法華文句記 7.52

7.52

次「時富」下見子譬者，然諸聲聞向施子見父譬，巧喻領小遇大而機中不受，今設父見子譬，妙喻領佛見機而不謀恒了。「見子處」者，如來不起空座歡喜適願，故但約化儀言父見子，豈以佛眼必待子見後父見耶？「今機來稱慈」者，大小並得名為來稱。「彼明拔苦」等者，譬品也。亦應云前譬如來與慈驚其墮苦，此譬諸子領受荷佛與樂，如來拔苦本在與樂，子領樂已知拔苦，二處義同隨文互出。「即作是念」至「不得」者，此亦述於退大已來，既入五塵大法非治，尋謀用小小又來遂，今機漸來方施小化。言「取小」者，非謂往時已得於小，亦非今世漸初之小，是故往日不名機來、誰論付財，亦無歡喜故但云「昔見欲與」等也。「今日」至「有所付」者，見小機至知大非遙，是故喜其是付財地。「我常」下却釋向來退大已後、頓漸之前，無時不思大小二化。雖大小並失，以流轉對悲，故使今時付財有在。「今有可度機生」等者，

Next, regarding the metaphor of seeing the son from 'At that time the rich [man]' downward: the various śrāvakas previously set forth the metaphor of the son seeing the father, skillfully illustrating their comprehension of the Small encountering the Great while their capacity remained non-receptive; now they set forth the metaphor of the father seeing the son, wonderfully illustrating their comprehension that the Buddha sees their capacity and constantly knows it without deliberation. Regarding 'where he saw the son': the Tathāgata does not rise from his empty seat, joyful and satisfied in his wish; thus it is only in terms of the ritual of conversion that it says the father saw the son; could the Buddha's eye necessarily wait for the son to see before the father sees? Regarding 'the present capacity coming accords with compassion': both the great and small can be called 'coming and according'. Regarding 'That [chapter] clarifies the uprooting of suffering', and so forth: this refers to the Parable Chapter. One could also say: the previous metaphor shows the Tathāgata granting compassion and startling them out of falling into suffering; this metaphor shows the sons receiving and bearing the Buddha's granting of joy. The Tathāgata's uprooting of suffering originally resides in granting joy; the son, in receiving joy, already knows the uprooting of suffering; the meaning in the two places is the same, expressed reciprocally following the text. Regarding 'immediately had this thought' down to 'could not': this also narrates the time since retreating from the Great; having entered the five dusts, the great Dharma was not the remedy; he immediately deliberated on using the Small, yet the Small also failed to succeed; only now as their capacity gradually arrives does he bestow the small transformation. Saying 'taking the Small' does not mean that in the past they had already obtained the Small, nor is it the Small at the beginning of the gradual in this present life; for this reason, in former days it was not called the arrival of the capacity, and who could speak of entrusting the wealth? Nor was there joy; hence it only says 'seeing in the past, he wished to give', and so forth. Regarding 'Today' down to 'there is that to entrust': seeing the arrival of the small capacity, he knows the Great is not far off; therefore he rejoices that this is the ground for entrusting wealth. Regarding 'I constantly' downward: this conversely explains the time after retreating from the Great and before the sudden and gradual, when there was no time he did not think of the two conversions, great and small. Although both great and small were lost, because transmigration is confronted with compassion, he causes the entrusting of wealth to have its place today. Regarding 'Now there arises the capacity that can be saved', and so forth: