法華經義記 4.64

4.64

「舍利弗於汝意云何」此下，是第十不虛妄譬，即譬上〈方便品〉中第十「汝等勿有疑我為諸法王」下半行偈，明不虛妄也。今就此譬中自有三段：第一如來先作不虛譬問舍利弗，第二明舍利弗仰答如來明不虛妄，第三如來述舍利弗結成不虛妄也。今明長者昔日本許諸子三種小車令出門外，今平等與諸子珍寶大車，就情論事為有虛妄為無虛妄耶？內合昔日令眾生修行斷三界煩惱，許與眾生三界外盡智、無生智，今日遂為眾生平等受記同得佛果，如此化方為是虛妄為非虛妄？「舍利弗言」此下，是第二舍利弗仰答佛明不虛妄。今就此答中自有兩段：第一言「不也世尊」，此先總明長者不虛妄也。第二明不虛妄。就此第二中自有三：第一明以重奪輕不虛，第二別明稱本心不虛，第三明過本所望不虛妄也。就第一中自有三：初「若是長者但令諸子得免火難全其軀命，非為虛妄」一句，正明以重奪輕不虛。第二「何以故，若全身命」下釋，夫人所重莫過身命，餘外財寶事成賖遠，而此長者慈悲令諸子免焚灼之苦，全身與命即已是不虛之重，況復財寶輕物而當相准。內合為義者，化佛若不方便接化眾生，或能廣起煩惱、斷滅大乘善根，只由如來方便誘化，令大乘智願善根不斷不絕，所重慧命得全，況復輕微小果也。第三「況復方便於彼火宅中而拔濟之」者，總結不虛。欲明如來設小乘教作根本，為欲與我等大乘因果，今日既同得大乘之解，此則稱如來出世大意，云何虛也？「世尊，若是長者」此下是第二，明稱本心故不虛，亦有三階：初「若是長者」乃至「不與最小一車」下一句，正明稱本心故不虛。第二「何以故，是長者先作是意」下，釋明方便度眾生，本不欲與小故。第三「以是因緣」下，總結也。從「何況長者自知財富無量，欲饒益諸子等與大車」，是第三明過本所望不虛。所言過本望者，故如昔日許施甲人木案，此人後來遂惠玉案，然昔許惠木今忽得玉，今昔相違實是虛妄，無奈今日重寶奪昔輕貨，貪寶情重不許相違；昔日本許惠三界外盡、無生智，今既出三界仍為受記得佛一切種智，豈非過本所望也。「佛告舍利弗」此下，是第三明如來述舍利弗結成不虛也。

"Śāriputra, what do you think?": below this is the tenth [parable], the parable of non-falsehood. This corresponds above to the half-verse below the tenth [section] in the "Expedient Means" chapter: "Do not have any doubts; / I am the King of all dharmas," clarifying non-falsehood. Now, within this parable there are themselves three sections: first, the Tathāgata first frames the parable of non-falsehood to question Śāriputra; second, clarifying Śāriputra's respectful reply to the Tathāgata explaining non-falsehood; third, the Tathāgata confirms Śāriputra's [reply] to conclude non-falsehood. Now it clarifies: in the past the elder originally promised the sons three kinds of small carts to get them out the gate; now he impartially gives the sons the jewelled great cart—judging by sentiment and fact, is this falsehood or not falsehood? Internally, the application is: in the past he had sentient beings practice to sever the defilements of the three realms, promising to give sentient beings the knowledge of exhaustion and knowledge of non-arising beyond the three realms; today he ultimately confers prophecies impartially on sentient beings so that they equally attain the Buddha-fruition—is this method of transformation falsehood or not falsehood? "Śāriputra said": below this is the second, Śāriputra respectfully answering the Buddha to clarify non-falsehood. Now, within this reply there are themselves two sections: first, the words "No, World-Honoured One"—this first generally clarifies that the elder is not false. Second, clarifying non-falsehood. Within this second section there are themselves three [points]: first, clarifying non-falsehood through the weighty superseding the light; second, separately clarifying non-falsehood through matching the original intention; third, clarifying non-falsehood through exceeding their original hopes. Within the first point there are themselves three [steps]: first, the single sentence, "If this elder had merely caused his sons to escape the disaster of fire and preserved their bodies and lives, it would not be a falsehood"—directly clarifying non-falsehood through the weighty superseding the light. Second, the explanation below "Why is this? Because if their bodies and lives are preserved": among things cherished by humans, nothing surpasses the body and life; other external wealth and treasures are comparatively remote and minor matters. Yet this elder, out of compassion, enabled the sons to escape the suffering of burning; preserving their bodies and lives is already of a weight that is not false—how much less can light things like wealth and treasures be equated with it? As for the meaning applied internally: if the nirmanakāya Buddha did not guide and transform sentient beings through expedient means, they might widely give rise to defilements and extinguish the roots of goodness of the Great Vehicle; only through the Tathāgata's expedient enticement and transformation are the Great Vehicle's roots of goodness of wisdom and vow kept from being broken or severed, so that the cherished life of wisdom is preserved—how much more so [is it superior to] a slight, minor fruit! Third, "How much more so, since by expedient means he rescued them from that burning house": this sums up non-falsehood. It intends to clarify that the Tathāgata established the Small Vehicle teachings as a basis in order to give us the Great Vehicle's cause and effect; now that we have equally attained the understanding of the Great Vehicle, this matches the grand intention of the Tathāgata's appearance in the world—how could it be false? "World-Honoured One, if that elder": below this is the second [point], clarifying non-falsehood because it matches the original intention; it also has three tiers: first, the sentence below "If that elder" down to "did not give even the smallest single cart"—directly clarifying non-falsehood because it matches the original intention. Second, below "Why is this? Because this elder had previously thought", explaining that he guided sentient beings through expedient means and originally did not intend to give the small. Third, below "By these causes and conditions", the summation. From "How much more so when the elder knows his own wealth is limitless and desires to benefit the sons by giving them great carts" is the third [point], clarifying non-falsehood through exceeding their original hopes. What is meant by exceeding their original hopes is like formerly promising to give Person A a wooden table, but later presenting him with a jade table; although promising wood formerly and now suddenly receiving jade is contradictory between past and present and is factually a deception, the heavy treasure of today supersedes the light commodity of the past, and one's fondness for the treasure is so great that one does not deem it a breach; in the past he originally promised to give the knowledge of exhaustion and knowledge of non-arising beyond the three realms, but now that they have exited the three realms, he still confers prophecies on them to attain the Buddha's omniscience—how is this not exceeding their original hopes? Below "The Buddha told Śāriputra" is the third [section], clarifying the Tathāgata confirming Śāriputra's [reply] to conclude non-falsehood.