大般涅槃經義記 4.148

4.148

自下第二教諸菩薩亡身弘法以治前過。初先立喻，「王」喻如來，「使」喻菩薩，能宣法化名「善談論」，善順物機名「巧方便」。受佛委付，傳化末代，是故名為「奉命他國」。傳佛真言，亡身不改，故云「寧喪，不匿王教」。下合顯法，「智者亦爾」合前王使，善論巧便略而不合，「於凡」合前奉命他國，「不惜」已下合前寧喪不匿王教。

From here on, the second [part] teaches bodhisattvas to sacrifice their lives to propagate the Dharma in order to counteract the previous faults. First, it sets up the parable: the "king" is a metaphor for the Tathāgata; the "envoy" is a metaphor for the bodhisattva; being able to proclaim the Dharma's transformation is called "skilled in discourse"; skillfully adapting to living beings' capacities is called "clever expedient means." Receiving the Buddha's entrustment to transmit and transform in the final age is therefore called "receiving orders to go to another country." Transmitting the Buddha's true words without altering them even at the cost of one's life is why it says "rather lose one's life than conceal the king's command." Below, it combines [the parable] to reveal the Dharma: "the wise person is also like this" combines with the previous king's envoy; skilled discourse and clever expedients are omitted without combination; "among ordinary people" combines with the previous receiving orders to go to another country; from "not begrudging [one's body]" onward combines with the previous rather losing one's life than concealing the king's command.