法華經義記 5.64

5.64

"He immediately dispatched an attendant, hastily pursuing [him] to bring [him] back" and below is the third [section], the parable of failing to summon the son. This directly corresponds to the statement in the burning house [parable], "I have strength in my body and hands," explaining the parable of the elder being unable to rescue the sons; and it remotely corresponds to the "Expedient Means Chapter," from "When I first sat at the place of awakening" downwards, explaining being unable to transform sentient beings by means of the Great Vehicle. Above, in the parable of the burning house, there were originally two sections, exhortation and admonition, each divided into three distinct [parts]. Now, here, both are brought together in correspondence; and when thus brought together, they unfold into three sections. The first, ending at "Why am I seized?", is called the first calling without him coming, which directly corresponds to the above tentative adaptation of the exhortation and the lack of capacity. The second, from "The messenger seized him all the more urgently" downwards, ending at "fainting away and falling prostrate on the ground", is called the second calling without him coming, which directly corresponds to the above tentative adaptation of the admonition and the lack of capacity. The third, from "The father saw him from afar" downwards, is called the parable of the father letting the son go, which brings together both the admonition and exhortation with regard to the cessation of teaching. Thus, it corresponds to the non-correspondence in the unfolding of the parable, and corresponds to the statement of correspondence in the application of the parable. Furthermore, within these three sections, each unfolds into two. Of the two within the initial section, the first corresponds to the above tentative adaptation of the teaching of exhortation, and the second, from "The poor son was alarmed and bewildered" downwards, explains the lack of capacity. Within each of these two sections, there are two layers. Of the two regarding the correspondence to the tentative adaptation of the teaching of exhortation: the first is the statement, "He immediately dispatched an attendant, hastily pursuing [him] to bring [him] back"; this corresponds to the above contemplating making the teaching of exhortation, which is "This elder made this reflection: 'I have strength in my body and hands.'" The reason it says "attendant" is that this is construed in terms of scriptural teaching: principle is primary, while the verbal teaching of the Great Vehicle is secondary. The teaching indeed expresses the principle, but the teaching is not identical to the principle; hence it is called an attendant.