妙法蓮華經文句 5.57

5.57

從「是長者作是思惟」下，是第二，捨几用車譬，譬上寢大施小，上六行半，明大擬不得；後十一行，用小擬得。上不得有三：一、思大擬宜；二、無機；三、息化。今譬為二：初、用勸門擬宜；二、用誡門擬宜。就勸、誡各三：一、擬宜；二、不受；三、放捨。勸門三者：一、從「長者作是思惟身手有力」下，譬上念用大化於三七日中思惟如此事；二、從「復更思惟」下，明子不受，譬上無機眾生諸根鈍云何而可度；三、從「或當墮落為火所燒」下，即是放捨善誘，譬上無機息化我寧不說法，疾入於涅槃也。「長者作是思惟」下，譬上三七日思惟也。「身手」等者，引下合譬云「但以神力及智慧力」以釋此譬，身譬神通荷負，手譬智慧提拔，依三昧斷德則有神通，依智慧智德則有說法，智斷之力能成法身，此之智斷還從勸、誡兩門入，勸即為人悉檀，誡即對治悉檀，此二悉檀，為第一義悉檀而作方便。如來初欲勸門擬宜眾生令眾善奉行成就十力無畏一切種智，而眾生不堪；次欲以誡門擬宜令諸惡莫作證大涅槃，眾生不堪無機息化，故知念用大乘，秖是勸、誡兩悉檀，神通、智斷耳，故上文云「定慧力莊嚴以此度眾生」即其義也。前歎長者，其年衰邁即譬智斷，智斷即是身手力也。「衣裓几案」者，三藏法師云，衣裓是外國盛花之器，貢上貴人用此貯之。舊云：「衣襟譬大乘因，几案譬大乘果，初擬大乘因果，是則無機也。」舊又云：「此物譬大乘戒、定、慧，初七思惟所得法，此如用衣裓；二七思惟眾生根緣，如用几；三七思惟樹地恩，如用案。」云此義出《阿含經》。今取合譬文，若我但以神力及智慧力，讚如來知見、力、無所畏者，眾生不能以此得度。神力即是身，慧力即是手，如前說，知見譬衣裓，無畏譬几，十力譬案，如來以神通，發動此三法，以智慧宣說此三法無機息化。衣裓几案等，略、中、廣之異耳。略說名如來知見，知即一切種智，見即佛眼，名略義玄，譬如衣裓一足而多含。處中說，即名四無所畏，用對四諦如几，於法小廣，於物小安隱。或作廣說名為十力，橫豎該括，如案多足則無傾覆也，於法則廣物則大安，於三七日中思惟，欲作如此廣略佛法，而眾生不堪，故言衣裓几案也。

From "The elder thought to himself" onward is the second [section], the parable of setting aside the tables and using the carts, which illustrates the preceding [passage on] putting aside the Great and dispensing the Small. The preceding six and a half lines showed that gauging suitability for the Great failed; the following eleven lines show that gauging suitability with the Small succeeded. Above, the failure had three aspects: first, contemplating the Great to gauge suitability; second, lack of capacity; and third, cessation of teaching. Here the parable is divided into two: first, gauging suitability with the approach of exhortation; second, gauging suitability with the approach of admonition. Each of exhortation and admonition has three aspects: first, gauging suitability; second, non-acceptance; and third, letting go. The three for the approach of exhortation are: first, from "The elder thought to himself: 'My body and hands possess strength'" onward, illustrating the earlier reflection on using the great teaching, when "For three times seven days I reflected on such matters"; second, from "He reflected further" onward, which explains that the sons did not accept, illustrating the earlier lack of capacity, [where it says] "Sentient beings' faculties are dull; how could they be saved?"; third, from "They may fall down and be burned by the fire" onward, which is letting go of gentle guidance, illustrating the earlier cessation of teaching due to lack of capacity, [where it says] "I would rather not teach the Dharma, but swiftly enter nirvāṇa." "The elder thought to himself" onward illustrates the earlier three times seven days of reflection. "Body and hands" and so forth cites the later matching passage, which says, "Only with the power of supernatural abilities and the power of wisdom," to explain this parable: the body illustrates carrying them with supernatural abilities, and the hands illustrate pulling them out with wisdom. Relying on the virtue of eradication in samādhi, there are supernatural abilities; relying on the virtue of knowledge in wisdom, there is preaching the Dharma. The power of knowledge and eradication can achieve the Dharmakāya. This knowledge and eradication also enter through the two approaches of exhortation and admonition: exhortation is the individual adaptation siddhānta, and admonition is the counteractive siddhānta. These two siddhāntas serve as expedient means for the paramārtha siddhānta. The Tathāgata first wished to use the approach of exhortation to gauge the suitability of sentient beings, causing them to practice all good and achieve the ten powers, fearlessnesses, and all-knowledge, yet sentient beings could not bear it. Next, he wished to use the approach of admonition to gauge their suitability, causing them to refrain from all evils and realize great nirvāṇa, yet sentient beings could not bear it, so due to lack of capacity teaching ceased. Thus we know that reflecting on using the Mahāyāna was merely the two siddhāntas of exhortation and admonition, supernatural abilities, and knowledge and eradication. Therefore, the earlier text says, "Adorned with the power of concentration and wisdom, by this I will save sentient beings"—that is its meaning. The earlier praise of the elder, "His years advanced and decrepit," illustrated knowledge and eradication; knowledge and eradication are precisely the strength of body and hands. As for "flower-plate and low tables," the Tripiṭaka master says that the flower-plate (*puṣpa-puṭaka*) is a foreign vessel for holding flowers, used to store them when presenting them to noble persons. An old commentary states: "The flower-plate illustrates Mahāyāna causes, and the low tables illustrate Mahāyāna fruits; first gauging suitability with Mahāyāna causes and fruits resulted in a lack of capacity." An old commentary also states: "These objects illustrate the Mahāyāna's discipline, concentration, and wisdom: in the first seven days reflecting on the Dharma attained is like using the flower-plate; in the second seven days reflecting on the faculties and conditions of sentient beings is like using the small table; in the third seven days reflecting on the kindness of the tree and the earth is like using the large table." It is said this meaning comes from the Āgamas. Now, taking the text of the matching parable: if I were merely, with the power of supernatural abilities and the power of wisdom, to praise the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision, powers, and fearlessnesses, sentient beings could not be saved thereby. The power of supernatural abilities is the body, and the power of wisdom is the hands, as explained before. Knowledge and vision illustrate the flower-plate, fearlessnesses illustrate the small table, and the ten powers illustrate the large table. The Tathāgata uses supernatural abilities to initiate these three dharmas, and uses wisdom to proclaim these three dharmas; having no capacity, teaching ceased. The flower-plate and low tables are simply distinctions of brief, intermediate, and broad. The brief explanation is called the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision: "knowledge" is all-knowledge, and "vision" is the Buddha-eye; the name is brief but the meaning is profound, like the flower-plate having a single base yet containing much. The intermediate explanation is called the four fearlessnesses, corresponding to the Four Truths like a small table, which is somewhat broader in Dharma and somewhat safer for beings. Or, making a broad explanation, it is called the ten powers: comprehensively encompassing horizontal and vertical, like a large table with many legs having no danger of overturning, it is broad in Dharma and greatly safe for beings. Reflecting during the three times seven days, he wished to produce such broad and brief Buddha-dharma, yet sentient beings could not bear it; therefore it speaks of the flower-plate and low tables.