法華玄論 1.122

1.122

答：〈譬喻品〉火宅之中本有三十子，即三乘根性，欲求出宅為說三乘，故知為本乘人也。化城所明本欲求佛，中途懈退，為說小乘。故知二譬為二人也。此就文訖，而義實通也。四者欲廣歎如來智慧明久遠。今二乘人心生欣慕，改迷悟入，故說是經。所以富樓那云「復聞如來神通之力」，即其事也。五者欲顯《法華》是古佛法，三世諸佛必皆說之。故云「世尊法久後要當說真實」。

Answer: In the 'Chapter on the Parable', within the burning house there were originally thirty sons, who represent the faculties of the three vehicles; wishing to seek escape from the house, he preached the three vehicles for them, so we know this was for people of the original vehicles. What is clarified by the conjured city is that they originally wished to seek buddhahood, but midway became lax and retrogressed, so he preached the lesser vehicle for them. Therefore we know that the two parables are for two [different] kinds of persons. This concludes the examination of the text, but the meaning in fact connects them. Fourth, wishing to broadly praise the Tathāgata's wisdom as being ancient and distant, so that now the people of the two vehicles arouse yearning in their hearts, turn from delusion, and awaken and enter, he therefore preached this sūtra. Thus Pūrṇa saying 'having heard again the spiritual powers of the Tathāgata' is precisely this matter. Fifth, wishing to manifest that the Lotus is the Dharma of the ancient buddhas, which all buddhas of the three periods of time must preach, he therefore says: 'The Dharma of the World-Honoured One is long and enduring; in the end he must speak the truth.'