[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經文句](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718) › 5.54 # 妙法蓮華經文句 5.54 妙法蓮華經文句 5.54 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5.54) 從「長者見是大火」下，是第二，別譬也。別更為四：初、長者見火譬，譬上佛見五濁，四行偈為本；二、捨机用車譬，譬上釋迦為五濁寢大施小始坐道場，十七行半偈為本；三、等賜諸子大車譬，譬上釋迦示真實相，我見佛子等志求佛道者，六行偈為本；四、長者無虛妄譬，譬上我為諸法王，二行半偈為本。就初見火，其文有四，其意但三：一、明能見；二、明所見；三、明驚怖；四、廣前所見。但成三意，「長者見」標出能見，譬上我以佛眼觀見也；「是大火從四面起」者，標出所見，譬上所見六道眾生也；「即大驚怖」，譬上為是眾生故而起大悲心也。「而諸子等於火宅內」下，廣第二所見之火也，還是釋成驚怖之義。身、受、心、法，即宅之四邊，從此四邊，起淨、樂等四倒，八苦之火眾苦皆集，若知身不淨、苦、無常，即煩惱火滅。舊有三解：一云四大為四面，六識並託其中；二即四生；三云四倒。依下文，以生、老、病、死為四邊也。「即大驚怖」者，念其退大善故驚，憂其將起重惡故怖；驚即對慈，念其無樂；怖即對悲，憂其有苦。「我雖能於此所燒之門安隱得出」者，即是釋成驚怖慈悲之義，雖是未盡之辭，明佛以智慧力能尋正教見所詮諦，不為五濁、八苦所危故名「安」，四倒暴風所不能動故名「隱」，蕭然累外故名「得出」。而眾生不爾，為火所燒，如來慈悲猶為憂火所熾，故言「雖」也。經言所燒之門者，今問：「教為門者，此教為燒？為不燒？」救云：「教門不燒，佛教為門，能通所燒之人，所通之人被燒，名能通門名燒，如門內人死，名門為衰，門實不衰。」 > From "The elder saw this great fire" onwards is, secondly, the specific allegory. The specific \[allegory\] is further divided into four: first, the allegory of the elder seeing the fire, allegorising the Buddha seeing the five turbidities above, based on the four-line gāthā; second, the allegory of abandoning the table-seat and using carriages, allegorising Śākyamuni setting aside the great and dispensing the small on account of the five turbidities when first sitting in the bodhimaṇḍa, based on the seventeen-and-a-half-line gāthā; third, the allegory of equally bestowing the great carriages upon all the children, allegorising Śākyamuni showing the true aspect above, in "I see the Buddha's children, etc., aspiring to seek the Buddha path," based on the six-line gāthā; fourth, the allegory of the elder not being deceitful, allegorising "I am the king of all dharmas" above, based on the two-and-a-half-line gāthā. Concerning the first, seeing the fire, the text has four parts, but the meaning has only three: 1. explaining that which sees; 2. explaining that which is seen; 3. explaining alarm and fear; 4. elaborating on that which was previously seen. This amounts to only three meanings: "The elder saw" indicates that which sees, allegorising "I observe and see with the Buddha eye" above; "this great fire rising on four sides" indicates that which is seen, allegorising the sentient beings of the six destinies seen above; "was greatly alarmed and terrified" allegorises "for the sake of these sentient beings, I gave rise to great compassion" above. From "yet the children within the burning house" onwards elaborates on the second, the fire that is seen, which also serves to explain the meaning of alarm and fear. Body, feelings, mind, and dharmas are the four sides of the house; from these four sides arise the four inversions of purity, pleasure, and so on. The fire of the eight sufferings and all sufferings assemble together; if one knows the body is impure, suffering, and impermanent, the fire of afflictions is extinguished. Ancient commentators had three explanations: one says the four elements are the four sides, and the six consciousnesses all depend upon them; the second says they are the four modes of birth; the third says they are the four inversions. According to the text below, birth, old age, sickness, and death are taken as the four sides. "Was greatly alarmed and terrified": he is alarmed reflecting upon their regression from great goodness; he is terrified worrying that they will initiate severe evil. Alarm corresponds to benevolence (maitrī), reflecting on their lack of joy; terror corresponds to compassion (karuṇā), worrying about their having suffering. "Although I was able to emerge safely and easily through this burned gate": this explains the meaning of alarm, terror, benevolence, and compassion; although it is an expression of incompleteness, it explains that the Buddha, by the power of wisdom, can trace the correct teaching and perceive the truth expressed: not being endangered by the five turbidities and eight sufferings is called "safely"; not being moved by the violent winds of the four inversions is called "easily"; being untrammeled and free from encumbrances is called "emerge." Sentient beings are not like this, being burned by fire, and the Tathāgata's benevolence and compassion are still kindled by the fire of anxiety; hence it says "although." As for the sūtra saying "the burned gate," it is now asked: "If the teaching is the gate, is this teaching burned, or is it not burned?" The defense says: "The gate of teaching is not burned; the Buddha's teaching is the gate, which can provide passage to the people being burned. When the people being given passage are burned, the gate that provides passage is called burned; just as when a person inside a household dies, the household is called ruined, while the household itself is not actually ruined." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5.53) - [Next: 5.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5.55) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.5.54) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.5.54) · Pramāṇa