大般涅槃經義記 8.325

8.325

下佛答之。先對初句明有成辦。「汝言念念滅云何增」下，對第二句明雖生滅而有增長。「如犢子」下，對第三句雖念念滅，明後過前，非定相似。初中，「如燈雖念念滅而破闇冥」喻有成辦，次合顯法，下復重舉三喻顯之。此即是其先後喻也。第二段中，「言念念滅云何增長」舉其難意，「心不斷故名為增長」法說明增，「如人誦」下五喻顯之。第三段中，初先立喻明有增長，「譬如犢子生便求乳實無人教」舉其喻，「雖念念滅初飢後飽故不相似」明後過前。「若相似者不應異生」破定相似。「若言相似，不應異飢更有飽生」下約顯法。「眾生修道亦復如是」合前犢子生便求乳。「初雖未」下，合前初飢後飽等言。

Below, the Buddha answers him. First, in response to the first clause, he explains that there is accomplishment. From "you say that if they perish from moment to moment, how can there be increase?" onward, in response to the second clause, he explains that although there is arising and perishing, there is increase. From "like a calf" onward, in response to the third clause, he explains that although they perish from moment to moment, the later surpasses the earlier and they are not definitely similar. In the first part, "just as a lamp, though perishing from moment to moment, breaks through darkness" illustrates that there is accomplishment; next, the application reveals the dharma; below, he again adduces three analogies to reveal it. These are the analogies of earlier and later. In the second section, "you say that if they perish from moment to moment, how is there increase?" raises the point of his objection; "because the mind is uninterrupted, it is called increase" explains through dharma that there is increase; from "like a person reciting" onward, five analogies reveal it. In the third section, first he sets up an analogy to explain that there is increase: "just as a calf, as soon as it is born, seeks milk without anyone teaching it" adduces the analogy; "although perishing from moment to moment, it is hungry at first and satiated later, so they are not similar" explains that the later surpasses the earlier. "If they were similar, it should not be born differently" refutes definite similarity. "If you say they are similar, there should not be the arising of satiety distinct from hunger"; below, he applies this to reveal the dharma. "Sentient beings' cultivation of the path is also like this" matches the calf seeking milk as soon as it is born. From "although at first not yet" onward, it matches the words "hungry at first and satiated later" and so forth.