法華義疏 5.314

5.314

此句總標欲說怖畏之事也。「此舍已燒宜時疾出」者，正明怖畏之事也。以有陰身，則以為老病死火燒身、三毒火燒心也，故言此舍以為大火所燒也。「無令為火之所燒害」者，上雖明二火已燒，但燒而未害；今恐為二火所害，故誡之。若恣此二火則燒滅善根，害法身、斷慧命也。「如所思惟具告諸子」者，前句辨內心思惟，此明假設為說怖畏也。「父雖怜愍善言誘喻」者，此明無機不受誡門說也。怜其無樂愍其有苦，誘之以法譬之以事。怜愍據內心，善言誘喻約外言說法也。「而諸子等樂著嬉戲」者，明諸子樂著生死五欲樂也。「不肯信受」者，不信生死是無常苦也。《瑞應經》云「設當為說万物無常天下皆苦，正言似反，誰肯信者，勞苦我爾，不如早取泥洹也。」「不驚不畏」者，初不畏生死為不驚，終不怖故為不畏也。「亦復不知何者是火」者，不識老病死為燒身火，三毒為燒心火也。「何者是舍云何為失」者，不知三界為通舍、五陰為別舍，不知由妄想之失故起身心二火，即妄想是二火之根。「但東西走戲」者，舊云：南北為縱，東西是橫，明諸子橫理用心也。今謂夫立宅則東西無門，但開門向南，以東西無門則背理走戲故無出義，若背北向南則背惑向理便有出義，故不云南北走戲也。又若南北走者，父在門外子便有從父之理、父便有化子之義，非謂無機也。遊心愛見故稱為走，無所剋獲名為戲也。「視父而已」者，初雖不信，但會有向理之分，故云視父；未能行修，故稱而已。

This clause generally indicates the desire to speak of fearful matters. "This house is already on fire; you ought to come out quickly at once" directly clarifies the fearful matter. Because one has an aggregate-body, the fire of old age, sickness, and death burns the body, and the fire of the three poisons burns the mind; therefore it says that this house is burned by a great fire. "Do not let yourselves be burned and harmed by the fire": although it was shown above that the two fires have already burned [the house], they have burned it but not yet harmed [them]; now, fearing that they will be harmed by the two fires, he admonishes them. If one indulges these two fires, they will burn and destroy the roots of goodness, harming the dharmakāya and severing the life of wisdom. "Just as he had reflected, he fully told the children": the preceding clause analyzed the internal mental reflection, while this shows speaking of fearfulness by way of provisional setup. "Although the father, pitying and commiserating, lured and admonished them with good words": this shows that, lacking the capacity, they did not receive the preaching through the gate of admonition. Pitying their lack of joy and commiserating with their suffering, he lured them with Dharma and compared it with worldly matters. Pity and commiseration are based on the internal mind, while luring and admonishing with good words relates to external verbal preaching of the Dharma. "Yet the children were joyfully attached to playing games": this shows that the children were joyfully attached to the pleasure of the five desires in saṃsāra. "They were unwilling to believe and accept": they did not believe that saṃsāra is impermanent and suffering. The Ruiying jing says: "If I were to explain that all myriad things are impermanent and all under heaven is suffering, correct words would seem contrary; who would be willing to believe them? It would merely wear me out with toil; it is better to attain nirvāṇa early." "Neither alarmed nor afraid": initially not fearing saṃsāra is "not alarmed"; ultimately not being frightened by it is "not afraid." "Nor did they know what fire was": they did not recognize old age, sickness, and death as the fire burning the body, nor the three poisons as the fire burning the mind. "What the house was, or what was being lost": they did not know that the three realms are the general house and the five aggregates are the specific house; nor did they know that due to the error of false discrimination, the two fires of body and mind arise, meaning that false discrimination is the root of the two fires. "Merely running east and west in play": the old [commentators] said: north and south represent the longitudinal, and east and west represent the latitudinal, showing that the children applied their minds contrary to principle. We now say: in constructing a residence, there are no gates to the east and west, but a gate is opened only facing south; because there are no gates to the east and west, running and playing there turns their backs on principle, so there is no meaning of exiting; if they turn their backs on the north and face the south, turning their backs on delusion and facing principle, there is then the meaning of exiting; hence it does not say running and playing north and south. Furthermore, if they ran north and south, with the father outside the gate, the children would have the principle of following the father, and the father would have the meaning of converting the children, which would not mean lacking capacity. Letting the mind roam in attachment and views is called "running"; having no attainment is called "play." "Merely looking at their father": although they did not believe at first, they nevertheless had some share of facing principle, hence it says "looking at their father"; but because they were not yet able to practice and cultivate, it says "merely."