No. 662-A刻涅槃經疏三德指歸序
Preface to the Three Virtues Commentary on the Nirvana Sutra
釋迦文佛。五十年間。轉大法輪。其究竟極倡。無上寶錄者。則莫過乎法華涅槃兩經矣。蓋以開權之說。諸經未明。顯本之談。兩經獨擅也。今家判此兩經。同譬醍醐。良由茲焉。而其本迹顯實。雖文義浩繁。究其要歸。則不出吾人介爾之心焉。荊谿尊者曰。妙法秪是一心三德。又曰若了三德在一心中。則大經一部。居于方寸。旨哉言乎。誠義學者之最所當服膺也。又雖復安經同味。然涅槃經。扶律談常。徧被末代。則今時學人所當急研討也。然智者大師之弘經。但疏法華。而不及涅槃。雖固可惜。而章安尊者。依智者義意。作涅槃疏。則兩疏並行。宛觀雙璧。荊谿尊者之作記。亦但釋法華疏。而不及涅槃疏。豈非缺乎。雖有暹滿二記。不滿人意。議者眾矣。且迨近世亡而弗傳。是故古今學徒。患乎此疏。文古義幽。難解難曉。宋孤山圓師。以高世之才。師安之學。作三德指歸二十卷。於是其難解難曉者。皆渙然氷釋。粲然日明。大有益於物。則亦可謂備矣。況復題以三德者。欲俾學者。由記以通疏。由疏以會經。乃悟一心三德。其意甚好矣。第恨其為山外宗師。而間陳其所相承也。故其所示三德。亦似不臻乎圓極矣。四明曰。若不即三道而顯三德者。乃教道所說也。富哉言乎。足以辨山外之異見。而彰圓頓之正宗。賢達為能信徹乎斯。然後讀是書焉。則三德秘藏之旨。庶乎不差矣。是書不入明藏本邦又未廣行。學者憾之久矣。余曩曾請輪王大王。借濃州長瀧寺古藏宋板書數十部。是書其一也。喜而視之。闕第十五卷。雖恨其未完。合抱不以尺折廢。蓋與四方同志共焉。遂令二三子。旁加國語。付諸書林。重繡梨棗。近者彫刻既成。書林乞序於余。余深隨喜其傳永久。又願他日藏完書者。樂補其闕。因操觚直書。以弁簡端云。
Shakyamuni Buddha, over the course of fifty years, turned the great Dharma wheel. Among his ultimate and supreme teachings, none surpass the Lotus and Nirvana Sutras. This is because the former sutras had not clarified the provisional teachings, while these two scriptures uniquely reveal the ultimate truth. The tradition compares these two sutras to ghee (the finest essence), and for good reason. Although the texts on the ultimate truth and the manifestation of the Original are vast in meaning and words, their essential core lies within this very mind of ours. Master Jingxi said, "The Wondrous Dharma is simply the Three Virtues inherent in one mind." He also said, "If you understand that the Three Virtues are within one mind, then the entire Great Nirvana Sutra resides within your heart." These are profound words, indeed—teachings that students of the doctrine should most earnestly take to heart.
Furthermore, although these two sutras are of the same essence, the Nirvana Sutra emphasizes upholding the precepts and discussing the eternal, making it especially relevant for the final age of Dharma. Therefore, it is a sutra that learners of our time must diligently study. However, the great master Zhiyi, in his propagation of the sutras, wrote a commentary only on the Lotus Sutra, not on the Nirvana Sutra. Though this is certainly regrettable, Master Zhang'an, following Zhiyi's principles, composed a commentary on the Nirvana Sutra. Thus, the two commentaries exist side by side, like a pair of beautiful jade discs. Master Jingxi, in his own annotations, explained only Zhiyi's commentary on the Lotus Sutra, not Zhang'an's commentary on the Nirvana Sutra. Was this not a deficiency? Although there are two other annotations—those by Xian and Man—they were unsatisfactory, and many scholars criticized them. Moreover, in recent times, these annotations have been lost and are no longer transmitted. For this reason, scholars of the past and present have struggled with Zhang'an's commentary, finding its language archaic and its meaning profound—difficult to understand and grasp.
In the Song dynasty, Master Guyuan, with his extraordinary talent and studying under the tradition of Zhang'an, composed the *Three Virtues Guide* in twenty volumes. As a result, the difficult and obscure parts became as clear as melting ice and as bright as the shining sun. This work greatly benefited sentient beings and can be considered complete. Moreover, the very title, "Three Virtues," is intended to guide learners: through the guide to understand the commentary, through the commentary to comprehend the sutra, and finally to awaken to the Three Virtues within one mind. This intention is excellent. Yet, there is one regret: Yuan was a master of the "Mountain School" tradition, and at times he expressed the views inherited from his lineage. Consequently, his explanation of the Three Virtues does not seem to fully reach the perfect and ultimate state. Siming said, "If one does not reveal the Three Virtues through the Three Poisons, then it is merely a teaching described in words." How profound these words are! They are sufficient to distinguish the divergent views of the Mountain School and to clarify the true doctrine of perfect and sudden enlightenment. Only a wise and virtuous person can have deep faith in this truth, and only then can they read this book. In that way, the meaning of the secret treasury of the Three Virtues will be understood without error.
This book was not included in the Ming dynasty Buddhist canon, nor has it been widely circulated. Scholars have long regretted this. I once asked the Wheel King to lend me several dozen Song dynasty woodblock-printed books from the old repository of Nagataki Temple in Hōshū Province; this book was one of them. I was delighted to see it, but found it missing the fifteenth volume. Although I regretted its incompleteness, a great tree is not abandoned because one arm cannot span its girth. Therefore, I decided to share it with like-minded people everywhere. I then had some disciples add vernacular annotations (Japanese kundoku) and entrusted it to the publishing house, where they re-engraved the woodblocks for printing. Recently, the printing blocks were completed, and the publishing house asked me to write a preface. I deeply rejoice in its long-lasting transmission. I also hope that in the future, a collector of complete scriptures will happily fill in the missing parts. I have therefore taken up my brush and written this directly as a brief introduction.
時正德乙未春老苾蒭光謙謹撰
Composed respectfully by the senior monk Guangqian, in the spring of the year Zhengyi Yiwei.