大般涅槃經義記 8.342

8.342

第二師子乘言重難，正難佛性。因前說言修道見故，兼難聖道。就難性中，先就前喻進退兩定，一耶多耶？下就設難，「如其一者，牛食則盡」難破別得。如草是一，牛食則盡，餘者無分。若性是一，一人得時，餘者無分。云何說言修者皆見？「如其多者，云何而言性亦如是」難破一義。其草若多，性亦應多，云何說言眾生佛性同共有之，如忍辱草？下難聖道，「如佛所說修道見性，是義不然」牒以總非。「何以」下釋。「道若一者，如忍辱草則應有盡」，執一難破別得之義。「道若多」下，執別難破具得之義。其道既多，云何一人能具修習？既不具修，云何名得薩婆若智？薩婆梵語，此翻名為一切智也。下佛答之，正為解性，因其問故通論聖道。釋意云何？明法雖一，不妨別得。文中，先舉道樹二喻，次約顯法，後舉門、橋、良醫三喻，下約顯法。

Second, Siṃhanāda seizes upon [the Buddha's] words to present a further objection, which directly challenges buddha-nature. Because it was said before that it is seen through cultivating the path, it concurrently challenges the noble path. Within his objection to nature, he first posits a dilemma based on the previous metaphor: Is it one, or is it many? Below, he poses the objection based on this: "If it is one, then when an ox eats it, it is exhausted," which objects to and refutes individual attainment. If the grass is one, then when an ox eats it, it is exhausted, and the others have no share in it. If the nature is one, when one person attains it, the others would have no share. How can one say that all cultivators see it? "If it is many, why say that the nature is also like this?" objects to and refutes the meaning of unity. If the grass were many, the nature should also be many; how could one say that sentient beings all share the buddha-nature in common, like the kṣānti grass? Below, he challenges the noble path: "What the Buddha said, that cultivating the path one sees the nature, this meaning is not so," citing it to negate it generally. From "Why?" downward, he explains. "If the path is one, then like the kṣānti grass it should be exhausted"—clinging to oneness, he objects to and refutes the meaning of individual attainment. From "If the path is many" downward, clinging to distinctness, he objects to and refutes the meaning of complete attainment. Since the paths are many, how could one person completely cultivate them? If one does not completely cultivate them, how can one be said to attain the sarvajña-jñāna? Sarva is a Sanskrit word; here it is translated as 'all-knowledge'. Below, the Buddha answers him; his primary purpose is to explain the nature, but because of his question, he comprehensively discusses the noble path. What is the intended explanation? It clarifies that although the dharma is one, this does not hinder individual attainment. In the text, he first adduces the two metaphors of the road and the tree; next, he clarifies the dharma in reference to them; afterward, he adduces the three metaphors of the gate, the bridge, and the good physician, and below, he clarifies the dharma in reference to them.