No. 664-A南本大般涅槃經會疏敘
Preface to the Southern Version of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra
夫大般涅槃經者。乃如來顧命之言也。蘊成矌劫而久祕不談。方便調機而待時方說。所以小大對帶半滿開宗。頓漸偏圓初中後唱。惟此奧旨最後極談。其由庫內之珍財臨終始付。海中之神寶劫盡乃亡。大哉世尊。慈悲莫並。精求竭力。等救沉淪。伺機四十九年。本懷未罄。唱滅二月十五。盡吐肝腸。故得十外歸依闡提亦悟。昆蟲草木悉已沾恩。象馬蛇虺咸皆被澤。內凡外凡而功超曠劫。天類人類而果證無生。能事既畢即告涅槃。於是日月無光而山林變白。大地震動而鳥獸哀鳴。是凡是聖盡失所天。情與無情誰非號慕。是知此經一唱無復遺餘。至矣盡矣。他莫能尚。舊經四十卷譯拙辭繁。靈運削成言簡理直。開宗判教五七八家。灌頂精詳互存得失。由是重參至理註此玄文。惜乎陳隋兵亂疏未入經。彼此分張勢同吳越。況復藏中久匿。學者尠窺。末世澆漓盡疲至道。致使法眼朦垢佛日沉埋。哀哉痛哉。實傷心腑。故予不揣愚庸而輒敢効顰。欲會此經而發心有日。再三披閱宗趣粗知。奈何旨奧文深。有倣郭象。錯綜前後多苦亡羊。於是不懼闡提之罪。甘負謗法之愆。削繁錄實。貴在貫通。罪歟福歟。並伸懺悔。
The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is the final teaching of the Tathāgata—his last words. It had been kept hidden for countless eons, never openly discussed, until the right time came, when compassionate means prepared beings and the moment was ripe for its revelation. Thus, it unfolds the doctrines of the Small and Great Vehicles, balancing the partial and the complete. It opens the door for sudden and gradual, partial and perfect teachings, from beginning to middle to end. Only this profound essence, this ultimate discourse, is like the precious treasures stored in a warehouse, handed over only at the end of one’s life, or the divine jewels of the ocean, revealed only as the world cycle comes to an end.
How great is the World-Honored One! His compassion is beyond compare. He exhausted his strength, striving to save all beings sinking in suffering. For forty-nine years, he waited for the right opportunity, yet his original intent was not fully expressed. Then, on the fifteenth day of the second month, at his final passing, he poured forth his innermost heart. Thus, even the ten foreign sects turned to take refuge, and the icchantikas attained awakening. Insects, plants, and trees all received his grace; elephants, horses, snakes, and serpents all were blessed. Both the inner and outer ordinary beings surpassed countless eons of effort. Gods and humans alike realized the fruit of non-arising. His work complete, he proclaimed the Nirvāṇa.
Then the sun and moon lost their light, and the forests turned white. The great earth trembled, and birds and beasts cried out in sorrow. All beings, whether ordinary or holy, lost their guide. Sentient and insentient, who was not filled with longing and grief? Thus we know, once this sūtra was spoken, nothing was left unsaid. It is the utmost, the ultimate. Nothing surpasses it.
The old translation of this sūtra, in forty scrolls, was clumsy in wording and verbose. The version edited by Lingyun was concise, with clear principles and straightforward reasoning. Many schools—five, seven, or eight—established their own interpretations and classifications. Guanding’s analysis was detailed but had its own gains and losses. Thus, I resolved to study this profound truth and write a commentary on this mysterious text. Alas, due to the wars of the Chen and Sui dynasties, the commentary was never integrated with the sūtra; they were separated like Wu and Yue. Moreover, the text was hidden away in the canon, rarely glimpsed by scholars. In these degenerate times, the path of ultimate truth is exhausted and weary, causing the Dharma-eye to be obscured and the Buddha’s sun to be buried. How sad! How painful! It truly wounds the heart.
Therefore, despite my own ignorance and mediocrity, I dared to imitate the wise. For some time, I have been determined to make this sūtra accessible. After reading it again and again, I gained a rough understanding of its gist and intent. Yet, its meaning is profound and its language deep, somewhat reminiscent of Guo Xiang’s style. The text’s interwoven structure often left me lost. So, without fear of the icchantika’s guilt, and willingly bearing the offense of slandering the Dharma, I trimmed the redundancies and recorded the essentials, aiming for coherence and thorough understanding. Whether this brings merit or fault, I extend my repentance.
時皇明萬曆歲次辛亥如來誕生日
During the Ming Dynasty, in the year 1611 on the Buddha's Birthday.