法華義疏 7.64

7.64

第二、定譬少多門者，釋此喻不同，今宜開為十：一、初為父子喻，二、中途相失喻，三、子漸還鄉喻，四、父子相見喻，五、喚子不得喻，六、冷水灑面喻，七、誘引還家喻，八、付財密化喻，九、陶練小心喻，十、委囑家業喻。初為父子喻者，釋迦於過去世時為其說大乘法名之為父，其曾稟大化故稱為子，故下文云「此是我子我之所生」也。中途相失喻者，觀心微弱煩惱強盛，為惑所牽流浪生死，子失父也；如來覓其大乘善根成就不得，謂父失子也。子漸還鄉譬者，法種眾苦樂求涅槃，故苦極有反源之義，故積習善根漸有趣向大理，故名子漸還鄉譬。父子相見譬者，於一形之內大乘善根成就，有悟入大義，名子見父；見其一形之內大乘善根成就，名父見子。喚子不得譬者，初成道時大機未熟不堪受大化，故名喚子不得。冷水灑面喻者，初成道時大乘善根未熟，但有人天善根成就，故為說人天之教，如冷水灑面即便醒𮠬，故名冷水灑面譬。誘引還家譬者，前於道樹下說人天教，蓋是世間生死乘譬向他家，次趣鹿薗說於二乘，是出世法令從世間歸於出世，出世之法是長者家，故名誘引還家譬。付財密化譬者，小志漸移、大機遠動，故命說大法密誨小心，故名付財密化譬。陶練小心譬者，從《波若》以後《法華》之前，諸方等教毀訾聲聞、讚揚菩薩，令稍鄙小心漸欣大道，名陶練小心譬。委囑家業譬者，小執既除大機成就，故為說一乘令紹繼佛業，故名委屬家業喻也。

Second, the section determining the number of parables: Interpretations of this parable vary, but here it should be divided into ten: 1. the parable of originally being father and son; 2. the parable of losing each other midway; 3. the parable of the son gradually returning to his native land; 4. the parable of father and son seeing each other; 5. the parable of calling the son in vain; 6. the parable of sprinkling cold water on his face; 7. the parable of enticing him to return home; 8. the parable of entrusting the wealth and secretly transforming him; 9. the parable of tempering and training the narrow mind; 10. the parable of delegating the family estate. As for the parable of originally being father and son: Śākyamuni expounded the Mahāyāna Dharma to them in past lives, and was therefore called the father; having once received his great conversion, they are called sons. Thus the text below says: 'This is my son, born of me.' As for the parable of losing each other midway: the mind of contemplation was weak and afflictions were strong; dragged by delusion, they drifted in saṃsāra—the son losing the father. The Tathāgata sought their maturation of Mahāyāna wholesome roots and could not find it—this is called the father losing the son. As for the parable of the son gradually returning to his native land: it is the nature of phenomena that when experiencing manifold sufferings one aspires to seek nirvāṇa; thus, when suffering reaches its peak, there is a turning back to the source. Therefore, gradually accumulating wholesome roots, one progressively inclines toward the ultimate Mahāyāna principle; hence it is named the parable of the son gradually returning to his native land. As for the parable of father and son seeing each other: within a single lifetime, the Mahāyāna wholesome roots mature and there is awakening into the great meaning—this is called the son seeing the father; seeing that within a single lifetime his Mahāyāna wholesome roots have matured is called the father seeing the son. As for the parable of calling the son in vain: when [the Buddha] first attained the Way, the capacity for the Great [Vehicle] was not yet ripe, and he was incapable of receiving the great teaching; hence it is named calling the son in vain. As for the parable of sprinkling cold water on his face: when [the Buddha] first attained the Way, the Mahāyāna wholesome roots were not yet ripe, and only the wholesome roots of humans and gods were mature; therefore, he expounded the teachings of humans and gods for him, just like sprinkling cold water on the face makes one immediately regain consciousness; hence it is named the parable of sprinkling cold water on his face. As for the parable of enticing him to return home: previously, under the Bodhi tree, he expounded the teachings of humans and gods, which were the worldly vehicles of birth and death, likened to turning toward another's home; next, proceeding to the Deer Park, he expounded the two vehicles, which are world-transcending dharmas, leading them from the mundane to return to the supramundane. The supramundane dharma is the elder's home; hence it is named the parable of enticing him to return home. As for the parable of entrusting the wealth and secretly transforming him: the narrow aspiration gradually shifted and the great capacity was stirred from afar; therefore, he was commissioned to expound the great Dharma to secretly instruct the narrow mind; hence it is named the parable of entrusting the wealth and secretly transforming him. As for the parable of tempering and training the narrow mind: from the Prajñā[pāramitā] onward until before the Lotus [Sūtra], the various Vaipulya teachings disparaged the śrāvakas and praised the bodhisattvas, leading them to feel some disdain for their narrow minds and gradually rejoice in the Great Way; this is named the parable of tempering and training the narrow mind. As for the parable of delegating the family estate: the narrow attachment having been eradicated and the great capacity matured, he expounded the One Vehicle for them, causing them to inherit the Buddha's estate; hence it is named the parable of delegating the family estate.