妙法蓮華經文句 譬喻品釋·合譬
看見別人身在火中，我們最自然的念頭是：既然知道出口，又有力量，立刻把他帶走不就好了？
火宅中的長者也先想到自己的身手。可是，諸子正貪著遊戲，不知火、不怕火，也沒有想出去的心。救者的力量再大，若被救的人不肯接受，眼前仍沒有可走的路。
所以長者放下原先不能奏效的辦法，改說門外有羊車、鹿車、牛車。三車不是祂的財富只能給到這裡，也不是祂忘了大車；它先順著諸子各自所愛，使原本不肯動的人願意奔向門外。
這是合譬最動人的轉折：有力而不用，不是袖手旁觀；暫停一種救法，是為了讓真正的救度能夠發生。
但故事沒有停在三車。諸子安穩出宅後，長者想到自己財富無量，而孩子都是自己的孩子，便平等給與大車。誘引出門的三車，與出門後所得的大車，前後各有作用，不能混成一件事。
這也照見兩種常見的失誤。只談大車，可能忘了宅中人此刻根本不肯出門；只守三車，又可能把引人離火的方法當成最後所得。慈悲既不在門外空喊最高的答案，也不讓人永遠停在為出門而設的方便。
先許三而後給大，是否失信？長者本來要救的是孩子的身命，本來想給的也是更大的利益。先用孩子聽得進去的話使他們出火，出後又給遠勝所許的大車，既沒有違背本心，也沒有減少所與。
我們勸人、教人，甚至對治自己的習氣時，也常遇到同一道火門。知道最高的答案，不等於對方現在便能領受；暫時說一條走得動的路，也不等於終點可以遺忘。
真正的方便，始終同時記得兩件事：眼前的人怎樣才肯離火，以及祂出門之後，究竟應當得到什麼。
When we see someone in a fire, our most natural thought is this: if we know the exit and have the strength, why not bring that person out at once?
The elder in the burning house also first thought of the strength of his body and hands. But the children were absorbed in their play. They did not know the fire, fear the fire, or have any wish to leave. However great the rescuer's power may be, if those being rescued will not accept it, no road before them can yet be walked.
The elder therefore sets aside the method that had failed and instead speaks of goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts outside the gateway. The three carts do not mean that his wealth can provide no more, nor has he forgotten the great cart. They first accord with what each child loves, enabling those who had refused to move to become willing to run toward the gateway.
This is the most moving turn in the application of the parable: possessing power but not using it is not standing idly by. Pausing one form of rescue allows actual deliverance to occur.
Yet the story does not stop with the three carts. Once the children have safely left the house, the elder reflects that his wealth is immeasurable and that all the children are his own, and he equally gives them great carts. The three carts used to draw them through the gateway and the great carts received after they emerge each have their own function; they cannot be merged into one thing.
This also illuminates two common errors. To speak only of the great cart may forget that those inside the house are presently unwilling to leave at all. To cling only to the three carts may mistake the means of leading people from the fire for what they finally receive. Compassion neither calls out the highest answer emptily from outside the gateway nor leaves people forever at the skillful means devised to bring them out.
Does promising three first and later giving the great cart break the promise? The elder's original purpose was to save the children's lives, and the benefit he originally wished to give was greater still. He first speaks in words the children can receive so that they will leave the fire, and after they emerge gives a great cart far surpassing what he promised. He neither violates his original intent nor diminishes what he gives.
When we advise or teach others, or even counteract our own habits, we often face the same gateway of fire. Knowing the highest answer does not mean that another can receive it now; temporarily speaking of a road that can be walked does not mean that the destination may be forgotten.
Genuine skillful means always remembers two things at once: how the person before us will become willing to leave the fire, and what that person should ultimately receive after emerging.
