大般涅槃經疏 12.20

12.20

「復次譬如良醫」下，品第四，答上云何處煩惱煩惱不能染，是答滅煩惱障問。凡十四譬，初十二譬譬所說教、次兩譬譬能說人。初譬教中，初一譬譬昔小教，先譬、次合。初譬譬昔教，八種譬八正，文云「無常不淨等五門，因緣、慈悲、不淨觀為八種。」阿薩闍無的翻，義言無可治。次良醫譬今教可解。第三，如文。次第四譬雙明生善滅惡，為三：一正舉譬、二更問答料簡、三重舉譬。初譬次合。舊解：吐懺現在，下懺過去，通生善滅惡為塗身，別持滅惡為灌鼻，求理為熏，受持文言為洗，持偈頌為丸，持長行為散。興皇分此八句，初四句譬昔無常，吐譬苦、下譬無常、塗身譬無我、不淨譬灌鼻。後四句譬今教，常德譬熏、淨德譬洗、樂德譬丸、我德譬散。貧愚不服醫將還家，舊解云：眾生顛倒，憚教不受，故言不肯服。將還家者，示三塗苦報是罪樓處所。興皇云：一說不受，再更為說。今明慈悲是聖人之家，慈心為說，故言將還。女人產者，舊云：女人譬生善。闍樓，此言兒衣。兒譬常解，衣譬煩惱。煩惱難除，譬衣不出。興皇云：女譬菩薩，產譬正觀，衣譬常無常兩教。夫兒衣裹兒，兒若出者衣亦須去，若不出者反為大患。常無常教本生中觀，觀解若成此教須去，教若不去反復成病。下雙合二譬，可見。次料簡中，先問、次佛答，亦可見。三如彼嬰兒，即重舉譬，還明前意正觀漸增，如嬰兒長大。先藉教生解，故言是醫最良。藥病不同，故言善解。一切眾生未聞經時常處無明，故言我本處胎。與母藥者，母譬經教，藥譬常與無常相治。病去解生，故言安隱。惑心既解，還歎於教，故言奇哉。十月者，二解：一云十使所覆；二云十地行滿。推乾去濕者，舊云：慢為乾，愛為濕。興皇云：二乘如乾，凡夫如濕。除不淨者，舊云：除無明。興皇云：除斷常諸倒，容受中道，故言長養其身。「犯四重」下，合譬，可尋。「復次譬如良醫」下，第五譬。解者不同。一云：醫譬佛，子譬菩薩，藥譬經教。二云：醫通譬此教，子譬持戒滅罪，蛇譬謗法。蛇似於龍，謗似闡提。龍譬五逆，蝮譬四重，良藥譬理，塗屣譬教。觸毒譬破謗法之心。又云屣是下物譬不善心，不善被調，能破惡毒。「譬如有人以毒塗鼓」下，第六譬。人譬佛，毒藥譬今教，塗鼓譬著教。又云：人譬此經，雖無心欲聞，遇時聞者必能斷惑。「譬如闇夜」是第七譬。昔教如夜，今教如明。「猶如天雨」是第八譬。八十者，三解。一云：應言八千，如〈持品〉中八千得記是也，出經者誤為八十。二云：外國本有八十人受記，此文不來故無。三云：此非人數，乃是指於諸老聲聞年已朽邁，於法華中方得信解。後之兩解不可承用。若定以八十為數，數陜不該諸得記人。若定是年，何必併同有過有少，故不可用。「秋收冬藏」是第九譬。雖非正譬教，要因於教得收藏故。「聞他人子」是第十譬。醫譬此經，使譬弘者。又言是滅罪生福章句。他人子者，往是佛子，起逆起重，即成他子。非人所持，譬被外誘。卿若遲晚我當自去者，譬弘經人不稱化緣，佛當自化。又遲晚者即是差機，若能詣理即是自往。「聾人」是第十一譬。「譬如良醫」是第十二譬。王譬犯罪眾生，必死病者譬必入惡道，王不信者譬不受此教。不見腹內者，不見未來。下藥，譬懺悔昔罪。王不肯服，譬諸眾生不肯懺悔。以呪力故令隱處生創者，譬經之力，令於夢中見墮地獄（云云）。

From "Furthermore, just as an excellent physician" onward is the fourth [part] of the chapter, answering the earlier question of how, abiding among afflictions, one cannot be defiled by afflictions; this answers the question regarding extinguishing the obstacle of afflictions. In total there are fourteen similes: the first twelve similes illustrate the teaching expounded, while the subsequent two similes illustrate the person capable of expounding it. Among the initial similes illustrating the teaching, the very first simile illustrates the former lesser teaching, first presenting the simile and then applying it. The first simile illustrates the former teaching: the "eight methods" illustrate the eightfold noble [path]; the text says, "The five gates of impermanence, impurity, and so forth, together with causes and conditions, friendliness and compassion, and the contemplation of impurity make eight kinds." Asādhya has no exact translation; in meaning it denotes "incurable." Next, the excellent physician illustrating the present teaching can be understood. The third is as in the text. Next, the fourth simile illustrates both generating good and extinguishing evil, comprising three [parts]: first, directly adducing the simile; second, further questions and answers with analytical distinctions; third, reiterating the simile. First is the simile, followed by its application. An old explanation states: vomiting is repenting the present; purging is repenting the past; applying [medicine] to the body generally illustrates generating good and extinguishing evil; pouring [it] into the nose specifically illustrates holding to extinguishing evil; fumigating is seeking the principle; washing is receiving and upholding the words; pills are upholding verses; and powder is upholding prose. Xīnghuáng divides this into eight clauses: the first four clauses illustrate the former impermanence—vomiting illustrates suffering, purging illustrates impermanence, applying to the body illustrates non-self, and pouring into the nose illustrates impurity; the latter four clauses illustrate the present teaching—the virtue of permanence illustrates fumigating, the virtue of purity illustrates