妙法蓮華經玄贊 5.186

5.186

Commentary: Below is the third [part], the parable of seeing [the danger] and setting up expedient means. It has four [sections]: first, the parable of seeing their suffering and compassion arising; second, from 'Śāriputra, this elder...' downward, the parable of revealing the Mahāyāna, [which they] do not desire; third, from 'Thereupon the elder made this thought...' downward, the parable of contemplating the means to rescue them; fourth, from 'The father, knowing that the sons' minds beforehand each had...' downward, the parable of directly expounding the three vehicles. / Regarding 'compassion arising', this refers to the time when the Buddha was formerly in the bodhisattva stage as one of the sixteen princes; hence it was said earlier, 'I have constantly transformed and taught you in the presence of twenty thousand billion buddhas,' and the previous chapter also says, 'For the sake of these sentient beings, he aroused great compassion,' and so forth. / Regarding 'revealing the Mahāyāna, [which they] do not desire', the sixteen princes once taught the Mahāyāna, but those [beings] regressed halfway. The previous chapter also says, 'The wisdom I have attained... how can such beings as these be saved?' It was also said earlier, 'Formerly I taught you to resolve upon the Buddha path, but now you have completely forgotten it.' / Regarding 'contemplating the means to rescue them', after seeing that they had regressed, he contemplated the means to rescue them. The previous chapter also says, 'I immediately recollected the past buddhas... I should also expound the three vehicles.' / Regarding 'directly expounding the three vehicles', this refers to recently extending teachings again to make them abide in the two vehicles. The previous chapter also says, 'I immediately went to Vārāṇasī... differentiated designations of Dharma and Saṅgha.' It was also said earlier, 'Because I guided you by expedient means, you were born into my Dharma.' This corresponds precisely with that, and not only with this, but also corresponds to the poor son, as will be known below. / The first text has two parts: first, stating that compassion arose; second, setting forth the circumstances of the compassion. This is the first. / 'A great fire' refers to the afflictions and secondary afflictions. / 'On four sides': the five aggregates all have four successive stages—arising, abiding, change, and cessation. The Āgamas say, 'Arising is the east, abiding is the south, change is the west, and cessation is the north,' matching the four directions by analogy to the rising and setting of the sun, and because afflictions arise due to these four stages. Or, with the body, feeling, mind, and dharmas as conditions, the four inversions arise; by these four conditions, the root, own-nature, and outflow of inverted [views] give rise to all afflictions and secondary afflictions. / 'Was greatly alarmed and terrified': when the father saw the fire break out, he feared his sons would be burned and was shocked in his soul; when the Buddha saw delusion arise, he was anxious that sentient beings would be harmed and felt compassion in his mind.