大般涅槃經義記 4.286

4.286

如來釋中，文別有三：一嘆問勅聽、二「譬如」下明說為物自言無過、三「爾時」下讚問所為。初段可知。第二段中，初喻，次合，「以是義」下結成有餘。喻文有二：一量宜授法喻，「長者」喻彼妃后太子，「身嬰病苦」喻起慢過，「良醫」喻佛，觀機名「診」，為說治法名為「合藥」，「病者貪多」喻彼所化過分求法，「醫語」已下喻佛量之；二「汝勿謂」下自言無失喻。合中還二：先合初段、「文殊」已下合其後段。前中，初言「如來亦爾」總合前醫，「為諸王」等合前長者，「因波斯」等合嬰重病，「為欲調」等合醫診之，「故說偈」等合為合藥。合後段中，初勸文殊知佛無失，「如此」已下重顯無失，令其信受。結文可知。此第二竟。第三重嘆，文相可知。

In the Tathāgata's explanation, the text is divided into three parts: first, praising the question and commanding them to listen; second, from "for example" onward, clarifying that speaking for sentient beings is of itself without fault; third, from "at that time" onward, praising the purpose of the question. The first section can be known. In the second section, first is the metaphor, next the application, and from "by this meaning" onward, he concludes that it was non-final. The metaphorical text has two parts: first, the metaphor of dispensing dharma according to suitability—the "elder" is a metaphor for the queens, consorts, and princes; "suffering from illness and pain" is a metaphor for giving rise to the fault of pride; the "skilled physician" is a metaphor for the Buddha; examining the capacities is called "diagnosing"; explaining the curative method is called "compounding medicine"; the "patient greedily seeking more" is a metaphor for those being transformed seeking dharma beyond their measure; from "the physician said" onward is a metaphor for the Buddha measuring it; second, from "you should not say" onward is the metaphor of asserting that he himself is without fault. In the application, there are also two parts: first, applying the first section; from "Mañjuśrī" onward, applying the latter section. In the former, the initial phrase "the Tathāgata is also like this" generally applies to the physician mentioned before; "for the kings" and so forth applies to the elder; "because Prasenajit" and so forth applies to suffering from grave illness; "wishing to tame" and so forth applies to the physician's diagnosis; "therefore speaking verses" and so forth applies to compounding the medicine. In applying the latter section, first he exhorts Mañjuśrī to know that the Buddha is without fault; from "like this" onward, he further reveals the absence of fault so as to cause him to faithfully accept it. The concluding text can be known. This concludes the second part. The third part further offers praise, and the textual features can be known.