大般涅槃經義記 3.285

3.285

上來三句合為第二，第三今說真我喻中別有四句：一為說真我喻、二始聞不受喻、三佛為會通喻、四領受修行喻。就初句中，我患既除，無我治癈名「至藥消」，佛以大教拂權顯實名「母以水淨洗其乳」，以法招引名「喚其子」，勸學真我名「與汝乳」。第二句中，大欲轉慇名為「飢渴」，保昔權言未肯受大名「聞毒氣是故不來」。第三句中，化顯物心名「母語兒」，「為汝服藥以毒塗乳」明己昔說無我所由，「汝藥消」下明今宣說真我所以。藥消、洗意，義同前解，今學非過名飲「無苦」。第四句中，所化聲聞聞佛會通名「兒聞已」，修學真我名「還飲乳」，學之不頓故言「漸漸」。

The three clauses above combine to form the second part. In the third part, the metaphor of now expounding the true self, there are four distinct clauses: first, the metaphor of expounding the true self for him; second, the metaphor of initially hearing and not accepting; third, the metaphor of the Buddha reconciling and making it understood; fourth, the metaphor of receiving and practicing. In the first clause, the illness of self having been eliminated and the remedy of non-self discarded is called “reaching the time when the medicine was digested”; the Buddha brushing away the provisional and revealing the real with the great teaching is called “the mother washed her breast clean with water”; beckoning with the Dharma is called “called her child”; urging him to train in the true self is called “giving you milk.” In the second clause, great aspiration becoming increasingly earnest is called “hungry and thirsty”; holding fast to the previous provisional words and not yet being willing to accept the great is called “smelling the scent of poison and therefore not coming.” In the third clause, transformation manifesting in the minds of beings is called “the mother said to the child”; “because you took medicine, I smeared poison on my breast” explains the reason he previously expounded non-self; from “your medicine is digested” onward explains why he now proclaims the true self. The meaning of the medicine being digested and the washing is the same as the previous explanation; training in it now is not a fault, which is called drinking “without suffering.” In the fourth clause, the transformed śrāvaka hearing the Buddha's reconciliation is called “the child having heard”; training in the true self is called “returning to drink the milk”; training in it not suddenly is why it says “gradually.”