washing, the virtue of bliss illustrates pills, and the virtue of self illustrates powder. To "poor and foolish, not taking it, the physician took him back home," an old explanation states: sentient beings are inverted and fear the teaching, not accepting it, hence it says they are unwilling to take it; taking him back home indicates that the painful retributions of the three bad destinies are the abode of sin. Xīnghuáng says: if expounded once and not accepted, he expounds it again for them. Now it is explained that friendliness and compassion are the abode of the sage; expounding with a mind of friendliness is why it says "taking him back." To the woman giving birth, an old [explanation] states: the woman illustrates generating good. Jālu here means the placenta (afterbirth). The child illustrates the understanding of permanence; the placenta illustrates afflictions. That afflictions are difficult to eliminate illustrates that the placenta does not come out. Xīnghuáng says: the woman illustrates the bodhisattva, giving birth illustrates right contemplation, and the placenta illustrates the two teachings of permanence and impermanence. For the placenta wraps the child; when the child comes out, the placenta must also be removed; if it does not come out, it contrarily becomes a great affliction. The teachings of permanence and impermanence originally give birth to the middle contemplation; once the contemplative understanding is accomplished, these teachings must be removed; if the teachings are not removed, they contrarily become an illness again. Below, applying the two similes together can be seen. Next, in the analytical distinctions, first is a question, followed by the Buddha's answer, which can also be seen. Third, "just like that infant" is the reiteration of the simile, returning to elucidate the former meaning that right contemplation gradually increases just as an infant grows up. First relying on the teaching to generate understanding is why it says "this physician is most excellent." Medicines and illnesses differ, hence it says "skillfully understanding." When all sentient beings have not heard the sūtra, they constantly dwell in ignorance, hence it says "I originally dwelt in the womb." Giving medicine to the mother: the mother illustrates the scriptural teachings; the medicine illustrates permanence and impermanence remedying each other. When illness is removed and understanding arises, it says "peaceful and secure." Once the deluded mind is resolved, it turns back to praise the teaching, hence it says "marvelous!" "Ten months" has two explanations: one says it is covered by the ten fetters (kleśas); the second says the practices of the ten stages are completed. To "pushing aside dryness and removing wetness," an old [explanation] states: arrogance is dryness, desire is wetness. Xīnghuáng says: the two vehicles are like dryness, ordinary beings are like wetness. To "removing impurity," an old [explanation] states: removing ignorance. Xīnghuáng says: removing the various inversions of annihilation and permanence, to receive the middle way, hence it says "nurturing its body." From "transgressing the four grave offenses" onward is the application of the simile, which can be examined. From "Furthermore, just as an excellent physician" onward is the fifth simile. Commentators differ. One says: the physician illustrates the Buddha, the son illustrates the bodhisattva, and the medicine illustrates the scriptural teachings. A second says: the physician generally