妙法蓮華經文句 7.7

7.7

「迦葉當知如來」下，合譬也，合差別譬為二：先正合，次提譬帖合。差別譬有六，今合不次第。開譬明機前論眾生，合譬明應前合如來，如來是化主也。此中第一正合上第三密雲，亦兼合第一世界；此中第二合上第四注雨譬；此中第三合上第一世界山川谿谷譬；此中第四合上第二草木；此中第五合上第五霑潤；此中第六合上第六增長譬也。合譬次第者，明如來應世則有八音說法，說法即有受化眾生，眾生聞法各霑道潤，得潤是同不無差別增長（云云）。

From "Kāśyapa, you should know that the Tathāgata" onward is matching the parable; matching the differentiated parable has two parts: first, directly matching; next, adducing the parable and pasting it onto the match. The differentiated parable has six [elements], but here the matching is not in sequence. Unfolding the parable clarifies the faculties, thus treating sentient beings first; matching the parable clarifies the response, thus matching the Tathāgata first, as the Tathāgata is the lord of conversion. Here, the first directly matches the third [element] above, the dense cloud, and also concurrently matches the first, the world; the second here matches the fourth [element] above, the pouring rain parable; the third here matches the first [element] above, the parable of the mountains, rivers, ravines, and valleys of the world; the fourth here matches the second [element] above, the plants and trees; the fifth here matches the fifth [element] above, receiving moisture; the sixth here matches the sixth [element] above, the parable of growth. As for the sequence of matching the parable: it clarifies that when the Tathāgata responds to the world, there is the preaching of the Dharma with the eight tones; preaching the Dharma entails sentient beings receiving conversion; sentient beings hearing the Dharma each receive the moisture of the path; receiving moisture is identical, yet not without differentiated growth (and so forth).