法華經義記 5.11

5.11

"The Tathāgata at that time" and below is the proper application of the eighth parable of the elder bestowing the great cart upon his sons, explaining the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Now, the earlier unfolding of the parable originally had two sections: first, presenting both topical headings in tandem; second, extensively explaining both topical headings in tandem. However, whereas in the earlier unfolding of the parable the beginnings and endings of the text were appropriately combined into two sections, here in the application of the parable, some match and some do not, and they are out of sequence, so it is appropriate retroactively to unpack them into six sections. Which are they? The topical heading of the impartiality of mind is the first. The topical heading of the one great cart is the second. Elaborating on the one great cart is the third. Explaining the elaboration of the great cart is the fourth. Elaborating on the impartiality of mind is the fifth. Explaining the elaboration of the impartiality of mind is the sixth. Here, it is only the sixth, explaining the elaboration of the impartiality of mind, that is not applied. Above, it said, "Why is this? Because even if I were to distribute these goods throughout an entire country, they would not be exhausted; how much less to my own sons!"—this is not applied here. Although the other five stages are applied, they are again not in sequence: first the fourth is applied, then taking advantage of that momentum the fifth is applied, and only afterwards does it return retroactively to apply the first, second, and third. Now, from the words "The Tathāgata at that time then had this thought" down to "the dharma-treasury of the Buddhas", this applies the fourth, explaining the elaboration of the one great cart; above, it said, "Why is this? This great elder has immeasurable wealth, and various storehouses are all filled to overflowing"—this meaning is fully as explained above. From "All these sentient beings are my sons" down to "and causes them to cross over into extinction", this applies the fifth above, elaborating on the impartiality of mind; above, it said, "And he had this thought: 'My goods and wealth are boundless; I should not give inferior small carts to my sons. These young children are now all my sons, and my love has no partiality.'" "To all those sentient beings who have escaped the three realms, he gives"—this retroactively returns to apply the first topical heading, the impartiality of mind; above, it said, "bestowing on each of his sons equally", and now it says, "gives to all"—"gives to all" is simply the meaning of equality. "The Buddhas' dhyāna-contemplations, liberations, and other apparatus of delight"—this applies the second topical heading, the objects bestowed; above, it spoke of "one great cart". "All of one character and one kind, praised by the sages, capable of producing the purest, most wonderful, foremost delight"—this applies the third, elaborating on the one great cart; above, it said, "That cart was high and broad", and so forth.