涅槃經一有云：舊醫告新醫言：汝給使於我四十八年，則將傳我法。諸師解釋之有種種，智者有二義：一云法華已前猶是外道弟子，故曰四十八年。一云四禪四空四無量心之世間十二禪各有自行化他讚法讚者之四者，故成四十八。開善云四禪四空之八禪，各有六行觀之六法，故為四十八。章安云：有空等四見各有因成假等三假，一假各有四句，故三假合為四十八。若依阿含經之說：則外道必先四十八年供給走使，而後與法，今文正當於舊醫之法，新醫權同於舊醫之法，隨而名為走使。見輔行九之一。
The forty-eight years of service demanded by an old physician of his pupil in order to acquire his skill-- likened to the slow and difficult methods of Hīnayāna and of early Mahāyāna.
謂釋迦菩薩初出家時就欝頭藍仙習四禪八定即以四禪為四十八定為八年也又釋約十二門[示*平]自行教人讚法美人各有四品為四十八年也