法華經義記 7.51

7.51

「爾時五百阿羅漢於佛前得授記」者，明諸聲聞授記事中有二：一者正為諸聲聞授記，此下是第二明聲聞得授記者有五百人領解。就此領解中自有二，即是長行與偈為二也。就長行中自有二：第一略領解，第二廣領解。又就此廣略兩段之中各自有二。略領解中有二者：第一法說，第二「今乃知之如無智者」以下譬說也。第二廣領解亦有二者，即是開譬、合譬為兩段。就開譬中文取只有五譬，義取應有六，闕無第六，今者玄出。何以知之？下合譬中有偈頌中亦有故也。第一詺為繫寶珠譬，第二不自覺知譬，第三行他國譬，第四相值譬，第五示寶珠譬，第六得珠歡喜譬，是則文中所無者。第一繫寶珠譬者，此即領上化城中將導譬，亦遠領窮子中父子相失譬，亦領火宅中第一宅主總譬，〈方便品〉中「今我亦如是」下明釋迦同諸佛化眾生也。第二詺為不自覺知譬者，此即領上化城中懈退譬，亦領窮子中喚子不得譬，亦遠領火宅中長者救子不得譬，亦遠領〈方便品〉中如來用大乘化眾生不得義也。第三名為行他國譬者，此則領上化城中為設化城譬，亦領窮子中喚子得譬亦教作人譬，亦遠領火宅中長者用三車救子得譬，亦遠領〈方便品〉「尋念過去佛」下明如來用三乘化得眾生也。第四詺為相值譬者，此則領化城中知止息譬，遠領窮子中見子志大譬，火宅中見子免難譬，亦遠領〈方便品〉「我見佛子等志求佛道者」下明見眾生有大乘機。第五詺為示寶珠譬者，此領上化城中滅化城將至寶所譬，遠領窮子中付家業譬，亦遠領火宅中長者賜諸子大車譬，亦遠領〈方便品〉中「於諸菩薩中正直捨方便但說無上道」說《法華經》。此中應有第六歡喜譬者，不領化城中則超領窮子火宅及〈方便品〉歡喜義也。但〈化城品〉中將導譬有四義，今此第一繫寶珠亦有四義譬。「若有人者」則是下根人自譬，則是上譬說中「若有多眾」下明三十子義，「至親友家」即是上五百由旬及一宅也。「醉酒而臥」即是上怖畏之義，「是時親友」以下即是領導師義也。內合十六王子昔日覆講則是親友，于時聽眾即是有入於生死，覆講之處即家也。「醉酒而臥」者，煩惱自惛醉而臥。有人解言：「即來親友家言親友與其酒。」親友是十六王子，云何言子與眾生煩惱？諸佛聖人不為眾生作煩惱因緣，故知入餘處飲酒來至親友家。下言「其家甚大富具設諸餚饍」，自有人一日恒設餅菓，只自無有酒也。「官事當行」者非是初行，內合于時十六王子覆講緣既盡更為餘方便法，故言官事行也。「寶珠繫其衣裏」十六王子于時覆講為眾生說大乘，今于時眾生相與得解大乘，大乘之理最貴，故言無價。此大乘解可珍可重如寶，其理必圓如珠為因之義，不亡名為繫，既是外凡不亡壞，故言衣裏也。「其人醉臥都不覺知」，此是第二不自覺知譬。此則領懈退譬，內合昔日十六王子既為說大乘得行大乘解，王子便往餘方，眾生遂失大乘解，自從失解來都不覺言我有大乘解，不知此則無大乘機也。「起已遊行」此下是第三行他國譬，內合眾生既無大乘根機唯有小機，從小乘教修行求因覓果。此則領上設化城譬，上譬中本有四重，一者用化城擬宜，二者有堪聞化城之機，三者正為設化城，此三階今者都不領，唯領第四諸人受行。上受行中自有四階，今者亦具領四階，一者言「起已遊行」此則領上「是時疲極之眾心大歡喜」，明外凡夫修行即是「心各勇銳」聞法信受。二者言「到於他國」此則領上言「我等今者免斯惡道」即是內凡夫修行，信道五根立故言他國。三者「為衣食故懃力」，此則領上於是眾人前見諦思惟治道即是「競共馳走」。四者言「若少有所得便以為足」，此則領上入化城生已度想，明無學果，即「諍出火宅」義也。「於後親友會遇見之」此是第四相值譬，此則領上知止息譬，言「爾時導師知此人眾既得止息」下，明大乘機發也。「而作是言咄哉丈夫」，此下是第五示寶珠譬，此則領化城中即滅化城將至寶所譬，亦遠領火宅、〈方便品〉今行大乘因取大乘果，故名貿易所須也。此下應有第六歡喜，文中闕者今且懸出，對下合譬也。

Regarding “At that time the five hundred arhats received their prophecies before the Buddha,” in explaining the matter of the prophecies given to the various śrāvakas, there are two parts: first, properly bestowing the prophecies upon the various śrāvakas; from here below is second, explaining that among the śrāvakas who received prophecies, there were five hundred people who expressed their understanding. Within this expression of understanding, there are itself two parts: namely, the prose and the verses constitute two parts. Within the prose, there are itself two parts: first, a brief expression of understanding; second, an extensive expression of understanding. Furthermore, within each of these two sections, the extensive and the brief, there are itself two parts. In the brief expression of understanding there are two parts: first, the exposition by dharma; second, the exposition by parable from “Now we come to know this, like people lacking wisdom” onward. In the second, the extensive expression of understanding, there are also two parts: namely, the unfolding of the parable and the application of the parable make up two sections. In terms of the text of the unfolding of the parable, there are only five parables; in terms of the meaning, there should be six, with the sixth missing, which will now be supplied in advance. How is this known? Because it is present below in the application of the parable and also in the verse recitation. The first is called the parable of tying the precious jewel; the second, the parable of not noticing it oneself; the third, the parable of travelling to another country; the fourth, the parable of encountering each other; the fifth, the parable of pointing out the precious jewel; the sixth, the parable of joy upon obtaining the jewel, which is what is absent in the text. As for the first, the parable of tying the precious jewel, this takes up above the parable of the guide in the Conjured City, and also from afar takes up the parable of father and son losing each other in [the parable of] the poor son, and also takes up the overall parable of the master of the house in [the parable of] the burning house, and in the “Expedient Means” chapter from “Now I too am like this” onward, explaining that Śākya, like all the Buddhas, transforms sentient beings. As for the second, called the parable of not noticing it oneself, this takes up above the parable of slacking and retreating in the Conjured City, and also takes up the parable of calling the son without success in [the parable of] the poor son, and also from afar