法華義疏 5.320

5.320

有人言：如來若不以三乘化之令出宅者，眾生善根不生、無紹佛種，如子被燒，如來化工於是亦絕，若父被火害。有人言：眾生病故菩薩亦病，眾生燒故如來亦燒。今謂此經始末正歎父已免燒、子未離火，與《淨名經》來意為異，故此二釋未可全依。今文意在明子，而言父者，此據因時為論耳。我昔亦在宅中，若不時出則為火害，以時出故免火宅也；子亦應爾，時出則免，不時出則不免。時者，如來本在三界，但以機發，應出之日應時即出故得免火；眾生機發之時而不出還，復受苦也。「我今當設方便」下，第二、欲設出方。即是知病識藥，無三說三，故名方便也。「父知諸子先心各有所好」下，第三、正知子宿好。「先心」者，過去各有行願也。「所好」者，現在欲樂也。「種種珍玩琦異之物情必樂著」者，三乘於惑者為珍玩，望一乘為琦異。又三乘是出世之法，異於世法故名琦異也。「而告之言」下，第二、正為說三車譬。文有四句：一、稱歎三車；二、示車處；三、勸令速出；四、保與不虛。此並譬趣鹿苑說三乘教也。「汝等所可玩好希有難得」者，三乘聖果並是出世間法，世間所無故稱希有難得也。「汝若不取後必憂悔」者，聖雖為說，恐物不能信行，故發後悔之言也。機發值佛而不修道取聖果者，後必憂悔也。

Some say: If the Tathāgata did not transform them through the triyāna to lead them out of the house, sentient beings' roots of goodness would not arise, and there would be no continuation of the Buddha's seed—like children being burned; and the Tathāgata's transforming work would thereby also cease—like the father being harmed by the fire. Some say: Because sentient beings are ill, the bodhisattva is also ill; because sentient beings are burned, the Tathāgata is also burned. We now say: The main purport of this sūtra from beginning to end specifically praises the father for having already escaped being burned, while the children have not yet left the fire. This differs from the intention behind the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra; hence, these two explanations cannot be entirely relied upon. The present text is intended to explain the children, yet speaks of the father because this is discussed based on the causal stage. In the past, I too was within the house; if I had not come out in time, I would have been harmed by the fire. Because I came out in time, I escaped the burning house. The children should also be like this: if they come out in time, they will escape; if they do not come out in time, they will not escape. As for 'time,' the Tathāgata was originally in the three realms, but because his capacity was activated, on the day he was due to come out, he came out in due time and thus escaped the fire; when sentient beings' capacity is activated, they do not come out and instead return to undergo suffering again. From 'I must now devise an expedient' downward is the second [section]: wishing to devise an expedient means of exit. This is knowing the illness and discerning the medicine: having no three, he speaks of three; hence it is called 'an expedient means.' From 'The father knows that the minds of the children each had what they previously liked' downward is the third [section]: directly knowing the children's past predilections. 'Minds previously' means that each had past practices and vows. 'What they liked' refers to present desires and pleasures. As for 'various precious, rare, and strange playthings, their hearts would surely delight in and crave them,' the triyāna is a precious plaything to the deluded, and compared to the ekayāna, it is rare and strange. Furthermore, the triyāna is a supramundane teaching; differing from mundane teachings, it is therefore called rare and strange. From 'And told them' downward is the second [part]: directly preaching the parable of the three carriages for them. The text has four phrases: first, praising the three carriages; second, showing the location of the carriages; third, exhorting them to come out quickly; fourth, guaranteeing their bestowal without falsehood. These all serve as parables for proceeding to the Deer Park and preaching the teaching of the triyāna. As for 'What you can play with is rare and difficult to obtain,' the holy fruits of the triyāna are all supramundane teachings, nonexistent in the world, and are therefore called rare and difficult to obtain. As for 'If you do not take them, you will surely regret it later with sorrow,' although the Sage speaks of them, he fears that beings might not believe and practice, and therefore utters these words of later regret. Those whose capacity is activated, who encounter the Buddha yet do not cultivate the Path to attain the holy fruit, will surely regret it later with sorrow.