法華經義記 5.57

5.57

「久住他國」者，大乘教己國，五戒十善經教為他國，失解之後久在五戒十善教中修行，故久住他國也。失解之後備在五道，故言「至五十歲」也。此則釋成上久住他國之義。所以言「若十二十」者，此意明未必盡備經五道，亦可失大乘解之後經人道，仍更值如來得大乘解者，故言若十。亦可失大乘之後，經畜生道或經人道，仍更值佛得大乘解者，故言二十。亦可備經五道，然後得大乘解者，故言至五十歲也。「年既長大」者，不道解心大，只道失解來久，故言長大也。「加復窮困」者，殆盡曰窮，復為寒苦所逼，故言困。外譬為論，此人年既長大復窮亦困，故如即時人，昔日幼小之時，率爾一丈一尺以為衣裳，一斗一升可為飲食，今日人身既長大，正須多衣、足多食之時，云何猶用昔日幼小之時衣食，充今日長大之軀，理自不足。內合為義，眾生既離經五道，應須多功德智願善根自資，猶用昔日微解自資者，又蓋無所利益，故言窮困。備經卵胎濕化受生，故言「四方」。雖然恒位心不無覓理，故言「求衣食」也。又解五戒十善教宣辨人天因果以為「四方」。「漸漸遊行」此下是第二階明子向國而還。「漸漸遊行遇向本國」者，此人于時不作心言是向本國之行，理數爾然故云遇。但背諸國未必遠、向國未必近，故如始出南剎北道一步此亦是背國，若使涉北萬里亦是背國，而歸未必近者，故如涉北萬里，始迴南向作意還向，始舉一步此亦是向國而歸，故知背國未必遠，向國未必近。但背國雖近有日遠義，向國雖遠有日近義，內合為義，假設過去佛為眾生說法，過去佛既滅後，中間且作經一劫，釋迦方出教化眾生，于時背過去佛已經半劫，此是背國日遠。若使後半劫去釋迦出轉近，此則是向國而還義，故言「漸漸遊行遇向本國」。「其父先來求子不得」此下是第二明父覓子不得，亦有二階，第一正明覓子不得，第二明雖失一子之苦，不廢家業大事。今言其父先來求子不得，此是第一階，正明覓子不得，內合明佛從二萬億佛所大乘化眾，失解之後，恒覓眾生大乘根機都不得矣。「中止一城」此下是第二階，明父雖失一子之苦，不廢家業大事，內合如來於此一方眾生無機感可為說法，餘方教化終自不廢。「中止一城」，城者防非拒難為義，如來教法為城，若言教一坐能使正理恒存，外道即隱，故詺教法為城。教明佛果備有眾德，故言財寶無量等。「其諸倉庫」，倉者養命，庫者養身，明如來法身慧命養育眾生之義也。「多有僮僕」者，內外凡夫受學弟子如僮僕，八地以上菩薩如臣，七地以下初地以上菩薩如佐，緣覺如吏，聲聞如民，大乘如象，自餘三乘等如馬牛羊。「出入息利」者，教從佛宣名出，化功歸己如入息利也。「商估賈客」者，商估之徒本買賤求貴，此明諸菩薩從佛受教廣利益眾生。

As for 'dwelling for a long time in another country': the teaching of the Great Vehicle is one's own country, while the scriptural teachings of the five precepts and ten virtues are other countries; after losing understanding, he cultivated for a long time within the teachings of the five precepts and ten virtues, and therefore "dwelt for a long time in another country". After losing understanding, they experienced all five destinies, and therefore it says 'even until fifty years of age'. This explains and fulfills the meaning of 'dwelling for a long time in another country' above. As for why it says 'or ten, or twenty': this intends to explain that one does not necessarily experience all five destinies; it could also be that after losing understanding of the Great Vehicle, one passes through the human destiny and thereupon encounters the Tathāgata again and attains understanding of the Great Vehicle—hence it says 'or ten'. It could also be that after losing the Great Vehicle, one passes through the animal destiny or passes through the human destiny, and thereupon encounters the Buddha again and attains understanding of the Great Vehicle—hence it says 'twenty'. It could also be that one experiences all five destinies and only then attains understanding of the Great Vehicle—hence it says 'even until fifty years of age'. As for 'when he had grown older': this does not speak of the mind of understanding being great; it only speaks of the time since losing understanding being long, and therefore says 'grown older'. As for 'and furthermore became destitute and impoverished': approaching exhaustion is called 'destitute'; being further pressed by cold and suffering is why it says 'impoverished'. Discussing the outer parable: this man had grown older and was moreover destitute and impoverished, just like a person today: in the past, when he was young, an informal measure of ten or eleven feet would serve as clothing, and a peck or a tenth of a peck would serve as food and drink; now that his human body has grown big, precisely when he requires much clothing and ample food, how could he still use the food and clothing of his youth to sustain his grown body of today? By principle it would naturally be insufficient. Applying this internally: since sentient beings have departed and passed through the five destinies, they ought to require many merits, wisdom, vows, and wholesome roots to sustain themselves; if they still use the slight understanding of the past to sustain themselves, it will generally be of no benefit, so it says 'destitute and impoverished'. Having passed through rebirth by egg, womb, moisture, and transformation, it therefore says 'the four directions'. Although this is so, the mind at each stage is not without searching for the principle, and so it says 'seeking food and clothing'. Another explanation: the teachings of the five precepts and ten virtues proclaim and distinguish human and heavenly causes and effects, and these are taken as 'the four directions'. 'Gradually wandering' and what follows is the second sub-step, explaining that the son turns back toward his country. As for 'gradually wandering, he happened to turn toward his native country': at that time this person did not formulate the thought, 'This is a journey toward my native country'; the principle and circumstances being naturally so, it says 'happened to'. Yet turning one's back on countries is not necessarily far, and heading toward a country is not necessarily near. Thus, just as taking one step northward upon first leaving the southern territory is turning one's back on the country, traveling ten thousand li north is also turning one's back on the country. And returning is not necessarily near: just like having traveled ten thousand li to the north, when one first turns south with the intention of returning and takes the very first step, this is also heading toward the country to return. Hence we know that turning one's back on the country is not necessarily far, and heading toward the country is not necessarily near. However, although turning one's back on the country may be near, it has the sense of growing further by the day; although heading toward the country may be far, it has the sense of drawing closer by the day. Applying this internally: suppose a past Buddha preached the Dharma for sentient beings; after the past Buddha passed into extinction, an intervening kalpa passed before Śākya appeared to teach and transform sentient beings; at the point where one has turned one's back on the past Buddha for half a kalpa, this is turning one's back on the country and growing further by the day. If, in the latter half-kalpa, the time until Śākya's appearance draws increasingly near, this has the meaning of heading toward the country and returning; hence it says 'gradually wandering, he happened to turn toward his native country'. 'His father from the first had sought his son without finding him' and what follows is the second [stage], explaining that the father searched for the son but could not find him; it also has two sub-steps: the first directly explains searching for the son without finding him; the second explains that although he suffered the pain of losing an only son, he did not abandon the great enterprise of his family estate. Now, saying that his father from the first had sought his son without finding him: this is the first sub-step, directly explaining searching for the son without finding him. The internal application explains that ever since the Buddha transformed the assembly with the Great Vehicle in the presence of the twenty billion Buddhas and they lost their understanding, he constantly searched for sentient beings' root capacity for the Great Vehicle, but could not find it at all. 'He halted in a certain city' and what follows is the second sub-step, explaining that although the father suffered the pain of losing an only son, he did not abandon the great enterprise of his family estate. The internal application is that although the Tathāgata found no capacity in the sentient beings of this one region to affect him so that he could preach the Dharma for them, his teaching and transforming in other regions was after all never abandoned. 'He halted in a certain city': a city has the meaning of preventing wrongdoing and warding off difficulties; the Tathāgata's teaching and Dharma serve as the city. If a single session of teaching can cause the correct principle to endure forever and the non-Buddhists to withdraw, the teaching and Dharma are therefore called a city. The teaching explains that the Buddha-fruition is fully endowed with myriad virtues, so it says that his wealth and treasures were immeasurable, and so forth. 'His various storehouses': granaries preserve life, and warehouses preserve the body, explaining the meaning of the Tathāgata's Dharma-body and wisdom-life nourishing and sustaining sentient beings. As for 'he had many servants and attendants': external and internal ordinary persons who receive training as disciples are like servants; bodhisattvas of the eighth stage and above are like ministers; bodhisattvas from the first stage up to the seventh stage are like assistants; pratyekabuddhas are like minor officials; śrāvakas are like the common people; the Great Vehicle is like elephants; and the rest of the three vehicles and so forth are like horses, oxen, and sheep. As for 'bringing in and letting out with interest': the teaching being proclaimed from the Buddha is called 'letting out'; the merit of transformation returning to oneself is like 'bringing in interest'. As for 'merchants and traders': merchants by nature buy cheap and seek high prices; this explains that the bodhisattvas receive the teaching from the Buddha and broadly benefit sentient beings.