妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.269

6.269

贊曰：第二退流生死喻也。《對法》引經云：「若有成世間增上品正見，雖經歷千生終不墮惡道」。彼據上品最初發心，今說下品發心，是以退流生死。心未堅固、不專樂佛，名為捨父。背教違理、常行惡行，喻如逃逝。逃者避也，逝者往也。行也去也。「他國」者生死也，久不可樂故。佛法為自國，久令安樂故。《涅槃經》中以佛法為他國，非己分故；生死為自國，是己分故。以此以彼，相待不同，此以有性及發心已後為自他，彼以無性及未發心前為他自，亦不相違。前雖以三界總為佛之大宅，今以為他國者，染、淨體殊，國分他、自。又依凡說亦不相違。又依大悲生死為宅，若依大智乃稱他國。下喻說中總有五國：一久住他國，二遇向本國，三乃遍他國，四經歷國邑，五并會親族國王大臣。初及第三以生死為他國，第二以佛法為本國，第四亦總說佛法說法利寬如國，第五即人王之國，或喻佛法國之四眾。「或十乃至五十」者，馳流五道，名言種子各十業道之所資故。

The Commentary says: This is the second: the parable of degenerating and drifting in saṃsāra. The Abhidharmasamuccaya quotes a sūtra stating: "If one accomplishes worldly upper-grade right view, even though one passes through a thousand births, one will ultimately not fall into the evil destinies." That is based on the upper grade of initially arousing the resolve, whereas here it speaks of the lower grade of arousing the resolve, which is why they degenerated and drifted in saṃsāra. Their minds not being firm and not exclusively delighting in the Buddha is called "abandoning his father." Turning one's back on the teaching and going against principle, constantly engaging in evil conduct, is parabolized as "fled." "To flee" means to evade; "to run away" means to depart; to go and leave. "Another country" is saṃsāra, because over a long time it cannot be delighted in. The Buddha-Dharma is one's own country, because over a long time it brings peace and happiness. In the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, the Buddha-Dharma is regarded as another country, because it is not one's own share; saṃsāra is regarded as one's own country, because it is one's own share. Taking this and taking that are mutually dependent and distinct: here, one's own and the other are based on having the [buddha-]nature and the time after arousing the resolve; there, the other and one's own are based on lacking the nature and the time before arousing the resolve; so they do not contradict each other. Although the three realms were previously taken collectively as the Buddha's great house, taking them now as another country is because defilement and purity are distinct in substance, so country is divided into other and own. Moreover, explaining according to ordinary people also does not contradict it. Furthermore, relying on great compassion, saṃsāra is the house; whereas relying on great wisdom, it is called another country. In the parabolic explanation below, there are five countries in all: 1. dwelling long in another country; 2. by chance heading toward his native country; 3. traversing all other countries; 4. passing through countries and towns; 5. and meeting relatives, kings, and great ministers. The first and third take saṃsāra as another country; the second takes the Buddha-Dharma as the native country; the fourth also speaks generally of the Buddha-Dharma, where preaching the Dharma is as broad in benefit as a country; the fifth is the kingdom of human kings, or parabolizes the four assemblies of the Buddha-Dharma's country. "Or ten up to fifty" means rushing and drifting through the five destinies, nourished by the nominal seeds of each of the ten paths of action.