法華論疏 3.112

3.112

First, it previously introduces the person. "Displaying various wholesome roots, samādhis, and merits within the worldly" indicates the method of transforming this person. Here, "displaying wholesome roots within the worldly" explains the Buddha's intent. The Buddha's intent was: "I originally taught worldly wholesome roots to extract you from the heavy suffering of the three destinies and cause you to rejoice, and thereafter cause you to enter the city of great nirvāṇa. Why would you hold onto it as the supreme and wondrous retribution?" To counter this, he spoke the parable of the burning house. Question: The first person previously directly sought worldly human and divine retributions; why does it now say "displaying various wholesome roots within the worldly"? Answer: "Worldly" here differs from the "worldly" above. The worldly above is the worldly of the three realms. Here it clarifies that prior to attaining true non-outflow, generating the bodhicitta and the skillful means prior to the bhūmis such as the ten faiths are called "worldly." The treatise below, in explaining the "Dharma Master Chapter" and the "Discrimination of Merits Chapter", explains that prior to the bhūmis one has not attained true non-outflow, hence it is called "worldly." Now it speaks of the various merits prior to the bhūmis to cause them to rejoice. "Wholesome roots" refers to the three wholesome roots of non-greed, non-anger, and non-delusion. Because that person was directly attached with greed to the three realms, he taught wholesome roots such as non-greed. Because that person was directly attached with greed to external pleasures such as the five desires, he spoke of various dhyānas and samādhis with vitarka and vicāra as skillful means for entering great nirvāṇa; that is, relying on the worldly to realize the supramundane. Speaking of "great nirvāṇa" means substituting the bliss of great nirvāṇa for their greedy attachment to petty worldly bliss. As for "thereafter causing them to enter great nirvāṇa," previously was practicing the cause, and now causes them to attain the fruit. That person previously sought defiled retribution, and now attains the uncontaminated fruit of great nirvāṇa.