http://www.nirvanasutra.net/convenient/Mahaparinirvana_Sutra_Yamamoto_Page_2007.pdf"Know, O you Bhiksus! The same is the case with the Tathagata, the Alms-deserving,
the All-Enlightened-One, the Unsurpassed Best Trainer, the Teacher-of-Heaven-and-Earth, the
Buddha-World-Honoured One. He comes as a great Doctor and subdues all tirthikas and bad
doctors. In the presence of kings and all people, he says: "I shall become the King of doctors
and subdue tirthikas." Thus we say: "There is no self, no man, no being, no life, no nurturing,
no knowing, none that does, and none that receives." O Bhiksus! Know that what the tirthikas
say is like the case of a worm that eats upon [a piece of] wood, from which, by chance, there
appears what looks like a letter. Because of this, the Tathagata teaches and says no-self. This
is to adjust beings and because he is aware of the occasion. Such non-self is, as occasion arises,
spoken of, and it is [also] said that there is the Self. This is as in the case of the learned Doctor,
who knows well the medicinal and non-medicinal qualities of milk. It is not as with common
mortals, who might measure the size of their own self. Common mortals and the ignorant may
measure the size of their own self and say, ’It is like the size of a thumb, like a mustard seed, or
like the size of a mote.’ When the Tathagata speaks of Self, in no case are things thus. That is
why he says: ’All things have no Self.’
Even though he has said that all phenomena [dharmas] are devoid of the Self, it is not that
they are completely/ truly devoid of the Self. What is this Self? Any phenomenon [dharma] that
is true [satya], real [tattva], eternal [nitya], sovereign/ autonomous/ self-governing [aisvarya], and
whose ground/ foundation is unchanging [asraya-aviparinama], is termed ’the Self’ [atman]. This
is as in the case of the great Doctor who well understands the milk medicine. The same is the
case with the Tathagata. For the sake of beings, he says "there is the Self in all things" O you
the four classes! Learn Dharma thus!"
Löytyi tälläinen.