大般涅槃經義記 2.109

2.109

就初段中，先喻、次合，「有難解者」下重顯之。喻中七句：一過佛說經喻、二「長者終」下外道竊法喻、三「賊得牛」下無師自搆喻、四「各相謂」下學佛求常喻、五「我等無」下求常不得喻、六「以醍醐」下妄加己情喻、七「以水多」下加情損失喻。初中，「長者」喻於如來，「牛」喻行法，行門差別名「色種種」，同顯一詮名「共一群」，委修行者隨緣習學名「付牧人隨逐水草」，為得涅槃不期餘報名「為醍醐不求乳酪」。菩薩如彼「牧牛之者」，依法思量說之為「搆」，得義充神名之為「食」。

In the first section, there is first a simile, next an application, and "as for those difficult to understand..." onwards clarifies it again. In the simile there are seven clauses: first, the simile of past buddhas expounding sūtras; second, "when the elder died..." onwards, the simile of non-Buddhists stealing the Dharma; third, "the thieves got the cows..." onwards, the simile of milking by oneself without a teacher; fourth, "each said to one another..." onwards, the simile of studying the Buddha to seek eternity; fifth, "we do not have..." onwards, the simile of seeking eternity and failing to obtain it; sixth, "for the sake of ghee..." onwards, the simile of falsely adding one's own sentiments; seventh, "because the water was plentiful..." onwards, the simile of loss due to adding sentiments. In the first, "the elder" is a simile for the Tathāgata; "cow" is a simile for the practice of the Dharma; the distinctions among the gates of practice are called "various colors"; jointly manifesting the one teaching is called "sharing a single herd"; entrusting practitioners to study according to conditions is called "entrusting to cowherds to follow water and grass"; and seeking nirvāṇa without expecting any other reward is called "for the sake of ghee, not seeking milk or curds." Bodhisattvas are like those "cowherds"; contemplating in accordance with the Dharma is described as "milking," and obtaining the meaning to nourish the spirit is described as "eating."