About 涅槃經疏三德指歸
Song · by 智圓述
373,906 · about 1246 min
The *Nirvana Sutra Commentary: Returning to the Three Virtues* was composed by the Tiantai patriarch Zhiyuan of the Song dynasty. This work is an authoritative commentary on the Northern Version of the *Nirvana Sutra*, employing the three virtues of Dharma-body, prajñā, and liberation to interpret the profound meaning of nirvana. It integrates Tiantai doctrine and contemplation, elucidating the principle of the permanence of buddha-nature and the potential for all sentient beings to attain buddhahood. Living during the flourishing of Buddhist doctrinal studies in the Song dynasty, Zhiyuan inherited the teachings of Jingxi Zhanran, tracing back to the system of Zhiyi’s thought. His commentary is rigorous in structure and profound in principle. As one of the representative Tiantai works expounding the *Nirvana Sutra*, it holds a significant place in the history of Chinese Buddhist doctrinal studies. It provides key textual basis for the study of nirvana thought and Tiantai śamatha-vipaśyanā, exerting a profound influence on the development of later Buddhist philosophy.