法華義疏 6.83

6.83

「眾生沒在其中歡喜遊戲」，第二、合上傷子未離也。「沒在其中」者，眾苦如海，眾生沒在苦海內也。「歡喜遊戲」謂於苦果上更起貪著，則是重造苦因也。合上「而諸子等於火宅內樂著嬉戲」。「不覺不知」者，前明貪愛、今辨愚癡，即癡愛也。「於此三界火宅東西馳走」者，自上已來見眾生受苦果、造苦因，今見其輪迴不息也。「雖遭大苦不以為患」者，上歡喜遊戲明不覺苦眾生不厭於苦，今明遭苦眾生亦不厭苦，則合上「火來逼身苦痛切已」也。「舍利弗！佛見此已」合第三救子不得譬。上有誡勸二門，大乘化眾生不得。今文總合二門，開之為二：初、總合誡勸二門；二、總明無機息化。所以約慈悲合誡勸者，合總譬歎佛有樂無苦，合見火譬序眾生有苦無樂，合今第三譬明佛拔眾生苦與眾生樂，是以三章文勢相接也。「舍利弗！如來復作是念」下，第二、合無機息化。文有二句：初、明假設欲救，次、明物不能受。初有三句：前句明欲與實樂，神力合上衣裓，智慧力合上机案也。「捨於方便」者，第二句、明隱權也。「為諸眾生」下，第三句、欲說實也。「眾生不能以是得度」下，第二、明物不能受。前明有身苦故不能解佛慧，而為三界火宅所燒，有心苦故不能解佛慧也。

'Sentient beings are submerged therein, rejoicing and playing' is second, matching the earlier [parable of] pitying the children who have not yet escaped. 'Submerged therein': all sufferings are like an ocean, and sentient beings are submerged in this ocean of suffering. 'Rejoicing and playing' means that on top of the retribution of suffering, they further arouse greedy attachment; this is repeatedly creating the causes of suffering. This matches the earlier 'yet the children, inside the burning house, delight in and are attached to playing.' 'Neither perceiving nor knowing': the former clarified greedy love; the present distinguishes ignorance—namely, delusion and craving. 'Running east and west in this burning house of the three realms': up to this point, sentient beings have been seen receiving the fruits of suffering and creating the causes of suffering; now, one sees their ceaseless samsaric transmigration. 'Though meeting with great suffering, they do not consider it an affliction': the earlier 'rejoicing and playing' clarified that sentient beings who do not perceive suffering do not detest suffering; now it clarifies that sentient beings encountering suffering still do not detest suffering, which matches the earlier 'the fire comes pressing upon their bodies, and the agony is acute.' 'Śāriputra! When the Buddha saw this...' matches the third parable of being unable to rescue the children. Above, there were the two approaches of admonishing and exhorting, [showing that] sentient beings could not be converted through the Mahāyāna. The present text combines these two approaches and divides them into two: first, summarily matching the two approaches of admonishing and exhorting; second, generally clarifying that in the absence of receptive capacity, conversion ceases. The reason for matching admonition and exhortation based on loving-kindness and compassion is: matching the overall parable praises the Buddha's having joy and no suffering; matching the parable of seeing the fire recounts sentient beings' having suffering and no joy; matching the present third parable clarifies that the Buddha removes sentient beings' suffering and bestows joy on them. Thus the momentum of the three sections connects sequentially. From 'Śāriputra! The Tathāgata again had this thought' downward, second, it matches the cessation of conversion due to the absence of receptive capacity. The text has two clauses: first, it clarifies hypothetically desiring to save them; next, it clarifies that beings cannot receive it. The first has three clauses: the previous clause clarifies desiring to bestow real joy, where supernatural powers match the lap of the robe above, and the power of wisdom matches the table above. 'Setting aside expedient means' is the second clause, clarifying the concealing of the provisional. From 'for the sake of sentient beings' downward is the third clause, desiring to expound the real. From 'sentient beings cannot be delivered by this' downward, second, it clarifies that beings cannot receive it. Previously, it clarified that having bodily suffering, they cannot understand the Buddha's wisdom and are burned by the fire of the burning house of the three realms; having mental suffering, they cannot understand the Buddha's wisdom.