法華經義記 6.8

6.8

「又以他日」此下是第五教作人譬，此則領火宅第四譬中後兩階，初「如此羊鹿牛車今在門外」句，又領「諸子聞所說心各勇銳」等句，亦遠領〈方便品〉「思惟是事已，即趣波羅捺說三乘教」乃至「便有涅槃音及以阿羅漢，法僧差別名」。今就此譬中大分為三段，第一從「又以他日」下訖「狀有所畏」，名教作緣由也。第二從「語諸作人」以下正教作也。第三從「汝常作時」以下竟「猶在本處」，名為作人就作稱可長者意，內合為義，則如來將欲說三乘教，先捨法身受應身，此則是教作緣由義也。既受應身然後造鹿苑轉三乘教化𤘽隣等，即是正教作義也。既說三乘教三人受行，即是稱可長者意也。後兩階正是領上譬，前一階但四大聲聞今深取佛意，探明未說教之前捨本現迹，是故名長者教作緣由也。只就第一教作緣由中自有三段，第一從「又以他日」訖「污穢不淨」，明長者見窮子，內合明如來以道眼見眾生為五濁所壅。二從「即脫瓔珞」以下，即明長者捨貴人服飾，內合明如來捨法身智慧功德相好也。第三從「更著麁弊」以下訖「狀有所畏」，即明長者受賤人之服，內合明如來示受應身，同凡夫之體、作太子之形。又就此三段中各有三階。第一有三者，一者明見子時，二者明見子之處，三者正明見子之相。「又以他日」此是第一明長者見子之時，內合佛臨說三乘教照機之時。所以言「他日」者，上已明見者，則是領用三乘擬宜之時見機也；此中言見者，即是說教時見，欲別此見異於前見，故言「他日」。然兩見只是一時義，得作前後也。「於窓牖中」，此是第二見子之處，所以不道於戶中而道窓牖者，表明如來方便智中見眾生，此機非是實智，如牖也。「遙見子身」此是第三正明見子之相，內合明如來正照小乘機，自有二，第一明有善，第二明有惡，表明純善不感聖也。今者第一小乘機無善自資如羸瘦也，無威德故言憔悴也。第二明有惡者，備有九十八使，故言「糞土塵坌污穢不淨」也。「即脫瓔珞」下是第二明捨貴人服飾，內合捨法身。就中亦有三，此一句是第一，先明如來捨種智也。「細軟上服」此一句是第二，明如來又除功德也。「嚴身之具」此一句是第三，明如來又捨相好也。此中明法身即是他方淨土分身諸佛以為法身也。「更著麁弊」此下是第三明如來受應身，亦有三階：「更著麁弊垢膩之衣」，此一句對第三「嚴身之具」，示無有相好悉達太子，凡夫之體。「塵土坌身」是第二，對第二「除細軟上服」。「右手執持」以下是第三，明如來示無智慧，此即對第一「即脫瓔珞」句，此明如來示修智慧，用智慧之手執二諦境，斷除煩惱示同厭生死，故言狀有所畏也。

