金剛般若經旨贊 2.254

2.254

Sūtra: “Why is this? down to should contemplate thus.” / Commentary: Next, what follows reveals non-defilement in saṃsāra, severing the twenty-ninth doubt, that the Buddha enters nirvāṇa, and causing one to cultivate the practice of non-defilement in saṃsāra. Previously it caused one to emulate the Buddha's undefiled preaching of the Dharma; next it causes one to emulate the Buddha's constantly dwelling in the world, displaying saṃsāric transmigration without being defiled by worldly dharmas. However, bodhisattvas have not yet exhausted their grasping minds; grasping conditioned things as real, they give rise to revulsion and detachment, and consequently delight in quiescence and find no joy in the world, unable like the Buddha to abide in the world and preach the Dharma. Thereupon they conversely doubt that the Buddha enters nirvāṇa, giving rise to this doubt: 'If it is said that all Buddhas are constantly in the world preaching the Dharma and benefiting beings, why is it said that the Buddha enters nirvāṇa? If they constantly dwell in the world, they should undergo transmigration.' Due to grasping, although they dwell in the world they are defiled and attached; due to doubt, they again take no joy in dwelling in the world. Now, wishing to sever that mind of doubt, to cause them to dwell constantly in the world without defiled attachment, he speaks of contemplating conditioned things as stars, illusions, and so on. Asaṅga, in terms of eliminating doubt without attachment, calls it non-defilement in saṃsāra. Vasubandhu, with respect to dispelling doubt and abiding in the world, calls it severing the doubt about entering nirvāṇa. In the text there is a query and an explanation. The purport of the query is: If it is said that all Buddhas are constantly in the world preaching the Dharma and benefiting beings, for what reason is it said that they attain parinirvāṇa? If they attain parinirvāṇa, then they do not dwell in the world; yet it is said that the Buddhas constantly abide in nirvāṇa and also constantly dwell in the world—why is this? Based on that doubt and grasping, this query is made; therefore, through this verse, that doubt and grasping is dispelled. The Buddha's nirvāṇa is not identical to that of the two vehicles, because it is neither identical to the conditioned nor separate from the conditioned. Because it is not conditioned, it does not abide in the world; because it is not separate from the conditioned, it does not abide in quiescence. Only then can it be called the true nirvāṇa of the Buddha. Why can it be so? Because they have attained the unlocated path. How can they attain the unlocated path? Because they understand conditioned things to be like illusions and so forth. The Buddha says that from this they attain the unlocated path; although dwelling in saṃsāra, they can remain undefiled. Therefore, bodhisattvas should contemplate conditioned things as stars, cataracts, and so forth in this manner. Clarifying this meaning, the Treatise therefore speaks in verse: