法華經義記 6.17

6.17

「今日世尊令我等思惟觸除諸法戲論之糞」下訖「勤精進故所得弘多」合第四喚子得譬。上喚子得譬中有二：一者長者遣人喚子，二者從「既已得之」以下明見子受喚。今合此兩階，上長者喚子中本有四階，今唯合第四階。上第一者言「長者將欲誘引其子而設方便，先覓可使之人」，明如來覓方便教，今者不合。二者言「密遣二人形色憔悴無威德者」，得可使之人，即是明得方便教，今者亦不合。三者言「汝可詣彼」以下與使人之語，明佛作方便教方法，今者亦不被合。四者言「時二使人即求窮子」一句，正明使人奉命喚子，內合正明如來用三乘教擬宜眾生，唯合此第四階。「今日世尊令我等思惟觸除諸法戲論之糞」此正合「時二使人即求窮子」也。見子受喚中亦有四階，今唯合第三階，一者言「既以得之」有外凡夫堪聞之機，今者不合。「具陳上事」，有內外凡夫堪受之機，今者亦不合。第四階言「其父見子愍而怪之」，長者見子唯有樂小之志得無學果之機，故起愍傷之心，今者亦不合。唯合第三階，言「爾時窮子先取其價尋與除糞」，有見諦思惟堪行之機，今言「我等於中勤加精進得至涅槃一日之價」，乃至言「勤精進故所得弘多」，正合上第三階堪行之機也。

From "Today the World-Honoured One causes us to contemplate and clear away the dung of frivolous discourse on dharmas" down to "because of diligent vigour, what was attained was very vast" matches the fourth parable above, of successfully summoning the son. In the parable above of successfully summoning the son, there were two parts: first, the elder sending people to summon the son; second, from "having already caught him" onward, explaining seeing the son receive the summons. Now these two steps are matched. Above, in the elder summoning the son, there were originally four steps; now it only matches the fourth step. Above, the first said, "The elder, wishing to entice his son, devised a skilful means and first sought people who could be sent," explaining that the Tathāgata sought the teaching of skilful means, which is not matched now. The second said, "He secretly dispatched two men of emaciated appearance and lacking dignity and virtue," obtaining people who could be sent, which explains obtaining the teaching of skilful means, and is also not matched now. The third said, from "You may go there" onward, the words given to the messengers, explaining the method by which the Buddha made the teaching of skilful means, which is also not matched now. The fourth said, "Then the two messengers went immediately in search of the poor son," this one phrase directly explaining the messengers obeying the command to summon the son, which inwardly matches the Tathāgata using the teaching of the three vehicles to tentatively adapt to sentient beings; it matches only this fourth step. "Today the World-Honoured One causes us to contemplate and clear away the dung of frivolous discourse on dharmas" directly matches "Then the two messengers went immediately in search of the poor son." In seeing the son receive the summons there were also four steps, and now it only matches the third step. The first said, "Having already caught him," which represented the capacity of external ordinary persons capable of listening; this is not matched now. "Extensively explaining the matter above," which represented the capacity of internal and external ordinary persons capable of receptive acceptance; this is also not matched now. The fourth step said, "His father saw the son and felt pity and wonder for him": the elder saw that the son had only the aspiration to delight in the small, having only the capacity for the fruit of a non-learner, and therefore gave rise to a mind of pity and sorrow; this is also not matched now. It only matches the third step, which said, "At that time the poor son first took his wages and immediately joined in clearing dung," having the capacity for practice in the contemplation of the insight into the truths. Now saying, "Among them we exerted diligent vigour, attaining to the one-day wage of nirvāṇa," up to saying, "because of diligent vigour, what was attained was very vast," directly matches the capacity for practice in the third step above.