法華義疏 7.63

7.63

來意門者，依《法華論》說火宅譬破於凡夫，明窮子譬斥二乘人執，所以前破凡夫次須斥二乘者，示次第法門破病階漸也。聲聞人謂三乘所得涅槃法同、三乘並是、三無學人亦無異，故今明二乘所得法如彼草庵，如來所得法猶如大宅，二乘之人猶如窮子，如來之人如大富長者，是故迦葉自說大小具明優劣，令諸學小乘人捨小入大，故說此譬喻也。二者、令諸菩薩知大乘尊勝小乘鄙劣，決定住大不退取小，故說此譬。又令稟佛教人具識釋迦一化始終法門，知權實、前後、淺深、顯密等教，故說此喻也。

Regarding the section on the purpose: according to the Fahua lun, the parable of the burning house refutes ordinary beings, while the parable of the impoverished son rebukes the grasping of persons of the two vehicles. The reason for first refuting ordinary beings and next having to rebuke the two vehicles is to demonstrate the gradual stages of the sequential dharma-gates for curing sickness. The śrāvakas thought that the nirvāṇa-dharma attained by the three vehicles is identical, that the three vehicles are all correct, and that the three classes of adepts are also without difference. Therefore, it is now clarified that the dharma attained by the two vehicles is like that thatched hut, whereas the Dharma attained by the Tathāgata is like the great mansion; the persons of the two vehicles are like the impoverished son, whereas the Tathāgata is like the great wealthy elder. For this reason, Kāśyapa himself spoke of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, fully clarifying their superiority and inferiority, in order to cause all who study the Hīnayāna to abandon the Hīnayāna and enter the Mahāyāna; hence this parable was spoken. Second, it is to cause all bodhisattvas to know that the Mahāyāna is noble and superior while the Hīnayāna is base and inferior, and to definitively abide in the Mahāyāna without retrogressing to grasp the Hīnayāna; hence this parable was spoken. Furthermore, it is to cause those who receive the Buddha's teaching to fully recognize the dharma-gates of Śākyamuni's lifetime transformation from beginning to end, knowing the teachings that are provisional and real, earlier and later, shallow and deep, exoteric and esoteric; hence this parable was spoken.