法華經義記 3.51

3.51

From "Now I also am like this" onward, there are thirty-six and a half verses versifying the section on Śākya above. In the prose section above, there were originally five topics: first, opening the three; second, revealing the One; third, citing the five turbidities to explain the rationale for first the three and then the One; fourth, distinguishing the genuine from the spurious to urge faith; and fifth, explaining non-falsity. Here, it does not versify the fourth—distinguishing the genuine from the spurious to urge faith—because it additionally has a praise of the dharma as rare. Now, these thirty-six and a half verses are likewise divided into five distinct sections: the first single verse leaped forward to versify the revealing of the One above; next, a single verse looked back to versify the opening of the three above; third, from "Śāriputra, you should know" downward, twenty-seven and a half verses versify the third topic above, the five turbidities; fourth, from "Like the ritual method of preaching the dharma of all Buddhas of the three periods of time" downward, five and a half verses in meaning versify the praise of the dharma as rare, which was absent in the prose; fifth, from "You should have no doubts: I am the King of all dharmas" downward, one and a half verses versify the fifth topic above, non-falsity. Now to make a three-fold examination: however, in the prose above, revealing the One was originally the second section, whereas here it first versifies revealing the One and then versifies opening the three, demonstrating the sense of their mutual precedence, fully as explained above. The fourth above was distinguishing the genuine from the spurious to urge faith; here it is omitted and not versified. The prose above originally lacked a praise of the dharma as rare, but here in the verses a praise of the dharma as rare emerges additionally, so it is versified by meaning. Therefore, by additionally supplementing what was lacking, it still forms five levels; yet since the prose and verses in this section on Śākya mutually omit and supply [topics], we know that within a single Buddha all six topics ought to be complete. Now, we provisionally take the first, second, third, and fifth—only excluding the fourth, the praise of the dharma as rare—and using these four sections of verses, whether by combining, separating, or neither combining nor separating them, we make ten kinds of exposition by dharma; these then serve as the basis for the ten parables in the burning house below. The reason we do not take the sections on the previous four Buddhas as the basis is that the explanation of the four Buddhas above was to accomplish this present meaning of Śākya; the future [Buddhas] are not the primary subject, and therefore are not taken. By the same token, within the section on Śākya we also do not take the praise of the dharma as rare as the basis: here we are identifying the bases for the exposition by dharma and the exposition by parable, and that [section] itself contains the parable of the udumbara blossom—how could a parable serve as the basis for a parable? Hence it is not taken. Taking the first and second sections: these two sections should be combined into one section, which above aligns with all Buddhas' intention of first the three and then the One, termed "the identity of the teaching master", and below serves as the basis for the first parable of the master of the house in the burning house, also termed the basis for the overarching parable. Further, we separate the third section versifying the five turbidities, making eight sections to serve as the basis for the eight parables in the burning house below. Further, we take the fifth section on non-falsity, neither combining nor separating it, to serve as the basis for the tenth parable. As for separating the third section versifying the five turbidities to make the basis for eight parables: first, from "Śāriputra, you should know that with the Buddha-eye I observe" there are four verses, which here is designated as the Buddha on the plane of the Dharma Body seeing the beings to be transformed blinded by the five turbidities, which then serves as the basis for the second parable in the burning house, the elder seeing the fire; below, the burning house [chapter] says, "The elder saw this great fire break out from all four directions," and so forth. Second, from "When I first sat at the place of awakening, contemplating the tree and walking around it" there are six and a half verses, which here is designated as the Buddha responding to the world being unable to transform beings through the Great Vehicle, which then serves as the basis for the third parable in the burning house below, the elder being unable to rescue his children; below, the burning house [chapter] says, "Śāriputra, this elder then thought: 'In my body and hands there is strength; I should use an apron…'" and so forth. Third, from "I immediately recalled the power of skilful means practised by past Buddhas" downward, there are eleven verses, which here is designated as the Buddha succeeding in transforming beings by means of the three vehicles, which then serves as the basis for the fourth parable in the burning house below, the elder succeeding in rescuing his children; below it says, "At that time the elder then thought: 'This house has already been set ablaze by a great fire; if I and my children do not get out in time, we will surely be burned by the fire. I must now devise a skilful means…'" and so forth. Fourth, the single verse, "Śāriputra, you should know that I see the Buddha's children and others who resolutely seek the Buddha Way, immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis," here is designated as the sense of the Buddha seeing the capacity for the Great Vehicle arising in the people of the three vehicles, which then serves as the basis for the fifth parable in the burning house, the elder seeing his children escape calamity; below it says, "The elder saw his children safely emerge from the burning house and reach a place of no fear, all sitting in the open ground at the crossroads without further hindrance." Fifth, from "All with respectful minds came to where the Buddha was, having previously heard from Buddhas the dharma preached through skilful means," there is one verse, which here is designated as the people of the three vehicles demanding their fruition—what they demand is merely the knowledge of exhaustion and the knowledge of non-arising of the three realms, speaking of this within the principle—which then leaps forward to serve as the basis for the seventh parable in the burning house, the children demanding the carts; below it says, "Then the children each addressed their father, saying: 'The playthings that Father promised earlier—the goat cart, the deer cart, and the ox cart—please grant them to us in good time.'" Sixth, the two verses and one line, "I immediately thought: 'The reason why the Tathāgata appears is to preach the Buddha-wisdom; now is precisely the time,'" here is designated as the Buddha's joy upon seeing the beings' capacity for the Great Vehicle arise, which then looks back to serve as the basis for the sixth parable in the burning house, the elder's joy upon seeing his children escape calamity; below it says, "His heart was at ease, joyful and jubilant." Seventh, the three lines, "Among the bodhisattvas, directly casting aside skilful means, I preach only the unsurpassed Path," here is designated as the Buddha preaching the Great Vehicle to beings, which is preaching the Lotus Sūtra, which then serves as the basis for the eighth parable in the burning house below, giving equally the great cart; below it says, "Śāriputra, at that time the elder bestowed on each of his children a great cart," and so forth. Eighth, the single verse, "When the bodhisattvas hear this dharma, the net of their doubts is entirely eliminated; the twelve hundred arhats shall all likewise become Buddhas," here is designated as the sense of the people of the three vehicles receiving and practising the Great Vehicle, which then serves as the basis for the ninth parable in the burning house below, the children's joy upon obtaining the great cart; below it says, "At that time the children each rode the great cart, obtaining something unprecedented, not what they had originally hoped for." The separation of the section versifying the five turbidities to make the basis for the eight parables of the burning house is completed. Using these eight parables to supplement the previous parable of the teaching master makes nine parables; tenth, leaping forward to take the fifth section on non-falsity, the one and a half verses stating "You should have no doubts: I am the King of all dharmas," here is designated as non-falsity, which then serves as the basis for the tenth parable in the burning house below, non-falsity; below it says, "Śāriputra, what do you think: when this elder gave to each of his children a great cart of precious jewels, was there any falsehood?" and so forth. Therefore, it is said that whether by combining, separating, or neither combining nor separating, these ten sections are made to serve as the basis for the ten parables in the burning house below, remotely serve as the basis for the parable of the conjured city, and also remotely serve as the basis for the parable of the impoverished son.