妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.281

6.281

贊曰：子遇到城。內道三乘，名為聚落，此為總句。所有說法、神通之事，名為國邑。此中意說，遍遊內道以求出要，名遊聚落。前文已說子長還國歸佛法訖，故知聚落不通外道。或聽說法之淺深，或觀神通之勝劣，名歷國邑。國寬喻說法，邑小喻神通。識眾聖以否臧，還至佛法大乘教內名到父城。依後解云，幸逢佛法、初聽大乘，名到父城，佛自住大乘故。即是中途還逢大乘。

Eulogy: The son happens upon the city. The Three Vehicles of the internal teaching are called 'villages'—this is the summarizing phrase. All instances of teaching the Dharma and displaying spiritual powers are called 'states and towns.' What is meant here is that wandering everywhere through the internal teaching to seek the essentials for deliverance is called 'wandering through villages.' The preceding text already stated that the son grew older and returned to the homeland, coming back to the Buddhadharma; thus we know that 'villages' do not include non-Buddhist teachings. Or, listening to the shallow or profound levels of Dharma preaching, or observing the superior or inferior spiritual powers, is called 'passing through states and towns.' A state is broad, symbolizing preaching the Dharma; a town is small, symbolizing spiritual powers. Discerning whether the noble beings are good or bad, he returns to the Mahāyāna teaching within the Buddhadharma, which is called 'arriving at the father's city.' According to the latter explanation: fortunately encountering the Buddhadharma and first hearing the Mahāyāna is called 'arriving at the father's city,' because the Buddha himself abides in the Mahāyāna. That is, midway along the road, he encounters the Mahāyāna again.