takes up the parable of the elder failing to rescue the sons in [the parable of] the burning house, and also from afar takes up the meaning in the “Expedient Means” chapter of the Tathāgata being unable to transform sentient beings with the Great Vehicle. As for the third, named the parable of travelling to another country, this takes up above the parable of establishing the conjured city in the Conjured City, and also takes up the parable of calling the son successfully and teaching him to become a person in [the parable of] the poor son, and also from afar takes up the parable of the elder rescuing the sons by using the three carts in [the parable of] the burning house, and also from afar takes up from “I immediately recollected the past Buddhas” onward in the “Expedient Means” chapter, explaining that the Tathāgata transforms sentient beings by using the three vehicles. As for the fourth, called the parable of encountering each other, this takes up the parable of knowing that they have rested in the Conjured City, and from afar takes up seeing that the son's aspiration is great in [the parable of] the poor son, seeing that the sons have escaped disaster in [the parable of] the burning house, and also from afar takes up from “I see the Buddha's sons and others who aspire to seek the Buddha-path” onward in the “Expedient Means” chapter, explaining that he sees sentient beings possessing the capacity for the Great Vehicle. As for the fifth, called the parable of pointing out the precious jewel, this takes up above the parable of dissolving the conjured city and leading them to the jewel place in the Conjured City, and from afar takes up entrusting the family business in [the parable of] the poor son, and also from afar takes up the parable of the elder granting the great carts to all the sons in [the parable of] the burning house, and also from afar takes up the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra in the “Expedient Means” chapter: “Among the bodhisattvas, frankly casting aside expedient means, I preach only the unsurpassed path.” That there should be a sixth, the parable of joy, here: though it does not take up anything in the Conjured City, it skips over to take up the meaning of joy in [the parables of] the poor son and the burning house, and in the “Expedient Means” chapter. But in the “Conjured City” chapter, the parable of the guide had four aspects; now this first one, tying the precious jewel, also has four aspects in the parable. “If a person” is the self-comparison of a person of inferior faculties, and corresponds to explaining the meaning of the thirty sons from “If there are many people” onward in the parable above; “comes to the house of a close friend” corresponds to the five hundred yojanas and the single house above; “lying down drunk on wine” corresponds to the meaning of fear above; from “at that time the close friend” onward corresponds to the meaning of the guide. Inwardly matching: the sixteen princes repeating the lecture in the past are the close friend; the audience at that time who entered into saṃsāra, the place of repeating the lecture is the house. “Lying down drunk on wine” means being self-stupefied and drunk with afflictions and lying down. Some explain: “Coming to the house of a close friend means that the close friend gave him the wine.” The close friend is the sixteen princes; how could one say that the sons gave afflictions to sentient beings? Buddhas and sages do not act as causes and conditions of afflictions for sentient beings; therefore one knows that he drank wine in another place and came to the house of the close friend. Below it says, “His family was extremely wealthy, and fully prepared various delicacies”; naturally there are people who always provide cakes and fruit for a day, only they themselves have no wine. “Having official business to attend to” was not setting out for the first time; inwardly matching: when the conditions for the sixteen princes to repeat the lecture were exhausted, they undertook other expedient methods; thus it says, “official business to attend to.” “A precious jewel was tied inside his garment”: the sixteen