妙法蓮華經文句 7.54

7.54

就初導師譬，其文有五，即擬〈火宅〉總譬、〈方便〉略頌中之六意也。一、五百由旬譬。譬上未度之眾樂著諸有輪迴處所，即擬〈火宅〉中其家廣大三界無安、〈方便品〉安隱對不安隱處之意也。二、險難惡道譬。譬上未度之眾煩惱垢重，於如來智慧難信難解，即擬〈火宅〉中火起、〈方便品〉安隱對不安隱之法也。三、若有多眾譬，正譬上百千萬億種皆生疑惑不解之眾生也，即擬〈火宅〉中三十子五百人、〈方便〉中知眾生性欲意也。四、欲過此道至珍寶處譬，舊不取，今取此譬譬上覆講《法華》，擬〈草喻〉中一味雨、〈火宅〉中唯有一門、〈方便品〉宣示佛道意也。五者、一導師譬，譬上第十六王子也，即〈藥草〉中密雲、〈火宅〉中長者、〈方便〉中我今亦如是意也。

Regarding the first, the guide parable, its text has five [parts], corresponding to the six meanings within the general parable of the Burning House and the abbreviated gāthās of the Expedient Means [Chapter]. First, the parable of the five hundred yojanas: this illustrates the assembly above that is not yet delivered, delighting in and clinging to all states of existence and the places of transmigration, which corresponds in the Burning House [parable] to its house being vast and the three realms having no peace, and in the Expedient Means Chapter to the meaning of peaceful versus unpeaceful places. Second, the parable of the perilous and evil road: this illustrates the assembly above that is not yet delivered, whose defilements are heavy, finding it difficult to believe and understand the Tathāgata's wisdom, which corresponds in the Burning House [parable] to the arising of fire, and in the Expedient Means Chapter to the dharmas of peaceful versus unpeaceful. Third, the parable of "if there is a large multitude": this directly illustrates the hundreds of thousands of myriads of types of living beings above who all generated doubts and did not understand, which corresponds in the Burning House [parable] to the thirty sons and five hundred people, and in the Expedient Means [Chapter] to the meaning of knowing the natures and desires of living beings. Fourth, the parable of wishing to cross this road to reach the place of precious treasures: formerly this was not taken, but now this parable is taken to illustrate the repeated exposition of the Lotus Sūtra above, corresponding to the single-flavored rain in the Medicinal Herbs Parable, the having only one door in the Burning House [parable], and the proclamation of the Buddha Way in the Expedient Means Chapter. Fifth, the parable of the single guide: this illustrates the sixteenth prince above, which is the meaning of the dense cloud in the Medicinal Herbs [Parable], the elder in the Burning House [parable], and "I now am also like this" in the Expedient Means [Chapter].