法華經義記 5.13

5.13

「而說偈言」譬說開三顯一化中根人本有四段，但第一正譬說中有兩段，第一先明舍利弗請，第二是如來答前言。此兩段各有三，佛答中有三，具如前述。第一是緣起，第二從「若國邑聚落」竟百行偈是正譬說，第三「汝舍利弗我此法印」下六十五行偈獎勸受行也。前又解云：此三段中各開為二，緣起有二者，一呵、二許也。正譬說中有二者，第一是長行、二者偈頌，自此以下有百行偈是第二重頌也。但上長行中本有二，第一開譬，第二是合譬也。今就百行偈中亦分為二：第一有六十五行半偈頌上開譬，第二「告舍利弗我亦如是」下有三十四行半偈，頌合譬也。上開譬中本有十譬，今唯頌九譬，略不頌第十不虛妄譬。何以故然？舊解言：「所以不頌第十者，上不虛妄譬本是舍利弗作此不虛妄譬，今者是佛說偈，云何用佛說偈頌舍利弗語耶？」今一家所習不用此解，凡如此處亦復何限，故如〈壽量品〉中佛作醫師不虛譬問彌勒。彌勒答佛明不虛，及至下佛還舍彌勒不虛譬。又如〈分別功德品〉中佛說長行，彌勒偈頌如此，比例實為不少。今所以不頌者，明不虛之意本令物得實解，時眾既得信心不虛妄義，其意自顯，是故略不頌第十不虛譬也。今六十五行半正頌九譬亦開為九段：第一有三十三行偈，頌第一宅主譬亦名總譬者。第二從「是時宅主在門外立」下有兩行偈，頌第二長者見火譬。第三「長者聞已驚入火宅」有六行偈，頌第三長者救子不得譬。第四「爾時長者而作是念，諸子如此益我愁惱」下有七行半，頌第四長者救子得譬。第五「長者見子得出火宅」下有三句偈，頌第五見子出難譬。第六「坐師子座而自慶言」下有四行一句，頌第六長者歡喜譬。第七「爾時諸子知父安坐」下有三行偈，頌第七諸子索車譬。第八「長者大富庫藏眾多」下有七行半偈，頌第八賜大車譬。第九「諸子是時歡喜踊躍」下有一行半偈，頌第九諸子得車故歡喜譬也。三十三行偈頌第一，兩行偈頌第二，六行偈頌第三，七行半偈頌第四，三句偈頌第五，四行一句頌第六，三行偈頌第七，七行半頌第八，一行半頌第九。上宅主總譬中本有六義，今者唯頌四義，略不頌第三一門、第六三十子也。

"And spoke in verse:"—the parabolic exposition that opens the three to reveal the one to convert people of intermediate faculties originally has four sections. But within the first, the exposition by the proper parable, there are two sections: first, explaining Śāriputra's request, and second, the Tathāgata's response to the earlier words. These two sections each have three parts; within the Buddha's response there are three parts, fully as recounted above. The first is the origin; the second, from "If in a state, city, or village" through the one hundred verses, is the exposition by the proper parable; the third, from "You, Śāriputra! This dharma seal of mine" downwards in sixty-five verses, is the encouragement and exhortation to accept and practice it. A previous explanation also said: each of these three sections is opened into two; the origin has two: first, rebuking, and second, granting. The exposition by the proper parable has two: first, prose, and second, verse; from here below, the one hundred verses are the second, the recapitulation in verse. Now, the prose above originally had two parts: first, the unfolding of the parable, and second, the application of the parable. Here, within the one hundred verses, it is also divided into two: first, sixty-five and a half verses versifying the unfolding of the parable above; second, from "He addressed Śāriputra: 'I am also like this'" downwards, thirty-four and a half verses versifying the application of the parable. Within the unfolding of the parable above, there were originally ten parables; here, only nine parables are versified, omitting the tenth parable of non-falsehood. Why is this so? An older interpretation states: "The reason why the tenth is not versified is that the earlier parable of non-falsehood was originally made by Śāriputra; now that it is the Buddha speaking in verse, how could the Buddha's verses be used to versify Śāriputra's words?" Our own tradition does not adopt this explanation: cases like this are indeed limitless, just as in the "Life Span of the Tathāgata" chapter where the Buddha made the parable of the physician's non-falsehood to ask Maitreya, Maitreya answered the Buddha explaining non-falsehood, and when coming below, the Buddha again versified Maitreya's parable of non-falsehood. Furthermore, as in the "Discrimination of Merits" chapter where the Buddha spoke in prose and Maitreya versified it, such analogies are truly not few. The reason it is not versified here is that the purpose of explaining non-falsehood is fundamentally to cause beings to attain real understanding; since the assembly at that time had already attained faithful understanding of the meaning of non-falsehood, the intention was self-evident, and for this reason the tenth parable of non-falsehood was omitted from the verses. Now, the sixty-five and a half verses that properly versify the nine parables are also opened into nine sections: first, thirty-three verses versifying the first parable of the master of the house, also called the general parable. Second, from "At that time the master of the house was standing outside the gate" downwards, two verses versifying the second parable of the elder seeing the fire. Third, "The elder, having heard, in alarm entered the burning house", six verses versifying the third parable of the elder being unable to rescue his sons. Fourth, from "At that time the elder had this thought: 'My sons being like this increases my grief and distress'" downwards, seven and a half verses versifying the fourth parable of the elder being able to rescue his sons. Fifth, from "The elder saw his sons escape the burning house" downwards, three lines of verse versifying the fifth parable of seeing the sons escape the peril. Sixth, from "Sitting on a lion throne and rejoicing within himself" downwards, four verses and one line versifying the sixth parable of the elder's joy. Seventh, from "At that time the sons knew their father was seated peacefully" downwards, three verses versifying the seventh parable of the sons asking for the carts. Eighth, from "The elder was greatly wealthy, with numerous storehouses" downwards, seven and a half verses versifying the eighth parable of bestowing the great cart. Ninth, from "The sons were then joyful and leaping with delight" downwards, one and a half verses versifying the ninth parable of the sons rejoicing because they obtained the carts. Thirty-three verses versify the first; two verses versify the second; six verses versify the third; seven and a half verses versify the fourth; three lines versify the fifth; four verses and one line versify the sixth; three verses versify the seventh; seven and a half versify the eighth; one and a half verses versify the ninth. In the general parable of the master of the house above, there were originally six meanings; now, it only versifies four meanings, omitting the third, the single gate, and the sixth, the thirty sons.