法華文句記 7.14

7.14

Now, the dwelling of the impoverished son is presently situated within the five defilements; for the time being, looking from his dwelling toward the origin, it is other. From then on, he has constantly remained in the three realms; hence it says "dwelling for a long time." From "this condition" to "growing up": among the capacities, it becomes somewhat thicker, and is tentatively given a prominent name; still not having returned to the origin, it merely says "thirty." From "since the conditions" onward, it takes suffering as the capacity; hence we know this is still before the small transformation. Arriving without recognizing is called "encountering"; because it was seen in the past, it is called "original." Regarding "taking suffering as the capacity": having lost both Great and Small, there is only birth and death; within birth and death there is a capacity that can be aroused, secretly knocking at the city of great compassion of the wondrous response. The great response is still distant, so the capacity provisionally faces suffering. Regarding "in a single thought, the suffering of losing his son" and so forth: through thinking of the suffering of the son, he contemplates various gateways; thinking of causing him to obtain joy, he again contemplates a single gateway. Although he contemplates both, neither has yet been achieved. Now, suddenly obtaining it, speaking from the original intention, when he is to proclaim the Buddha path, it tentatively says "a single gateway." From "since the son" onward explains the above two meanings. First, discarding the great goodness and entering birth and death; hence it says "improper." The previous explanation of the parable where the gateway has the sense of entering is truly due to this. Therefore, stirring the father's grief explains the first meaning. Departing from various enticements, the father's mind originally intended to connect him through the Perfect gateway; there will be the sense of attainment, which beforehand stirs the father's joy, explaining the second meaning. From "first, as a parable" to "simply receiving": at the beginning of the third scroll, setting forth that the reception was inadequate, the meaning lies here. Among the progression and regression of the seven goodnesses of the ten realms, the bodhisattva is the most difficult; because it combines three, it is spoken of separately. If it is so even for bodhisattvas, the Buddha realm is permanently cut off. From "the mind of understanding lacked power" to "growing up": formerly cultivating the practice of contemplation, although contemplating the identity in principle, he had not yet entered the identity in resemblance and could not eliminate defilement; hence it says "lacked power," which in meaning is like infancy. After retreating from the Great, he was completely confused about the identity in names; its meaning is like being heavy. Inner perfuming is like an addition; hence it is called "being covered." The Great was still not achieved, and he could only take up the Small first. When the great goodness is about to be achieved, it is called "gradually wishing to wear"; this anticipates later explanations. Regarding "fleeing" and so forth: how could the Buddha abandon beings? Because of being separated, he does not see him; its meaning corresponds to fleeing.