妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.68

6.68

贊曰：下五頌喻示大不悕。有二：初四頌密示眾苦以授大乘，後一頌無怖取大。初復有二：初一頌半總告惑、苦還生，後二頌半別告惡處令厭。此初也。「說眾患難」者，宅壞火災、虫鬼紛擾。「惡鬼」者外道諸見。「毒虫」者白衣餘惑。此二為緣，所生一切煩惱災火連綿不息。「蔓莚」者連續之貌。有解上去、下平呼，既如草蔓，亦如莚廗之長也。或為「延」，如草蔓延長連續不斷。或「蔓」亡怨反。「莚」餘戰反。《西京賦》云「其形蔓莚」。《廣雅》「蔓，長也。莚，遍也」，二皆去聲呼之，如野火連綿勢長不斷絕之義。因宅火生，名火蔓莚。因火宅壞，名苦。次第相續不絕，此意顯示因惑生苦。緣生之中無明、行後，有識等五。愛、取、有後，有生、老死。因苦生惑生死相續無斷絕期。觸、受後，有愛、取。老死後，還有無明，故說生死名為輪轉。

Commentary: The following five verses are the parable illustrating their having no longing for the Great [Vehicle]. There are two parts: first, four verses secretly indicate manifold sufferings to confer the Great Vehicle; next, one verse shows them lacking fear and not taking the Great. The first part also has two sections: first, one and a half verses generally tell of afflictions and sufferings giving rise [to each other]; next, two and a half verses separately tell of the dreadful place to inspire disgust. This is the first section.

"Speaking of manifold perils and hardships" refers to the house being destroyed by the fire disaster, and the insects and ghosts running amok in confusion. "Vicious ghosts" are the various heterodox views. "Venomous insects" are the remaining delusions of householders. With these two as conditions, all the disaster fires of affliction they generate continuously spread without ceasing. "Spreading far and wide" describes continuous expanse. Some explain the first character as departing tone and the second as even tone, being like spreading grass, and also like the length of layered mats. Alternatively, it is written with the character "延" [to extend], like the spreading and extending of vines in unbroken succession. Or "蔓" is pronounced *wàn* [wáng-yuàn fan] and "莚" is pronounced *yán* [yú-zhàn fan]. The *Xijing Fu* (Rhapsody on the Western Capital) states: "Its form spreads far and wide." The *Guangya* states: "*Màn* means long; *yán* means pervasive"; both are pronounced in the departing tone, bearing the sense of a wildfire continuously extending its reach without being cut off. Arising due to the fire of the house, it is called "fire spreading far and wide." The house being destroyed due to fire is called "suffering." Their succeeding one another without interruption shows how suffering arises from delusion. Among conditioned arising, after ignorance and formations come consciousness and the other five [links]. After craving, grasping, and existence come birth, old age, and death. Because suffering generates delusion, cyclic existence continues without any time of interruption. After contact and feeling come craving and grasping. After old age and death there is again ignorance; therefore cyclic existence is called the turning of the wheel.