妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.271

6.271

贊曰：下第三段中還見佛喻。即是未退大菩提心前更重見佛，世世已曾從佛化故，此前逢佛皆化大乘。文有其三：初子長還國，次父先求覓，後子遇到城。此初也。於中有六：一根性漸成，年既長大，習種姓也。二未脩福、慧，加復窮困。三輪轉四生，馳騁四方。四規出苦道，以求衣食。五聞思慧心由種姓逼，日日善生漸漸遊行。六幸逢佛法，遇向本國。初教發大心。雖退流生死，今者還遇，佛法內住。順昔所脩，名到本國。「馳奔」騁走也。

Eulogy: Below, in the third section, is the metaphor of seeing the Buddha once again. That is to say, before retreating from the great aspiration for bodhi, he sees the Buddha yet again; because he had already been transformed by the Buddha life after life, prior to this whenever he met the Buddha, he was always transformed through the Mahāyāna. The text has three parts: first, the son grows older and returns to the homeland; second, the father seeks him beforehand; third, the son happens upon the city. This is the first. Within it there are six points: First, his faculties and nature gradually mature, 'having grown older'—this is the lineage of practice. Second, not yet having cultivated merit and wisdom, he is 'further impoverished and destitute.' Third, transmigrating through the four modes of birth, he 'hastens in all four directions.' Fourth, scheming to escape the path of suffering, he 'seeks clothing and food.' Fifth, the mind of wisdom born of hearing and contemplation is impelled by his lineage, so that day by day good arises and he 'gradually wanders.' Sixth, fortunately encountering the Buddhadharma, he 'chances to head toward his native homeland.' Initially he was taught to arouse the great resolve; though he retreated and flowed into saṃsāra, now he encounters it again and abides within the Buddhadharma. Conforming to what was cultivated in the past, this is called arriving in his native homeland. 'Hasten' (chīben) means to gallop and run.