大般涅槃經義記 3.32

3.32

文中初先正明四人為所依處，如佛所說，「依四法」下對法會通，此亦即明行所依法。前中有二：一明四人德行相貌；二「我今不依是四人」下勸人依止，教人供養。初中有四：一總舉四人總嘆其德、二別列四人總嘆其德、三別牒四人別顯其德、四總結四人總嘆其德。就初段中，先舉四人，以此四人依經成德，又此經中之所宣說，故言「是《大涅槃經》中有四種人」。下嘆其德，「護法、立法、憶念、正法」是通法行，即是自利。身能匡護，不令他人輕謗毀呰，名護正法。如上廣說，口能竪成名建正法，心思不忘名憶念法。「能多」已下是益人行，即是利他。「能多利益」出世法化，「憐愍世」等世間法化。憐愍世間是利他心，「為世依」下是利他行。人為物依，法能安樂，人天可化，故偏論之。亦可憐愍慈念三塗，為世依等近益人天。

In the text, first it directly clarifies the four persons as places of reliance. Next, from 'rely on the four dharmas' onward, as the Buddha taught, it synthesizes and reconciles this with the Dharma; this also directly clarifies the Dharma upon which one's practice relies. In the former part there are two: first, clarifying the characteristics of the virtuous conduct of the four persons; second, from 'I now do not rely on these four persons' onward, exhorting people to rely on them and instructing people to make offerings to them. In the first part there are four: first, generally raising the four persons and generally praising their virtue; second, separately listing the four persons and generally praising their virtue; third, separately taking up the four persons and distinctly revealing their virtue; fourth, generally concluding the four persons and generally praising their virtue. In the initial section, it first raises the four persons. Because these four persons accomplish their virtue by relying on the sūtra, and furthermore are proclaimed within this sūtra, it therefore says: 'In this *Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra* there are four kinds of persons.' Below, praising their virtue, 'protecting the Dharma, establishing the Dharma, mindful recollection, and the correct Dharma' are universal practices regarding the Dharma, which are for one's own benefit. Being able personally to defend and protect it so that others do not belittle, slander, or disparage it is called protecting the correct Dharma. As extensively explained above, being able orally to establish and accomplish it is called establishing the correct Dharma; holding it in mind without forgetting it is called mindfully recollecting the Dharma. From 'able greatly' onward is practice that benefits others, which is benefiting others. 'Able greatly to benefit' refers to supramundane dharmic transformation; 'pitying the world,' etc., refers to mundane dharmic transformation. Pitying the world is the mind to benefit others; from 'serving as a reliance for the world' onward is the practice of benefiting others. Persons serve as reliances for beings, the Dharma can bring peace and bliss, and humans and devas are capable of being transformed; therefore it discusses them specifically. Alternatively, 'pitying' means being compassionately mindful of the three wretched realms, while 'serving as a reliance for the world,' etc., immediately benefits humans and devas.