法華經義記 4.18

4.18

"Śāriputra, if in a state, city, or village"—from this point through the end of the one hundred lines of verse is the second part: directly presenting the exposition by parable opening the three and revealing the One for the sake of people of middling capacity. It also contains two sections, as explained above: first is the prose, and second is the verse. Now within the prose there are two sections: first is the unfolding of the parable, and second is the application of the parable. Now within the unfolding of the parable, ten parables in all are unfolded, which correspond as parables to the ten kinds of expositions by dharma in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means". The ten parables are: First, from "if in a state, city, or village" through "or as many as thirty in this house", named "the master of the house", and also designated as the "general parable"; it generally exemplifies all Buddhas vertically surveying the three periods of time and horizontally discerning the ten directions; hence it is called "general". The remaining nine parables exclusively clarify Śākya. If viewed this way, there would be only two parables, but now combining the general and specific into a total count, there are ten parables. Now, regarding the first, former commentators called it "the house's substance", but the present view differs. This is a parable for the two lines of verse below "Now I too am like this, for the sake of setting sentient beings at peace" in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", clarifying that Śākya, like all Buddhas, presents the three first and the One later, which clarifies the meaning of the transforming master. Second, from "The elder saw this great fire" through "having no thought of seeking to escape", is called the parable of "the elder seeing the fire". This is a parable for the four verses in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means": "Śāriputra, you should know that viewing with the Buddha-eye...", clarifying that the Buddha, standing on the ground of the Dharmakāya, sees sentient beings deluded by the five turbidities. Third, from "Śāriputra, this elder thought: 'My body and hands have strength'" through "merely gazed at their father", is designated as the parable of "the elder failing to save his sons". This corresponds to the six and a half lines of verse in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", "When I first sat at the place of awakening...", clarifying the Buddha's intention of failing to transform sentient beings using the Great Vehicle. Fourth, from "At that time the elder then had this thought: 'This house is already being burned by a great fire'" through "vying to escape the burning house", is designated as the parable of "the elder using three carts and succeeding in saving his sons". This corresponds to the eleven lines of verse in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", "I immediately recalled the power of skilful means practiced by past Buddhas...", clarifying that the Tathāgata succeeds in transforming sentient beings using the three vehicles. Fifth, from "At that time the elder saw that his sons had escaped peacefully and without further hindrance", is designated as the parable of "the elder seeing his sons escape disaster". This corresponds to the fifth item in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", the single line of verse: "Śāriputra, you should know that when I see Buddha-sons who aspire to seek the Buddha path...", clarifying that the Tathāgata sees that sentient beings' hindrances of the five turbidities have been eliminated and their capacity for the Great Vehicle has arisen. Sixth, from the two lines "it says that his mind was tranquil, joyful, and leaping with delight", is designated as the parable of "the elder rejoicing because he saw his sons escape disaster". This skips forward to serve as the parable for the seventh item in the "Chapter on Skilful Means". Above it said: "I then had this thought: 'The reason why the Tathāgata appears...'", below which there are two lines and one phrase of verse, clarifying that the Tathāgata rejoices because he sees that the capacity for the Great Vehicle has arisen in sentient beings of the five turbidities. Seventh, from "Then the sons each said to their father: 'The goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts that father previously promised us, please bestow them upon us at this time'", is designated as the parable of "the sons seeking the carts", serving retrospectively as the parable for the sixth item in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means". Above it said: "All with respectful minds came to the place of the Buddha", one line of verse, clarifying the intention of the people of the three vehicles seeking the fruit and changing [their course], which will be explained below. Eighth, from "Śāriputra, at that time the elder each gave his sons one great cart" onwards, is designated as the parable of "the elder bestowing the great cart". This is a parable for the eighth item in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", the three phrases of verse: "Among the bodhisattvas, directly discarding skilful means, I preach only the unsurpassed path", where the Buddha preaches the *Lotus Sūtra* to the people of the three vehicles and prophesies their attainment of Buddhahood. Ninth, from "At that time the sons each rode on the great cart, obtaining what they had never had before, not what they had originally hoped for", is designated as the parable of "the sons rejoicing because they obtained the great cart". This corresponds to the ninth item in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means": "When bodhisattvas hear this Dharma, their nets of doubts are all removed; the twelve hundred arhats shall all likewise become Buddhas", clarifying the meaning of the people of the three vehicles receiving and practicing the Great Vehicle. Tenth, from "Śāriputra, what do you think?" onwards, clarifying that the elder initially promised small carts and now gives a great cart, called the parable of "not being false". This corresponds to the tenth item in the preceding "Chapter on Skilful Means", the one and a half lines of verse: "Do not have any doubts; I am the king of all dharmas", clarifying that the Tathāgata's teaching and dharma are not false: initially he promises the small and ultimately gives the great; the meaning of the vehicles being false and not false will be explained below.