illustrates this teaching, the son illustrates keeping the precepts to extinguish offenses, and the snake illustrates slandering the Dharma. A snake resembles a dragon, and slander resembles an icchantika. A dragon illustrates the five heinous sins, an adder illustrates the four grave offenses, the excellent medicine illustrates the principle, and applying it to the sandals illustrates the teaching. Touching the poison illustrates breaking the mind that slanders the Dharma. It also says: sandals are a base item, illustrating an unwholesome mind; when the unwholesome is subdued, it can destroy evil poison. From "Just as if someone smeared a drum with poison" onward is the sixth simile. The person illustrates the Buddha, the poisonous medicine illustrates the present teaching, and smearing the drum illustrates applying the teaching. It also says: the person illustrates this sūtra; although one has no intention to hear it, when one encounters the time and hears it, one is certainly able to sever delusion. "Just as in a dark night" is the seventh simile. The former teaching is like the night; the present teaching is like brightness. "Just as heavenly rain" is the eighth simile. "Eighty" has three explanations. One says: it should say "eight thousand," just as in the "Upholding Chapter" eight thousand receive prediction; the editor of the sūtra mistook it for eighty. A second says: the foreign manuscript had eighty people receiving prediction; since that text did not arrive, it is missing here. A third says: this is not a count of people, but refers to the elder śrāvakas whose years were already decrepit, only in the Lotus Sūtra coming to gain faith and understanding. The latter two explanations cannot be accepted. If eighty were fixed as a number, the number is too narrow and does not encompass all who received prediction. If it were fixed as age, why must they all be identically so, with none older or younger? Hence it cannot be used. "Harvesting in autumn and storing in winter" is the ninth simile. Although it does not directly illustrate the teaching, because of the teaching one is able to harvest and store. "Hearing of another's son" is the tenth simile. The physician illustrates this sūtra; the messenger illustrates the propagator. It is also said to be the phrases that extinguish offenses and give birth to blessings. "Another's son": previously he was a son of the Buddha, but upon giving rise to heinous sins and grave offenses, he became another's son. Possessed by a non-human illustrates being seduced by outsiders. "If you are late, I shall go myself" illustrates that if the propagator of the sūtra does not match the conditions for conversion, the Buddha will convert them himself. Furthermore, being late means missing the capacity; if one is able to arrive at the principle, that is going oneself. "The deaf person" is the eleventh simile. "Just as an excellent physician" is the twelfth simile. The king illustrates sentient beings who commit offenses; a fatal illness illustrates certainly entering the bad destinies; the king's disbelief illustrates not accepting this teaching. Not seeing inside the belly illustrates not seeing the future. Administering medicine illustrates repenting former offenses. The king being unwilling to take it illustrates sentient beings being unwilling to repent. Causing sores to appear in hidden parts through the power of spells illustrates the power of the sūtra causing them to see themselves falling into hell in a dream (and so forth).