大般涅槃經義記 3.164

3.164

第二簡真異偽之中，初明四人即法可依，「若有人能了知」已下舉劣況勝明四可依，謂舉善趣五階菩薩以況四人。前中初言「如上所說四人出世應當依止」正明可依。「何以」下釋，於中先徵昔說依法不依於人，今以何故言人可依。下釋有二：一明其人能解深義故可依止、二「如是四人即如來」下能解密教故可依止。前中初言「善解如來微密藏」者，知前涅槃，「能知如來常不變」等知前佛常，先順後反，前有四句，然今且對最初及後以說知也。下知教中，初明「四人即名如來」，「何以」下釋，先徵、後解。「能解密語」明解同佛，「及能說」者明說同佛，以此同佛故名如來。舉劣況中，先舉其劣，「若有人」者善趣位中五階人也，「能知如來深密藏」者知前涅槃，「及知如來常不變」等知前佛常，先順後反，下牒況勝，「如是之人尚可依止，何況四人」。

In the second part, which distinguishes the genuine from the false: first, it explains that the four types of persons are identical with the Dharma and can be relied upon; from "If there is a person who can understand..." onwards, it brings up the inferior to illustrate the superior, clarifying that the four can be relied upon—that is, it brings up the bodhisattvas of the five stages in the position of good destinies to illustrate the four persons. In the former part, the opening statement, "The appearance in the world of the four persons spoken of above should be relied upon," directly explains that they can be relied upon. The explanation follows from "Why?": within it, first it queries the former statement of relying on the Dharma and not on the person, asking why it is now said that persons can be relied upon. Below, the explanation is twofold: first, it explains that because these persons are able to understand the profound meaning, they can be relied upon; second, from "These four persons are precisely the Tathāgata" onwards, because they are able to understand the secret teaching, they can be relied upon. In the former, the opening phrase, "good understanding of the Tathāgata's subtle and secret treasury," refers to knowing the aforementioned nirvāṇa; "able to know that the Tathāgata is eternal and unchanging," etc., refers to knowing the aforementioned eternity of the Buddha, first in the affirmative and then in the negative. There were four lines previously, yet now the knowing is stated only in correlation with the very first and the last. In the subsequent section on knowing the teaching, it first explains that "the four persons are named the Tathāgata"; from "Why?" onwards it explains this, first querying and then explaining. "Able to understand secret words" explains that their understanding is identical to the Buddha's; "and able to preach" explains that their preaching is identical to the Buddha's. Because they are identical to the Buddha in this way, they are named the Tathāgata. In bringing up the inferior to illustrate the superior: first, it brings up the inferior—"If there is a person" refers to persons of the five stages in the position of good destinies; "able to know the Tathāgata's profound and secret treasury" refers to knowing the aforementioned nirvāṇa; "and knowing that the Tathāgata is eternal and unchanging," etc., refers to knowing the aforementioned eternity of the Buddha, first in the affirmative and then in the negative. Below, it repeats the illustration of the superior: "Such a person may still be relied upon, how much more so the four persons!"