法華經義記 5.15

5.15

從「夜叉餓鬼諸惡鳥獸」下一行半，是第三總結被燒眾生，不開也。色無色界，如窓牖窺看上界之明也。「是朽故宅屬于一人」，此一行是第二明欲界火起所由。祇由長者暫行不在，致令宅中火起，內合明如來昔日已曾化此眾生，于時暫得折伏煩惱不起，無異長者在時有火未起。感緣既盡如來更歷他方，然此眾生遂復更廣起煩惱欝然火盛，故云火起所由也。「於後舍宅欻然火起」此下兩行，是第三正明欲界火起，即是正頌欻然火起句也。「諸鬼神等揚聲大叫」此下一行半偈，是第四總結欲界眾生被燒之相也。「惡獸毒蟲」此下三行半偈，是第二明色界火起。就中亦有四階者，初一行先明欲界眾生為煩惱八苦所惱，故仍伏欲界結生色界，為「藏竄孔穴」也。第二言「薄福德故」一句，明火起所由也。第三言「為火所燒」一句，正明色界火起也。第四餘有兩行，明色界眾生被燒之相也。「蜈蚣蚰蜒」此下兩行偈，第三明無色界火起，亦有四階者，初一行先明色界眾生伏色界結，生無色界也。第二言「鳩槃荼鬼隨取而食」，此半行明火起所由，由彼處邪見人教化而取，故言隨取而食也。第三言「又諸餓鬼頭上火燃」，此半行正明無色界火起也。第四「飢渴熱惱周障悶走」，此半行明被燒之相也。「其宅如是甚可怖畏」此下一行，是大段第四總結三界火起，不開也。

From “yakṣas, hungry ghosts, and malicious birds and beasts” downward, the verse and a half is the third [part], which summarizes in general the sentient beings who are burned; it is not further divided. As for the form and formless realms, [they are] like windows through which one peeps to gaze at the brilliance of the upper realms. “This decaying old house belongs to a single man”—this single verse is the second [part], which explains the cause from which the fire of the desire realm breaks out. It is solely because the elder is temporarily absent that it causes the fire to break out in the house. The internal correlation clarifies that the Tathāgata in the past had already transformed these sentient beings, and at that time their afflictions were temporarily subdued and did not arise, which was no different from the fire not yet breaking out when the elder was present. When the receptive capacity was exhausted, the Tathāgata went on to travel to other directions, and these sentient beings thereupon again gave rise even more extensively to afflictions that blazed up furiously; hence it is called the cause from which the fire breaks out. From “Afterwards, the house suddenly catches fire” downward, the two verses are the third [part], which directly clarifies the fire breaking out in the desire realm, that is, directly versifying the clause “suddenly catches fire”. From “All the ghosts and spirits raise their voices in great cries” downward, the verse and a half is the fourth [part], which summarizes in general the manifestation of the sentient beings of the desire realm being burned. From “Fierce beasts and venomous insects” downward, the three and a half verses are the second [section], which clarifies the fire breaking out in the form realm. Within this there are also four steps: the first verse first clarifies that the sentient beings of the desire realm, harassed by afflictions and the eight sufferings, thus still subdue the fetters of the desire realm to be born into the form realm, which is “hiding and scurrying into holes and crevices”. The second is the single line stating “because of scant blessings and virtue”, which clarifies the cause from which the fire breaks out. The third is the single line stating “are burned by the fire”, which directly clarifies the fire breaking out in the form realm. The fourth, being the remaining two verses, clarifies the manifestation of the sentient beings of the form realm being burned. From “Centipedes and millipedes” downward, the two verses are the third [section], which clarifies the fire breaking out in the formless realm. This also has four steps: the first verse first clarifies that sentient beings of the form realm subdue the fetters of the form realm and are born into the formless realm. Second is the half-verse stating “kumbhāṇḍa ghosts take and eat them at will”, which clarifies the cause from which the fire breaks out: because they are gathered through the teaching of people of wrong views in that place, it says “take and eat them at will”. Third is the half-verse stating “moreover, fires blaze atop the heads of all the hungry ghosts”, which directly clarifies the fire breaking out in the formless realm. Fourth, the half-verse “tormented by hunger, thirst, and heat, they run about in confusion within the surrounding walls”, clarifies the manifestation of being burned. From “Such is the house, exceedingly terrifying” downward, the single verse is the fourth [section] of the major division, which summarizes in general the breaking out of fire in the three realms; it is not further divided.