法華經義記 7.23

7.23

In the parable below, it returns to the original sequence: transforming through the Great Vehicle does not succeed, transforming through the three vehicles succeeds, and thereafter the capacity for the Great Vehicle arises and he preaches the Great Vehicle for them. Now, regarding the three sections of the exposition by dharma above, each having four stages: whether adopting, discarding, combining, or separating them, they are taken to make five kinds of exposition by dharma; above they correspond to [the parables of] the poor son, the burning house, and the 'Skilful Means' chapter, and below they serve as the basis for the five kinds of parables. The five kinds of parables are: first, the parable of guiding; second, the parable of flagging and turning back; third, the parable of conjuring the transformed city; fourth, the parable of knowing to rest; fifth, the parable of leading to the jewel place. Among the three sections of the exposition by dharma, the second—summarizing the general meaning of Śākyamuni Tathāgata's teaching from beginning to end—has four stages, all of which are now discarded and not adopted; the third—the present meeting—has four stages, all of which are now adopted. The first—directly explaining the past establishing of causes and conditions—has four stages, some adopted and some discarded: the first stage, explaining the intention behind obtaining the repeat exposition, is not adopted; nor is the fourth stage, Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū Buddha rising from meditative absorption and praising the prince, adopted. It adopts only the second, the words 'each ascended the dharma seat' directly repeating the exposition; and it adopts the third stage, the words 'each and every one was saved', which refers to the vast and deep benefits obtained by the audience listening to the repeat exposition at that time. How is this known to be so? The master of the repeat exposition is the guide; those who obtained vast and deep benefits at that time are the multitude of people who were guided; hence these two stages are combined to form a single section. Above, this corresponds to the first section of the poor son's expression of understanding, the father and son losing each other; it distantly corresponds to the first general parable of the master of the house in the burning house, and distantly corresponds in the 'Skilful Means' chapter to 'Now I am also like this', explaining that Śākyamuni aligns with all buddhas as a master of transformation collectively transforming the sentient beings of the five turbidities; below, it serves as the basis for the first parable of guiding. In the third [section], explaining the present meeting, all four stages are adopted: first, the words 'the Tathāgata knows that the time of his nirvāṇa has arrived and the assembly is also pure' downward explain the capacity for the Great Vehicle; above, this corresponds to the seventh parable among the nine parables of the poor son's expression of understanding, where the father sees his son's great aspirations; it distantly corresponds to the fifth in the burning house, where the elder sees his sons escape from danger; it also distantly corresponds to the fifth in the 'Skilful Means' chapter, 'Śāriputra, you should know that I see the Buddha's sons, immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis who seek the Buddha path', explaining the arising of the assembly's capacity for the Great Vehicle at that time; below, it serves as the basis for the fourth parable of knowing to rest. Second, 'then gathered the bodhisattvas to preach this sūtra for them': above, this corresponds to the eighth parable in the poor son's expression of understanding, bequeathing the family estate; it distantly corresponds to the eighth in the burning house, where the elder bestows the great cart; it also distantly corresponds to the eighth in the 'Skilful Means' chapter, 'among the bodhisattvas, directly setting aside skilful means and preaching only the unsurpassed path', which is the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra; below, it serves as the basis for the fifth parable of extinguishing the transformed city and leading to the jewel place. Third, the words 'tentatively using the Great Vehicle and failing to transform appear inversely': above, this corresponds to the third parable in the poor son's expression of understanding, calling the son without success; it distantly corresponds to the third in the burning house, where the elder cannot rescue his sons; it also distantly corresponds to the third in the 'Skilful Means' chapter, 'When I first sat at the place of awakening', the meaning of the Buddha using the Great Vehicle to transform sentient beings without success; below, it serves as the basis for the second parable of flagging and turning back. Fourth, the words 'the Tathāgata's skilful means penetrates deeply into the nature of sentient beings', explaining that he succeeds in transforming sentient beings through the three vehicles: above, this corresponds to the fourth parable in the poor son's expression of understanding, calling the son and succeeding, and the fifth parable, teaching him to be a servant; it distantly corresponds to the fourth in the burning house, the meaning of the elder using the three carts to succeed in rescuing the sons; it also distantly corresponds to the fourth in the 'Skilful Means' chapter, 'Immediately contemplating the power of skilful means practiced by past buddhas', the meaning of the Buddha using the three vehicles to transform sentient beings; below, it serves as the basis for the third parable of conjuring the transformed city. Thus, in corresponding to the ten sections of the exposition by dharma and the exposition by parable above, it corresponds only to the five sections—the first, third, fourth, fifth, and eighth—and does not correspond to the remaining five sections.