大般涅槃經疏 7.6

7.6

From 'The Buddha said' onwards is the third part, encouraging benefit to sentient beings. It has three parts: 1. encouragement, 2. attributing capability, 3. praise. The first is as in the text. Next, attributing capability has two parts: first the simile, then the application. The simile also has four parts: 1. Simile praising the bodhisattva. 'Twenty-five' refers to the twenty-five samādhis. 'Vigorous, strong, and handsome' means the king of all samādhis. 'Possessing much wealth and treasures' means all samādhis enter into it. 'Parents': the three truths as one truth is the mother; the one truth as three truths is the father; Dharma joy is the wife; a good mind is the child; the wings of awakening are the retinue; the buddhas of the ten directions are the clan relatives. Next, from 'At that time there was a person' onwards analogizes the rightful entrustment, explained analogously to the above. 3. From 'At that time the strong man' onwards analogizes upholding and receiving the entrustment. 4. 'If that person encountered illness' analogizes not losing the true Dharma. From 'World-Honoured One' onwards is the application of the simile: first citing what ought not to be, then applying what ought to be entrusted. 3. From 'At that time the Buddha praised' onwards is the praise. 'The mind free of outflows, the mind of an arhat' refers to forgetting oneself and attributing capability [to others]. 'Two conditions': due to conditions where the śrāvakas are incapable, whereas the bodhisattvas are capable; or being well able to ask and answer, or causing the Dharma jewel to abide long and benefit sentient beings—all are derived from the text above.