大般涅槃經義記 8.34

8.34

就牒前中，有喻有合，今先牒喻，「如來初開《涅槃經》時說有三種」總以標舉，如來向前〈現病品〉中說有三人，故今指彼為初開時，說學行中彼為始也。下別牒之，「一切眾生亦如是」下牒上合文，「眾生如是」是總合也，餘是別合，先合中人，次下後上。何故與前所說不次？迴上在後，欲約設難，故不同前。

Regarding citing the prior passage, there are both the metaphor and its application. Here it first cites the metaphor: 'When the Tathāgata first opened the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, he stated that there are three kinds,' which sets it forth as a general topic. Since the Tathāgata previously stated in the 'Chapter on Manifesting Illness' that there are three types of persons, this refers to that as the time of the initial opening, and among the practices and training taught, that was the beginning. Below, it cites them individually. 'All sentient beings are also like this' and so forth cites the prior passage applying the metaphor: 'Sentient beings are like this' is the general application; the rest are individual applications, first applying it to the intermediate person, next to the inferior person, and lastly to the superior person. Why is the order different from that previously stated? Placing the superior at the end was done in order to construct an objection based on it; hence it is not the same as before.