[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法華義疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721) › 8.6 # 法華義疏 8.6 法華義疏 8.6 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8.6) 言「藥草喻品」者，藥是草木中治病之通稱，草即形木之別名，而言藥草者，通、別兩舉者也。但言藥草不舉藥木者，明木二即少、草三即多，故廢少從多也。又今正述中根人領解，故題藥草不題藥木。所以舉藥草喻中根人者，凡有三義：一者、稟教得解，解生必能滅惑，喻如藥草治病義也。二者、藥草能愈他疾，喻聞教得解即成菩薩必有兼濟之功。三者、藥草是草中之貴，顯成菩薩人中之尊貴，異上聲聞未得領悟如鄙賤窮子也。 > As for the title 'Medicinal Herbs Parable Chapter' (Yaocao yu pin): 'medicine' is a general term for curing disease among plants, and 'herb' is a specific term for plants as distinguished from trees; speaking of 'medicinal herbs' combines both the general and the specific. The reason it mentions only medicinal herbs without mentioning medicinal trees is that 'trees' are two and thus few, while 'herbs' are three and thus many; hence it omits the few and adopts the many. Furthermore, it now directly confirms the comprehension of people of intermediate faculties; therefore, the title uses 'medicinal herbs' and not 'medicinal trees.' The reason medicinal herbs are adduced to illustrate people of intermediate faculties has three meanings: First, receiving the teaching and gaining understanding—the arising of understanding inevitably eradicates afflictions, which is analogous to the function of medicinal herbs in curing illnesses. Second, medicinal herbs can heal the sicknesses of others, which illustrates that upon hearing the teaching and gaining understanding, one becomes a bodhisattva and inevitably possesses the merit of universally delivering others. Third, medicinal herbs are noble among plants, which reveals that a bodhisattva is the most venerable among people, contrasting with the śrāvakas above who had not yet achieved comprehension and were like the base, impoverished son. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8.5) - [Next: 8.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8.7) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721~en-mt.8.6) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.8.6) · Pramāṇa