妙法蓮華經文句 5.63

5.63

「是時長者見諸子等」下，是別譬中第三等賜諸子大車譬，譬上顯真實相。此文為四：一、父見子免難歡喜譬，譬上「我即作是念所以出於世」至「今我喜無畏」兩行一句偈為本；二、諸子索車譬，譬上大乘機發，「我見佛子等志求佛道者，咸以恭敬心皆來至我所」兩行偈為本；三、等賜諸子大車譬，譬上「於諸菩薩中，正直捨方便，但說無上道」三句為本；四、諸子得車歡喜譬，譬上「菩薩聞是法疑網皆已除」一偈為本。上法說中先明機發，次說障除佛喜無畏，今譬中先明免難，後明索車。若具足論應作四句：有先障除後機發，如四大聲聞等於三藏中障除，《大品》末《法華》初大機始發；二、障未除大乘機發，如《華嚴》中及《法華》中諸凡夫眾得入佛慧者，餘兩句如上說。若大機先動後障除，如〈方便品〉所說，若先除障後機動，如今所說，機動障除互現，共成一意也。又〈方便品〉明佛喜無畏，此中諸子歡喜，以子喜故其父亦喜，此亦互現，共成一意也。就免難中具二義：謂免難、歡喜。若子未免難，父則憂念，若得離火，心即泰然，故免難歡喜得為一譬。以子歡喜其父亦喜，得譬佛喜也。「四衢道中」者，舊云：四濁障除如四達路，更得一濁除，如露地坐。今不爾，五濁直明垢障之法，未論治道，不應譬衢道。衢道正譬四諦，四諦觀異名為四衢，四諦同會見諦，如交路頭，見惑雖除，思惟猶在，不名露地。三界思盡名「露地」，住果不進故云「而坐」，不為見思所局，故云「泰然」，生滅度，安隱想，故言「歡喜」也。

From "At that time the elder, seeing that his sons..." onwards is the third [section] within the specific parables, the parable of bestowing great carriages equally on all the sons, which corresponds to the above revealing of the true reality. This text has four parts: First, the parable of the father seeing the sons escape hardship and rejoicing, which takes as its basis the previous two lines and one phrase of verse, from "I immediately had this thought: 'The reason I appeared in the world'" to "Now I am joyful and fearless"; second, the parable of the sons demanding carriages, which takes as its basis the above awakening of the Mahāyāna capacity, the two lines of verse: "I see the Buddha's sons who strive to seek the Buddha path, all with reverent minds coming to where I am"; third, the parable of bestowing great carriages equally on all the sons, which takes as its basis the above three phrases: "Among the bodhisattvas, frankly casting aside expedient means, I preach only the unsurpassed path"; fourth, the parable of the sons obtaining the carriages and rejoicing, which takes as its basis the above single gāthā: "When the bodhisattvas hear this Dharma, the net of doubts is completely removed." In the above Dharma explanation, the awakening of capacity was explained first, and next it was explained that obstacles were removed and the Buddha was joyful and fearless; now in the parable, escaping hardship is explained first, and demanding the carriages is explained later. If discussed completely, four alternatives should be made: There is the case where obstacles are removed first and then capacity awakens, as with the four great śrāvakas and others whose obstacles were removed in the Tripiṭaka [teachings], and at the end of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā and the beginning of the Lotus Sūtra their great capacity first awakened; second, obstacles are not yet removed but the Mahāyāna capacity awakens, as in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra and among the assembly of ordinary persons in the Lotus Sūtra who attained entry into the Buddha's wisdom; the remaining two alternatives are as explained above. If the great capacity is first stirred and obstacles are subsequently removed, it is as explained in the "Expedient Means Chapter"; if obstacles are removed first and capacity is stirred later, it is as explained now—the stirring of capacity and the removal of obstacles are mutually manifested, together completing a single meaning. Furthermore, the "Expedient Means Chapter" explains that the Buddha was joyful and fearless, while here the sons rejoice; because the sons rejoice, their father also rejoices—this is also a mutual manifestation, together completing a single meaning. In escaping hardship, two meanings are contained: namely, escaping hardship and rejoicing. If the sons had not escaped hardship, the father would be worried; if they manage to get away from the fire, his mind is at ease; therefore, escaping hardship and rejoicing constitute a single parable. Because the sons rejoice, their father also rejoices, which serves as a parable for the Buddha's joy. Regarding "at a crossroads (four-way intersection)": the old [commentary] says that the removal of the four turbidities as obstacles is like a four-way thoroughfare, and the further removal of one turbidity is like sitting in the open ground. Now, this is not so: the five turbidities directly explain the dharmas of defiled obstacles, and do not yet discuss the path of antidote; they should not be compared to a crossroads. The crossroads specifically corresponds to the Four Noble Truths: because the contemplations of the Four Noble Truths differ, they are called four crossroads; the Four Noble Truths together converge upon seeing the truths, like the junction of roads. Although the delusions of view are removed, the delusions of thought still remain, so it is not yet called "the open ground." When thought [delusions] of the three realms are exhausted, it is called "the open ground." Abiding in the fruit without advancing is called "sitting." Not being confined by views and thoughts is called "at ease." Generating the thought of extinction and tranquility is called "rejoicing."