妙法蓮華經玄贊 8.358

8.358

贊曰：此喻也。「有人」喻學出要者，渴乏喻在生死，無正法水。「須水」者，論云「喻佛性水，成大菩提故」，即教所詮之理性，初地菩提須規求也。「於高原」者，廣平曰原，喻佛正法覆四生羅萬像，出過眾道之先，難可登陟說為高原；即以生死外道之教名平川，平川之中有高原故。「穿鑿求之」者，鑿者鏨也穿也，以妙慧為先，三業為作具，簡擇推尋求菩提故。「猶見乾土」者，即昔日權二乘教跡。全無大乘之相，名知水尚遠。「施功不已」者，二利不息故。「轉見濕土」者，謂逢般若空教大乘，有菩提之勢，與濕土名。「遂漸至泥」者，喻聞此經教。「知水必近」者，論云「受持此經得佛性水，成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提故，近於所詮佛智慧也。」即顯二乘教為遠、大乘教為近，空教為疎、中道教為親。

The Eulogy states: This is the simile. "A person" is a metaphor for one who studies the essentials of deliverance; being "parched with thirst" is a metaphor for being in saṃsāra without the water of the correct Dharma. "Needing water": the treatise states, "It is a metaphor for the water of buddha-nature, because it accomplishes great bodhi," which is the nature of the principle explained by the teaching, the bodhi of the first bhūmi that one must seek. "On an elevated plateau": broad and flat is called a plateau, which is a metaphor for the Buddha's correct Dharma covering the four forms of birth, encompassing the myriad phenomena, and transcending the forefront of all paths, which is difficult to ascend and thus called an elevated plateau; that is, the teachings of saṃsāra and non-Buddhist paths are named the flat plain, because on a flat plain there is an elevated plateau. "Digging and searching for it": "digging" means chiseling and piercing, using wondrous wisdom as the vanguard and the three karmas as the implements to discriminate, inquire, and seek bodhi. "Still seeing dry earth": this is the traces of the provisional teachings of the two vehicles of the past. Having absolutely no characteristics of the Great Vehicle, this is called knowing that the water is still distant. "Continuing to apply effort without ceasing": because the two benefits do not cease. "Gradually seeing moist earth": this refers to encountering the Great Vehicle of the emptiness teaching of prajñā, which has the momentum toward bodhi, and is given the name "moist earth". "Eventually reaching mud": this is a metaphor for hearing the teaching of this sūtra. "Knowing that water is definitely near": the treatise states, "Upholding this sūtra, one attains the water of buddha-nature and accomplishes anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi; therefore one is close to the wisdom of the Buddha that is explained." That is, it reveals that the teachings of the two vehicles are distant, while the teachings of the Great Vehicle are near; the teaching of emptiness is remote, while the teaching of the Middle Way is intimate.