大般涅槃經集解 23.4

23.4

案僧亮曰：答問云何處煩惱，煩惱不能染。如醫療眾病，不為病所污也。自下為經作譬也。八術者，一治身、二治眼、三治瘡、四治小兒、五治耶、六治毒、七治胎、八占星宿，知所屬可治不可治也。一方有二千偈。阿薩闍病不可治者，喻二重罪。於昔契經不治之病，明涅槃難治能治也。唯不能治必死病者，不可加治，非難治也。法瑤曰：餘契經譬良醫。經有八種藥，謂苦、空、無常、無我、不淨、慈心、因緣、觀佛。滅八種病，四倒、三毒及等分也。此下有十譬，悉明經有勝力，能拔重罪。八藥者，謂八正道也。過八藥者，此經理圓，功德力勝，故言過也。寶亮曰：答第十七問也。此第一譬，昔法華以前經教也。至後凡十二譬，至文自述也。

Sengliang notes: He answers the question, 'How does one abide in defilements, yet defilements cannot contaminate him?' Just as a physician treats all diseases and is not defiled by disease. From here on, metaphors are made for the sūtra. The eight arts are: first, treating the body; second, treating the eyes; third, treating wounds; fourth, treating children; fifth, treating demonic afflictions; sixth, treating poisons; seventh, treating pregnancy; eighth, astrology, knowing whether what one is subject to can be treated or not. One prescription has two thousand verses. 'Asādhya diseases that cannot be treated' represents the two major transgressions. For diseases not treated in past sūtras, this clarifies that the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] can treat what is difficult to treat. 'Only unable to treat fatal diseases': these cannot be treated further; it is not merely difficult to treat. Fayao says: The other sūtras are compared to a skilled physician. The sūtra has eight kinds of medicines: suffering, emptiness, impermanence, non-self, impurity, loving-kindness, causes and conditions, and contemplation of the Buddha. They extinguish eight kinds of diseases: the four inversions, the three poisons, and their equal proportion. From here below there are ten metaphors, all clarifying that the sūtra has superior power and can uproot heavy transgressions. 'Eight medicines' refers to the eightfold noble path. 'Surpassing the eight medicines': this sūtra's principle is complete and its power of merit is superior; hence it is said to 'surpass'. Baoliang says: This answers the seventeenth question. This first metaphor refers to the teachings of the sūtras prior to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. Down to the end there are twelve metaphors in all, which will be expounded when we reach the text.