大般涅槃經集解 23.4

23.4

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.