法華義疏 7.82

7.82

「時貧窮子」下，第三、重序子。就文為二：初、明近父緣由；二、正明近父也。「遊諸聚落經歷國邑」者，近父緣由也。《注經》解云「惡趣如聚落，善趣如國邑，皆是生死所經歷也」。又釋聚落小故喻人乘，國邑大故喻天乘。又釋此明善根漸增長義，如遊聚落漸至國邑。然上中止一城，既是佛初成道時窮子不應始遊歷生死，但今追序其往事，所以得至城者，由逕歷國邑所以至耳。由過去從惡趣至善趣，及以善根漸增長故，得近大乘理也。「遂到其父所止之城」者，第二、正明近父。善緣漸牽近至理也。

From "At that time, the destitute son" onward is the third part, recounting the son anew. As for the text, it has two parts: first, explaining the causes and conditions for drawing near to his father; second, properly explaining drawing near to his father. "Wandering through various hamlets and passing through countries and towns" are the causes and conditions for drawing near to his father. The Zhujing explains: "The evil destinies are like hamlets, and the wholesome destinies are like countries and towns; these are all what he passed through in birth and death." Another explanation is that hamlets are small, thus parabolic of the human vehicle, while countries and towns are large, thus parabolic of the heavenly vehicle. Another explanation is that this explains the meaning of the gradual growth of wholesome roots, just as wandering through hamlets gradually leads to countries and towns. However, above, "stopped midway in a city" was when the Buddha first achieved the Path, so the destitute son should not just then begin wandering through birth and death; but here, retrospectively recounting his past events, the reason he was able to reach the city was because he reached it by passing through countries and towns. Because in the past he went from evil destinies to wholesome destinies, and because his wholesome roots gradually grew, he was able to draw near to the principle of the Mahāyāna. "Finally arriving at the city where his father stayed" is the second part, properly explaining drawing near to his father. Wholesome conditions gradually drew him near to the ultimate principle.