大般涅槃經義記 6.385

6.385

就合楊葉牛馬喻中，文別有四：一合明化凡、二「若有眾生厭生死」下合明化小、三「如彼嬰兒於非」合下就前化凡明佛非虛、四「如彼嬰兒於非牛」下就前化小明佛化意。初中依上喻中四句次第合之。「若有眾生欲造眾惡」合上初句嬰兒啼時，「如來為」下合第二句父母即以楊樹黃葉語言「莫啼，我與汝金」，「眾生聞」下合第三句嬰兒見已即止不啼，「實是生死無常」已下合第四句實非金也。

Regarding the application of the similes of the willow leaves, oxen, and horses, the text has four distinct parts: 1. applying to clarify the transformation of ordinary beings; 2. from "If there are sentient beings who are weary of saṃsāra" onward, applying to clarify the transformation of the lesser [vehicle]; 3. from "Just as that infant, in what is not [gold]" onward, applying to the former transformation of ordinary beings to clarify that the Buddha is not deceptive; 4. from "Just as that infant, in what is not an ox" onward, applying to the former transformation of the lesser [vehicle] to clarify the Buddha's intention in transforming. In the first part, it applies them sequentially according to the four phrases of the simile above: "If there are sentient beings wishing to commit various evils" matches the first phrase above, when an infant cries; from "the Tathāgata for their sake" onward matches the second phrase, where the parents immediately use yellow leaves of the willow tree and say, "Do not cry, I give you gold"; from "when sentient beings hear" onward matches the third phrase, where the infant, having seen them, immediately ceases and does not cry; from "it is actually the impermanence of saṃsāra" onward matches the fourth phrase, that it is actually not gold.