大般涅槃經義記 8.203

8.203

下明眾生有而不見。師子先問。「若一切生悉有佛性如力士者」牒佛前言。佛上宣說眾生佛性如彼力士額上寶珠，故今牒之。「何故不見」徵問如來。下佛為辯，先明眾生不見所由，「如月初」下彰其是有。前中有二：一明凡夫盲故不見、二明二乘倒故不見。前中，為明凡夫不見，舉佛菩薩見以顯之。於中先喻。「色」喻性體。「盲不見」者喻凡不見。「雖復不見不得言無」喻明性有。「有目見」者喻佛菩薩有眼能見。下合顯法。「佛性」合色，「眾生不見」合盲不見，「十住」已下合有目見。於中先明菩薩分見、如來全見，次以喻顯，「菩薩分見如夜見色，如來全見如晝見色」。下明菩薩從昧得明，於中先立治眼之喻，下約顯法。「十地如是雖見不了」合眼膚翳見色不了。「以首楞」下合以藥力得了了見。「醫」喻如來，略而不合。

Below, it explains that sentient beings possess it but do not see it. Lion's Roar first asks. "If all sentient beings possess the buddha-nature like the strongman..." takes up the Buddha's previous words. Above, the Buddha declared that sentient beings' buddha-nature is like the jewel on the forehead of that strongman, so he now takes this up. "Why do they not see it?" inquires of the Tathāgata. Below, the Buddha distinguishes it for him: first, he explains the reason sentient beings do not see it; from "Like the start of the month..." downward, he reveals that it exists. In the first part there are two: first, explaining that ordinary beings do not see it because they are blind; second, explaining that those of the two vehicles do not see it because they are inverted. In the first part, to explain that ordinary beings do not see it, he cites the seeing of the buddhas and bodhisattvas to illuminate it. Therein, first is the metaphor: "color" illustrates the essence of the nature; "the blind not seeing" illustrates ordinary beings not seeing; "although they do not see it, it cannot be said not to exist" illustrates that the nature exists; "those with eyes seeing" illustrates the buddhas and bodhisattvas having eyes and being able to see. Below, the application reveals the dharma: "buddha-nature" applies to color; "sentient beings do not see" applies to the blind not seeing; from "the ten abodes" downward applies to those with eyes seeing. Therein, it first explains that bodhisattvas see partially while the Tathāgata sees completely, and next illustrates this with a metaphor: "Bodhisattvas seeing partially is like seeing color at night; the Tathāgata seeing completely is like seeing color in daytime." Below, it explains that bodhisattvas advance from obscurity to clarity; therein, it first sets up the metaphor of curing the eyes, and below applies it to reveal the dharma. "The ten grounds are like this: although they see, it is not clear" applies to a film over the eye seeing color unclearly. From "Because of the Śūraṅgama..." downward applies to gaining clear vision through the power of medicine. The "physician" illustrates the Tathāgata, which is abbreviated and not applied.