"Then on another day" onward is the fifth parable of instructing the hired laborer. This assimilates the latter two steps in the fourth parable of the burning house: first, the sentence "Such goat, deer, and ox carts are now outside the gate", and it also assimilates the sentences "The sons, hearing what was spoken, their minds each became ardent and keen", etc.; it also distantly assimilates the "Skillful Means" chapter, "Having contemplated this matter, he immediately proceeded to Vārāṇasī to preach the teaching of the three vehicles", down to "There came to be the sound of nirvāṇa, as well as arhat, and the distinct names of Dharma and Saṅgha". Now within this parable, it is broadly divided into three sections: First, from "Then on another day" down to "his appearance seemed fearful" is named the reason for instructing the laborer. Second, from "spoke to the laborers" onward is the actual instruction of the laborer. Third, from "when you constantly work" down to "he still remained in his original place" is named the laborer undertaking the work and satisfying the elder's intention. In its inward application of meaning, when the Tathāgata was about to preach the teaching of the three vehicles, he first relinquished the Dharmakāya and assumed the responsive body (nirmāṇakāya)—this is the meaning of the reason for instructing the laborer. Having assumed the responsive body, he then went to the Deer Park to turn the teaching of the three vehicles and transform Kauṇḍinya and the others—this is the meaning of the actual instruction of the laborer. Having preached the teaching of the three vehicles, the three types of people received and practiced it—this is satisfying the elder's intention. The latter two steps properly assimilate the preceding parable; the first step merely reflects the four great śrāvakas now deeply grasping the Buddha's intent, probing and clarifying that before preaching the doctrine he relinquished the fundamental and manifested the traces; therefore it is named the elder's reason for instructing the laborer. Within the first section, the reason for instructing the laborer, there are themselves three sections: First, from "Then on another day" to "filthy and unclean", explains that the elder saw the poor son; inwardly applied, it explains that the Tathāgata with the eye of the Way saw sentient beings obstructed by the five turbidities. Second, from "at once took off his necklaces" onward explains that the elder cast off the adornments of a nobleman; inwardly applied, it explains that the Tathāgata relinquished the wisdom, merit, major marks, and minor characteristics of the Dharmakāya. Third, from "further put on coarse, worn-out [clothes]" down to "his appearance seemed fearful" explains that the elder took on the garments of a base person; inwardly applied, it explains that the Tathāgata manifested the assumption of a responsive body, sharing the body of an ordinary worldling and taking the form of the crown prince. Furthermore, within each of these three sections there are three steps. In the first there are three: first, explaining the time of seeing the son; second, explaining the place of seeing the son; third, properly explaining the appearance of seeing the son. "Then on another day": this is the first, explaining the time when the elder saw the son; inwardly applied, it is the time when the Buddha, approaching the preaching of the teaching of the three vehicles, illumined capacities. The reason it says "another day" is that the seeing explained above was seeing the capacity at the time of tentative adaptation using the three vehicles; the seeing spoken of here is seeing at the time of preaching the doctrine; wishing to distinguish this seeing as different from the previous seeing, he therefore says "another day". Yet the two seeings are simply a single temporal meaning, which can be made into earlier and later. "Through a window": this is the second, the place of seeing the son. The reason he does not say through the door but says through a window is to show that the Tathāgata sees sentient beings within expedient wisdom; this capacity is not [seen through] real wisdom, just like a window. "From afar saw his son's body": this is the third, properly explaining the appearance of seeing the son; inwardly applied, it explains that the Tathāgata properly illumined the capacity for the Small Vehicle. This itself has two: first, explaining that there is good; second, explaining that there is evil, to show that pure good does not elicit the sage. Now, the first: the capacity for the Small Vehicle has no good to sustain itself, like being emaciated; having no awe-inspiring virtue, it is therefore said to be withered. The second, explaining that there is evil: being fully possessed of the ninety-eight propensities, it is therefore said to be "smeared with dung, soil, and dust, filthy and unclean". "At once took off his necklaces" onward is the second, explaining the casting off of the nobleman's clothing; inwardly applied, it is relinquishing the Dharmakāya. In this there are also three: this single phrase is the first, clarifying that the Tathāgata first relinquished omniscience. "Fine, soft upper garments": this single phrase is the second, clarifying that the Tathāgata further set aside merit. "Ornaments adorning the body": this single phrase is the third, clarifying that the Tathāgata further relinquished the major marks and minor characteristics. Here, the explanation of the Dharmakāya takes the emanated buddhas of other pure lands as the Dharmakāya. "Further put on coarse, worn-out [clothes]" onward is the third, explaining that the Tathāgata assumed the responsive body, which also has three steps: "further put on coarse, worn-out, soiled and greasy clothes": this single phrase corresponds to the third, "ornaments adorning the body", manifesting the ordinary worldling's body of Crown Prince Siddhārtha without major marks and minor characteristics. "Body smeared with dust and dirt" is the second, corresponding to the second, "setting aside fine, soft upper garments". "Holding in his right hand" onward is the third, explaining that the Tathāgata manifested the absence of wisdom; this corresponds to the first phrase, "at once took off his necklaces"; this explains that the Tathāgata manifested the cultivation of wisdom, using the hand of wisdom to grasp the realm of the two truths, severing afflictions and manifesting a shared revulsion toward birth and death; therefore it says "his appearance seemed fearful".