妙法蓮華經文句 5.47

5.47

二譬喻說長行偈頌，長行開譬合譬，開譬不同已如上說，今為二：一總、二別。總譬譬釋迦章中「今我亦如是」兩行偈略頌開權顯實也，別譬譬釋迦章中「我以佛眼觀見」四十一行半偈，廣頌開權顯實六意也。總譬有六：一、長者；二、舍宅；三、一門；四、五百人；五、火起；六、三十子。長者譬於我，我即釋迦一化之主也；火宅譬上處所，安隱對上三界不安隱也；一門譬上宣示佛道門也；五百人譬上眾生也；火起譬上對不安隱法五濁、八苦也；三十子譬上知眾生性欲三乘行人也。

Second, the parabolic explanation has prose and gāthās. The prose contains opening the parable and joining the parable. The different ways of opening the parable have already been discussed above; here they are twofold: 1. General; 2. Specific. The general parable corresponds to the two-line gāthā in the section on Śākyamuni, "Now I also am like this," which briefly versifies the opening of the expedient and revealing of the real. The specific parable corresponds to the forty-one and a half lines of gāthā in the section on Śākyamuni, "I with the buddha-eye observe and see," which broadly versifies the six meanings of opening the expedient and revealing the real. The general parable has six aspects: 1. The elder; 2. The house; 3. The single gate; 4. The five hundred people; 5. The fire starting; 6. The thirty sons. The elder exemplifies "myself", and "myself" is Śākyamuni, the master of this single teaching period; the burning house exemplifies the previously mentioned location, where peace and security contrast with the lack of peace and security in the three realms above; the single gate exemplifies the gate of proclaiming and revealing the Buddha path above; the five hundred people exemplify the sentient beings above; the fire starting exemplifies the five turbidities and eight sufferings in the teaching of lack of peace and security above; the thirty sons exemplify the practitioners of the three vehicles who know the dispositions and desires of sentient beings above.