法華義疏 7.164

7.164

「好自安意」下，第三、明慰喻。非止內給所須，外復有善言慰喻，令安心於道門，故云好自安意也。「我如汝父」者，欲密示是父子也。就昔為言，聲聞是小行，佛為大乘，非真父子，但稟教生解故言如子。「勿復憂慮」者，若修無漏必不懼老病死苦也。「所以者何？我年老大而汝小壯」者，釋父子義也。以道高是為老大，德淺為小壯，此領鹿苑時師資之義也。「汝常作時」下，第四、稱嘆也。上明內給所須、外善慰喻，今即如說修行得於教益，故稱嘆之也。如說行故無欺，常精進故無怠，知教不乖理故無嗔，得教益故無恨，知教等益無私故無怨言也。「都不見汝有此諸惡如餘作人」者，明無五種過，故云無惡；反此五種則餘作人也。「自今以後如所生子」者，上歎無過，今為其立名。既無五失則有五德入於無漏，從佛口生、從法化生，取佛法分故名如所生子也。「即時長者更與作字名之為兒」者，既入無漏為立賢聖之名，稱為佛子也。

From 'Set your mind fully at ease' downward is the third [part], explaining comforting and consoling. Not only does he inwardly supply what is needed, but outwardly he also provides good words of comforting and consoling, causing him to set his mind at ease in the gateway of the Way; hence it says 'Set your mind fully at ease'. 'I am like your father' is intended secretly to show that they are father and son. Speaking in terms of the past, the śrāvakas were of lesser practice and the Buddha was of the Mahāyāna, so they were not truly father and son; yet because they received the teaching and gave rise to understanding, he says 'like a son'. 'Do not worry any longer' means that if one cultivates the uncontaminated, one will certainly not fear the sufferings of old age, sickness, and death. 'Why is this? I am old and advanced in years, while you are young and in your prime' explains the meaning of father and son. Being lofty in the Way is being 'old and advanced'; being shallow in virtue is being 'young and in your prime'. This receives and recalls the meaning of master and disciple at the time of the Deer Park. From 'When you are constantly at work' downward is the fourth [part], praising. Above, it explained inwardly supplying what is needed and outwardly giving good comfort; now, he practices according to what has been expounded and attains the benefit of the teaching, therefore [the father] praises him. Practicing as taught, he is without deceit; constantly energetic, he is without indolence; knowing that the teaching does not contravene principle, he is without anger; having attained the benefit of the teaching, he is without resentment; knowing that the teaching bestows equal benefit without partiality, he has no words of grievance. 'I do not see you have any of these evils as the other laborers do' explains that he is free from the five faults, hence it says 'without evils'; the opposite of these five are the other laborers. 'From now on, you shall be like my own begotten son': above he praised his lack of faults, now he establishes a name for him. Having no five faults, he possesses the five virtues and enters into the uncontaminated; born from the Buddha's mouth, born transformed from the Dharma, and receiving a share of the Buddha's Dharma, he is therefore called 'like my own begotten son'. 'The elder immediately gave him another name, calling him his child': once he enters the uncontaminated, he establishes for him the name of a worthy or noble one, designating him a child of the Buddha.