法華義疏 8.296

8.296

有人言：此中明世世相值者，據大期一劫二劫，恒得相值；窮子不相見，細論一世兩世不相見耳。今謂與沙彌結緣有三品人：一者、上品，如此中說，得值多佛與師俱生，過去即悟也。二者、中品人，如下文說「于今有住聲聞地者，過去不悟《法華》，現在值釋迦，聞一乘方悟」，則窮子是也。三者、下根，如後文說「未來世弟子，現在不事法師，未來隨聞故始得悟」。以有三根，就三世得悟不同，是故今文與窮子不相違也。

Some say: what is explained here as meeting one another life after life is based on the great span of one kalpa or two kalpas, wherein they constantly manage to meet; that the impoverished son did not see [his father] is, examined closely, merely not seeing each other for one life or two lives. Now I say: there are three grades of persons who formed karmic connections with the novice monks. First, the superior grade: as explained here, they met many buddhas and were born together with their master, attaining awakening in the past. Second, persons of the middling grade: as the text below says, "Among them there are now those who abide at the stage of śrāvakas; having not awakened to the Lotus Sūtra in the past, they now encounter Śākyamuni and only now awaken upon hearing the ekayāna"—this is precisely the impoverished son. Third, those of dull faculties: as a later passage says, "Disciples in future ages who at present do not attend upon the Dharma master will only first attain awakening in the future by hearing it accordingly." Because there are three [grades of] faculties, their attainment of awakening across the three times differs; therefore, the present text does not contradict [the parable of] the impoverished son.