法華玄論 7.168

7.168

答：作三車者，此舉說法輪為譬。若是化城，以神通輪為譬。何以知之？長者虛指門外說有三車，故知是說法輪譬也。化城則明導師以神通力化作大城，則以通輪為譬也。又三車以聲為譬，化城則舉色為譬。諸子但耳聞車而眼不見，故舉聲譬；眾人眼見城，故舉色譬也。但城譬之中非無有聲，如導師撫慰乃至集眾告言，皆是聲也；車譬之中非無有色，如長者指門外示彼三車，即是色也。但城據眼見，車就耳聞，如前正意。

Answer: Presenting the three carriages is an analogy drawn from the wheel of the preaching of the Dharma. In the case of the conjured city, it is an analogy drawn from the wheel of supernormal powers. How do we know this? The elder fictitiously pointed outside the gate and said there were three carriages; thus we know it is a parable of the wheel of the preaching of the Dharma. The conjured city clarifies that the guide, by his supernormal power, conjured a great city; thus it uses the wheel of supernormal powers as a parable. Furthermore, the three carriages use sound as an analogy, whereas the conjured city presents form as an analogy. The children only heard of the carriages with their ears and did not see them with their eyes, so it presents a sound parable; the multitude saw the city with their eyes, so it presents a form parable. However, within the city parable it is not that there is no sound, for the guide comforting them and even assembling the assembly to speak to them are all sound; within the carriage parable it is not that there is no form, for the elder pointing outside the gate to show them the three carriages is precisely form. But the city is based on visual seeing, and the carriages on auditory hearing, as was the primary intention stated before.