them through extinction. Question: Sentient beings are vast in number and diverse in the six destinies, and their natures also differ across the five vehicles; there are those with affinity and those without affinity, those who can be saved and those who cannot. If a single person could universally save them all, why would the noble ones have undergone such toil? Therefore, causing all to enter nirvāṇa is not appropriate. Question: Why wish for this unattainable meaning? Answer: When a bodhisattva gives rise to the aspiration, seeking to achieve the fruit of buddhahood, it relies on merit and wisdom and is grounded in compassion. The arising of vows and practices is established on this basis. If anything were cast aside, how could it be called vast compassion? Whenever a great aspiration is raised, there is no exclusion: “Whosoever is subsumed under sentient beings, I shall liberate them all.” Although their natures and categories are many, all are subsumed under sentient beings. Merely by contemplating universal salvation, supreme practice is accomplished. While sentient beings to be saved are not innumerable [in ultimate reality], one swiftly attains buddhahood oneself. Seeing this wondrous benefit, the mind is encouraged to arise. Therefore the sūtra says: “I will cause all of them to enter.” If so, then this is an extensive intention and vow; thus we know that in actual principle, not all are completely liberated. However, those who should be liberated also span the four modes of birth. Those born from wombs or through transformation mostly subsume humans and gods; having form and having perception, they may be endowed with body and mind. Since these are not places of hardship, liberation through extinction is admissible. The two categories born from eggs or moisture are certainly not like this: since they dwell in places of hardship and are not yet mature, how can they also be made to enter nirvāṇa? Answer: If they are in places of hardship, one must await their proper time; if they are not yet mature, one causes them to mature; those who have matured, one liberates. If all are to enter nirvāṇa, what doubt or difficulty remains? If so, the word “nirvāṇa” covers all four kinds and is sufficient to extinguish suffering and proclaim the joyful fruit; is it not superfluous and circuitous to add “without remainder”? Answer: If one merely said “nirvāṇa,” there would be fear of conflating it with expedient [attainments] accomplished by ordinary persons and non-Buddhists through the six practices, who have not escaped transmigration and are still trapped in the net of suffering. In order to exclude them, one must mention “without remainder”; therefore, one does not merely say “nirvāṇa.” If so, [nirvāṇa] with remainder can also extinguish hindrances; since it is not an expedient [attainment] and is accomplished only by noble ones, why not mention liberation with remainder? Answer: Due to three meanings, [nirvāṇa] with remainder is not mentioned. First, it is a shared fruit: whether with suffering or without suffering, the underlying body is the fruit of liberation shared by all. Second, it is attained through past karma: practitioners of the two vehicles must rely on their delimited bodies of past karma to realize it. Third, it is attained through the Buddha's preaching: it is attained through recently hearing the Dharma and practicing; because the basis of suffering is not yet extinguished, it is not ultimate. It is not like [nirvāṇa] without remainder, which is ultimate: it requires that there be no basis of suffering, and only when the body of past karma is exhausted and naturally passes away is it realized. Therefore, one does not speak of causing them to attain [nirvāṇa] with remainder. If so, original nature is tathatā itself, the teacher of all buddhas and the refuge of all noble ones; why not cause them to enter the nirvāṇa of original nature? Answer: The nirvāṇa of original nature is fundamentally possessed by sentient beings; but because they have not yet separated from hindrances, they still dwell in transmigration. Due to ignorance, sentient beings cannot realize that true bliss is fundamentally possessed, losing it without knowing, and that false suffering is fundamentally empty, acquiring it without realizing. To pull out suffering and bestow bliss is called compassion. What benefit would there be in wishing to bestow an original nature? Moreover, since all fundamentally possess it, how could one wish to bestow it upon them? Therefore, one does not wish to bestow their original nature. If so, since bodhisattvas have great compassion, they should wish to bestow the most supreme fruit; why not wish to bestow unlocated nirvāṇa? Answer: Unlocated nirvāṇa belongs solely to the Mahāyāna, whereas this prajñā here commonly covers the three vehicles and can establish the stages of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas. Therefore, citing the fruit commonly attained by the three vehicles, it speaks only of nirvāṇa without remainder. Thus, it is also not the Buddha's nirvāṇa without remainder. If so, it should not be called the foremost mind, because the non-remainder of the two vehicles is not the foremost. Answer: In contrast to the suffering of birth-and-death, it is also called foremost. Because one aspires to this, it is called the foremost mind. Just as a mahāsattva at the stage of first arousing the mind also receives this name, this is likewise so. This very [nirvāṇa] without remainder is the foremost fruit, which all sentient beings ought to attain. Therefore, the bodhisattva arouses great compassion, causing all sentient beings of the four modes of birth and the three realms to be liberated through extinction in [nirvāṇa] without remainder. This is precisely the vast practice of a bodhisattva, because it causes all beings to attain liberation through extinction. It is also the bodhisattva's transcendence of the extreme of diminution, because in being able to liberate sentient beings, one does not cling to emptiness. It is also the mind of desire and wish capable of holding, because it holds the practice of cultivation, subduing, and liberating sentient beings. Since it is the mind of wish and joy in which one should abide, this text is said to answer the question on how to abide.