妙法蓮華經文句 5.59

5.59

From "He spoke to them of terrifying matters" onward is the second, the counteractive approach, with three aspects: first, gauging suitability with the counteractive. Admonishing with terror to make them come out, the characteristics of counteraction are as explained in the *Pañcaviṃśati*: the four applications of mindfulness are Mahāyāna because of their unapprehendability, which differs from the Hīnayāna. Since they clung to play places, he spoke of terrifying matters to let them escape being burned by the fires of the five turbidities. The house of the five aggregates should properly be abandoned; if one stays attached for long, good roots will surely be severed, hence it says "Lest they be burned and harmed by the fire." From "Although the father had pity" onward is the sons not accepting the admonition. "Neither alarmed nor afraid": not producing [wisdom from] hearing and reflection, as explained above; not recognizing that the eight sufferings and five turbidities can burn good roots is like not knowing the fire; not recognizing that the dharmas of aggregates, realms, and sense fields are vessels of various sufferings is like not recognizing the house; not knowing the cause of losing the Dharmakāya is like not knowing what is lost. From "Merely running east and west in play, looking at their father and that is all": these two lines indicate letting go of stern words. Turning one's back on light toward darkness is like "east and west"; going and returning in birth and death with great speed is like "running"; giving rise to views and craving therein is like "play"; although gauged with the Great, they did not follow the great teaching, hence it says "looking at their father and that is all." From "The elder then thought: 'This house is already burning with a great fire'" onward is the second [section], the parable of using the carts, illustrating the earlier eleven lines of gāthās: "Immediately reflecting on the power of expedient means practiced by past Buddhas." The earlier text had four parts, and this parable also has four: first, the parable of gauging suitability with the three carts, illustrating the earlier "Immediately reflecting that past Buddhas also carried out conversion via the three vehicles"; second, the parable of the father knowing what they were previously fond of, illustrating the earlier "While reflecting thus, the Buddhas of the ten directions all appeared"; third, the parable of praising the three carts, illustrating the earlier "Properly bestowing the three vehicles, having reflected on this matter, I immediately proceeded to Vārāṇasī"; fourth, the parable of suiting the sons' wishes, illustrating the earlier "Accepting, practicing, awakening to, and entering: this is called turning the wheel of the Dharma." The meritorious work of Mahāyāna conversion is the father's life; the great goodness of sentient beings is the sons' life. If the great goodness is exhausted, then the sons' life is severed; when the sons' life is severed, the work of conversion is abandoned, which is the severance of the father's life. The earlier statement "suffering and acute pain" still meant not yet dead; now saying "they will surely be burned" has the meaning of death. The earlier text spoke of safely getting out through the gate that was burning, yet here it says "If they do not come out in time, they will surely be burned." What is the meaning of this? The previous emergence was the Dharmakāya's emergence; now saying that if they do not come out in time, this is the response body (*nirmāṇakāya*) sharing the affliction. When sentient beings possess goodness, they emerge in time with the response body; when sentient beings' goodness is severed, they do not emerge in time with the response body, which means burning together. Now, wishing to gauge suitability with the response body, he causes them to come out in time. From "I will now devise an expedient means," he wishes to devise expedients.