princes repeating the lecture at that time preached the Great Vehicle for sentient beings, and at that time the sentient beings together gained understanding of the Great Vehicle; the principle of the Great Vehicle is most precious, hence it is called “priceless.” This understanding of the Great Vehicle is precious and valuable like a jewel, and its principle must be complete like a pearl; it functions as a cause, and because it does not perish, it is called “tied”; since they are external ordinary people, it does not perish or get destroyed, hence it says “inside his garment.” “That person was lying drunk and completely unaware”: this is the second, the parable of not noticing it oneself. This takes up the parable of slacking and retreating; inwardly matching: in the past, when the sixteen princes had preached the Great Vehicle and [the beings] gained the practice and understanding of the Great Vehicle, the princes went to other regions, and the sentient beings subsequently lost their understanding of the Great Vehicle; ever since losing this understanding, they were completely unaware that they had the understanding of the Great Vehicle; not knowing this, they lacked the capacity for the Great Vehicle. “Having arisen, he journeyed about”: from here below is the third, the parable of travelling to another country; inwardly matching: since sentient beings lacked the root-capacity for the Great Vehicle and had only the small capacity, they practiced according to the Small Vehicle teachings, seeking causes and looking for fruits. This takes up above the parable of establishing the conjured city; in the parable above there were originally four levels: first, using the conjured city as a tentative adaptation; second, having the capacity capable of hearing about the conjured city; third, properly establishing the conjured city; these three stages are not taken up here at all; it only takes up the fourth, the various people receiving and practicing it. In the receiving and practicing above, there were itself four stages; now it also takes up all four stages: first, saying “having arisen, he journeyed about,” this takes up above “At that time the extremely exhausted crowd was greatly overjoyed in their hearts,” explaining the external ordinary persons' practice, which is “each valiant and sharp in mind,” hearing the Dharma and believing and accepting it; second, saying “reached another country,” this takes up above the statement “We now escape these evil paths,” which is the inner ordinary persons' practice; because the five faculties of faith in the Path are established, it is called “another country”; third, “striving diligently for the sake of clothing and food,” this takes up above the crowd subsequently contemplating the path of cultivating vision of the truths, which is “racing and running together”; fourth, saying “if he gained a little, he immediately took it as sufficient,” this takes up above entering the conjured city and giving rise to the thought that they had already crossed over, explaining the fruition of a non-learner, which is the meaning of “competing to escape the burning house.” “Afterwards, the close friend happened to encounter and see him”: this is the fourth, the parable of encountering each other; this takes up above the parable of knowing that they have rested, where it says, “At that time the guide knew that this crowd of people had already gained rest” onward, explaining the arousal of the capacity for the Great Vehicle. “And spoke these words: ‘Alas, good man!’”: from here below is the fifth, the parable of pointing out the precious jewel; this takes up the parable in the Conjured City of immediately dissolving the conjured city and leading them to the jewel place, and also from afar takes up the burning house and the “Expedient Means” chapter; now practicing the causes of the Great Vehicle to obtain the fruition of the Great Vehicle, it is therefore called “trading for what is needed.” Below this there should be the sixth, [the parable of] joy; what is missing in the text is now suspended and brought out in advance, to correspond with the application of the parable below.