大般涅槃經義記 1.245

1.245

第五請中，先喻，後合。喻中「譬如老少病人」，比丘喻己。「離善行險」，彰己迷惑。「更有人」等，喻佛如來應見示導，「異人」喻佛。「見之憐愍」喻應憐己。「即便示」等喻應教己。合中，初先合己迷惑。「我亦如是」，是總合也。「所謂」下別，「唯願」已下約前異人請佛示導。「唯願示我甘露正道」，請佛說法。無上涅槃能除熱惱，故曰甘露。約喻名法，說為正道。「久住世」等，請佛不滅。然此二請，下佛對之，有順、有違，宜審記之。

In the fifth request, there is first the simile and then the application. In the simile, "just as an elderly or young sick person": the monks use this as a simile for themselves. "Leaving the good path and walking on a perilous one" manifests their own delusion and confusion. "Another person..." and so on is a simile for how the Buddha, the Tathāgata, ought to give guidance: the "different person" is a simile for the Buddha; "seeing them, took pity" is a simile for how he ought to take pity on them; "thereupon pointed out..." and so on is a simile for how he ought to instruct them. In the application, it first applies to their own delusion and confusion. "We are also like this" is the general application. From "that is to say" onward is the specific application. From "we only pray" onward, drawing upon the aforementioned different person, they ask the Buddha to give guidance. "We only pray that you show us the correct path of ambrosia" asks the Buddha to preach the Dharma: unexcelled nirvāṇa can eliminate feverish afflictions, hence it is called "ambrosia"; drawing upon the simile to designate the Dharma, it is spoken of as the "correct path." "Abide long in the world..." and so on requests that the Buddha not enter extinction. However, regarding these two requests, the Buddha's subsequent response to them complies with one and goes against the other; one should examine and note this carefully.