大般涅槃經義記 2.158

2.158

上來釋竟，「自觀」已下牒以總結。「自觀己身猶如火聚」，是牒前也。前二段中就初以牒，此明菩薩自觀己身，猶如比丘寧抱大火，是名結也。就正他中，初問、次辯、第三總結。辯中有二：一明如來當時善授、二「復告女人汝有緣」下後時善付。前中有四：一明女人養子之儀，始必與蘇；二約之顯化，始須授小；三復明女人養子之儀，大須與食；四約之顯化，終須授大。初中六句：一明如來當說法時，有一女人多含兒酥來至佛會，顧念其子，不知消不。二佛知故問「汝含兒酥，不知消不？」佛為此問，具有三意：一欲令女人安心聽法；二欲彰女人善授兒蘇，約之明佛善能授法；三欲對之說消、不消，類顯自己能量眾生堪與不堪。此是第二。三女聞請佛，於中初先嘆佛知心，次請如來教示多少，後請如來說消、不消。四如來為辯，「汝兒所食即消增壽」。五女聞歡喜。於中初言「心大踊躍」聞消故喜，「復作言」下慶實故喜。六結嘆如來，世尊如是為調眾生，善能分別說消、不消。此誰結嘆？有人釋言女人嘆佛，復有人言是佛自嘆；當應是其集經者嘆。

The above explanation being concluded, from "observing one's own body" onward recapitulates to make a general conclusion. "Observing one's own body to be like a mass of fire" recapitulates what preceded. Of the preceding two sections, it recapitulates the first; this clarifies that the bodhisattva observes their own body just as the monk would rather embrace a great fire; this is called the conclusion. Under rectifying others, there is first a question, then the analysis, and third the general conclusion. Within the analysis there are two parts: first, explaining the Tathāgata's skillful imparting at that time; second, from "He again addressed the woman: 'You have a condition'" onward, skillful entrusting at a later time. In the former there are four parts: first, explaining the woman's manner of nursing her child, where at first she must give ghee; second, referring to it to reveal the transformation, where at first one must impart the small; third, again explaining the woman's manner of nursing her child, where when grown one must give food; fourth, referring to it to reveal the transformation, where in the end one must impart the great. In the first part there are six sentences: first, explaining that when the Tathāgata was expounding the Dharma, a woman carrying much ghee for her child came to the Buddha's assembly, anxious about her child and not knowing whether it would digest or not. Second, the Buddha knowingly asked: "You carry ghee for your child, but do not know whether it will digest or not?" The Buddha asked this with three intentions: first, wanting the woman to listen to the Dharma with a settled mind; second, wanting to make clear that the woman skillfully imparted ghee to her child, and by analogy to show that the Buddha is well able to impart the Dharma; third, wanting to speak of digesting and not digesting in response to her, so as to analogously show that he himself can weigh whether sentient beings are capable or incapable. This is the second. Third, upon hearing, the woman petitioned the Buddha; within this, she first praised the Buddha for knowing her mind, next asked the Tathāgata to instruct her on the amount, and finally asked the Tathāgata to state whether it would digest or not digest. Fourth, the Tathāgata analyzed it for her: "What your child has eaten will digest immediately and prolong life." Fifth, hearing this, the woman rejoiced; within this, first stating "her heart leapt with great joy" was rejoicing at hearing it would digest; from "and further said" onward was rejoicing at the verification of the truth. Sixth, a concluding praise of the Tathāgata: the World-Honoured One, in taming sentient beings in this way, is well able to distinguish and speak of digesting and not digesting. Whose concluding praise is this? Some explain that the woman praised the Buddha; others say that the Buddha praised himself; it should properly be the compiler of the sūtra who praised him.