金光明最勝王經疏 2.14

2.14

Question: In accordance with the text and verified by reasoning, it speaks only of bodhi; how can you now say it also clarifies perfect quiescence (nirvāṇa)? Answer: In accordance with this sūtra's text, below, when hearing of the life-measure, the assembly gains benefit. Furthermore, Ruciraketu says that having in person, before the Buddha and the four Tathāgatas, together with the two great beings and the devaputras, heard the matter of the life-measure of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, he again rose from his seat and said: 'World-Honoured One! If it is truly so, that he does not enter parinirvāṇa and there are no relics, why do the sūtras say there is nirvāṇa and Buddha relics?' Since the assembly at that time gained benefit, and it also says 'having spoken', this makes clear that the hearing of the life-span before the Buddha was concluded, and now he further inquires about the preaching of nirvāṇa. The Buddha again answered: 'It should be known thus: there are ten dharmas by which one can understand the true principle of the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, speaking of the ultimate mahāparinirvāṇa.' Furthermore, in accordance with the Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-śāstra explaining the text of the chapter on 'Life-span', it first speaks of the life-span to clarify the unexcelled nature of bodhi, and speaks of the physician metaphor to clarify the unexcelled nature of nirvāṇa. Now, in this sūtra, it first speaks of the long life-span to clarify bodhi, and later speaks of metaphors such as the parents with much wealth to clarify nirvāṇa.