法華義疏 10.190

10.190

「父作是念」下，第十、如來示滅譬。就文為三：一、念欲唱滅；二、正唱滅；三、明正滅。初欲唱滅者，眾生著常不肯修道，念欲去世、欲示無常，使其改悟也。「即作是言」下，第二、正唱滅也。如釋迦自期三月，又如涅槃晨朝唱滅。又如經云「吾年已八十，形如故車朽，當般涅槃也」。「是好良藥今留在此」者，佛雖去世留法不滅，故十二部經付阿難、迦葉也。「作是教已」，第三、正滅。「遣使還告者」，正入涅槃，遺形舍利起塔等事，即是使也。

From "The father had this thought" onward: tenth, the parable of the Tathāgata manifesting extinction. Within the text there are three parts: first, thinking of wishing to proclaim extinction; second, the actual proclamation of extinction; third, explaining the actual extinction. First, wishing to proclaim extinction: sentient beings are attached to permanence and unwilling to cultivate the Path; he thinks of wishing to leave the world, desiring to display impermanence so as to bring them to reform and awaken. From "He then said these words" onward: second, the actual proclamation of extinction. Just as Śākyamuni set his own time limit at three months, and also just like proclaiming extinction at dawn in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]. Also as a sūtra states: "I am now eighty years of age, my body is like an old decaying cart, and I shall enter parinirvāṇa." "This good medicine is now left here": although the Buddha leaves the world, he leaves the Dharma unextinguished, hence the twelve divisions of scriptures were entrusted to Ānanda and Kāśyapa. "Having given this instruction": third, the actual extinction. "He sent an envoy back to announce": the actual entry into nirvāṇa, with the bodily relics, erecting stūpas, and such matters being precisely the envoy.