隋天台智者大師說《妙法蓮華經文句》〔灌頂法師私記・唐天寶戊子朗和尚條倫治定本・卷端序＝鏡中沙門神逈述〕· 大正藏 T34n1718〔起 T34 0072c27〕。段/行首〔T34 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨（換頁一枚）。
〔T34 0072c27〕「舍利弗如來亦復」下，第二，合譬。光宅開十譬，但合七不合三，七中正合五，兼第五第八，不合第七第九，故知十譬繁而不會。今合總、別二譬，總中有六，今文皆合，小不次第。今初第一合上第一，上長者名行位號德業，合云如來亦復如是，先合位號，如來無量德號，略舉十義如上說。「一切世間」，將處所以定名行，上云國邑聚落，合直云一切世間，通指同居、有餘自體，皆是妙色妙心果報之處，如來遍應三處，即一切世間合上國邑聚落也。「於諸怖畏」下，合上歎內外德，內是年高衰邁，識達則多，譬如來智斷，於諸怖畏無明永盡，合上衰邁顯斷德也。「成就無量知見」，合其年高顯智德也；「力無畏」等，合上外德財富無量也。「神力」者，深修禪定能得神通，合上田也。「智慧力」，智必照境，如身之託處，合上宅也。「具足方便波羅蜜」，合上諸僕從也。從「大慈大悲」下，第二，合上第四，慈悲是施化之本，「一切」是五道，恒為慈悲所被，合上五百人也。「而生三界火宅」下，第三，合上第二，其家也。「為度眾生」下，第四，合上第六，眾生有緣。親者前度，合上三十子也。「生老病死」等下，第五，合上第五，炊然火起譬也。「教化令得三菩提」下，第六，合上第三，教能詮理尋理起行即得菩提，故知教理共用，合上唯有一門譬也。若講說令前後可解，一一須提〈方便品〉譬本來勘捒之，後去例爾。 〔T34 0073a26〕從「見諸眾生」下，第二，合別譬。別譬有四，今合第一見火譬。譬有三意，其文有四；合亦四，但譬中驚怖在前，諸子戀著戲處在後，合中不覺不驚在前，拔苦與樂在後，互現辨其不定耳。今以一見字，第一，合上第一能見之眼，即是如來寂照智眼能見也。「諸眾生為生老」下，第二，合上第二，所見之火從四面起。此中明八苦為火，四苦如文；「貪著追求」，求不得苦；「後受地獄天上人間」，是五陰苦；愛離怨會如文。此之八苦，從四倒四面起也。從「眾生沒在其中」下，第三，合上第四所見火譬。諸子不覺不知等也，不觀苦集故「不厭」，不觀道滅故「不求解脫」。「雖遭大苦不以為患」，合上心不厭患，無求出意也。從「佛見此已便作是念」下，第四，合上第三起驚怖，我雖能於此所燒之門安隱得出意也。「應拔其苦難」者，即大悲之力；「與無量樂」者，即大慈之力也。從「如來復作是念」下，合第二捨几用車譬，上譬有勸誡，今但合勸不合誡，法說中亦勸善不明誡惡，故勸修為正，誡惡是傍，亦是勸善即誡惡、誡惡即勸善；今合勸善，即知合誡惡也。上勸文有三，謂擬宜無機息化，擬宜有身、手、衣裓等。「但以神力」者，合上身力。「及智慧力」者，合上手力也。「讚如來知見」，合衣裓也。「力無所畏」，合几案也。若佛初出即用此擬眾生，不能以此得度也。「所以者何」下，釋不得度，合上第二子不受勸譬。正由五濁障重未免生死等火，大乘微妙不能得入，故言「何由能解佛之智慧」，此一句即合上唯有一門而復狹小，小故不能解智，不解智慧者，即是行為門意也。「如彼長者雖復身手有力而不用之」，合上第三放捨善誘無機息化，或當墮落為火所燒也。此文無放捨語譬及譬本，息化意甚分明也。息化文為二：先牒前後三譬，次正合息化。牒前一譬正帖合息化，牒後兩譬傍成息化也。「雖復身手有力而不用之」，此牒前身手救子不得譬，以合息化，如來亦寢大化也。「但以殷勤」下，牒施三之譬也。就「然後各與」下，牒第三等賜大車譬也。「如來亦復如是」下十六字，正合第三息化也。從「但以智慧方便」下，合用車救得譬，上文有四，此中亦四。「但以智慧」下，合第一擬宜三車也。「為說三乘」下，合上第二知子先心也。「而作是言」下，合上第三歎三車希有，上有勸、示、證，今亦具合，但不次第，第一合上第二。「汝等莫得樂住三界」下，是示其盡無生處也。「三界」是示苦諦；「勿貪麁弊」乃至「生愛」等，示其集諦；「速出三界」示其滅、道，滅、道即是示其三界外有智斷三乘之果，故令速出三界當得三乘，三乘正取道滅為體也。「我今為汝保任此事終不虛」者，是第二，合上第三必與，證得不虛也。「復作是言汝等當知」下，第三，合上第一歎希有，如此三乘是諸佛方便，引物儀式，故眾聖所稱。得無生智為「自在」，得盡智為「無繫」，我生已盡不受後有，名「無所依」，所作已辦梵行已立，名「無所求」也。從「若有眾生內有智性」下，合第四適子所願譬，上有真似等四位，今合亦四，但上總今別，三乘各為四，皆引上譬來帖合也。「內有智性」者，宿習三乘樂欲，成三乘智性，故佛施三乘之教也。「內有智」乃至「從佛聞法信受」，合上聞父所說玩好之物適其願故，合上聞慧也。「殷勤」合上心各勇銳，思慧也。「精進」合上第二推排，推是推理、排是排惡，惡去故精、理明故進，合上修慧也。「欲速出」下，合上第三競共馳走也。「是名聲聞乘」，合上第四爭出火宅。三乘修行，皆有此四。而辟支佛求自然慧者，辟支是法行人，從他聞法少，自推義多，故取譬鹿，鹿不依人。「自然」者，從十二緣門入，此門本自有之，非佛天人所作，名自然慧；不從他聞，復名自然慧也。菩薩稱一切智者，不同二乘，乃是佛智，菩薩望此修因，即是大乘兼運之意也。「如彼長者見諸子等安隱得出」下，合第三等賜大車譬，上文有四：一免難，二索車，三等賜，四歡喜，今略不合第二第四也，但合免難義兼索車，合等賜義兼歡喜。今雙牒免難、賜車二譬，然後雙合二譬。「如彼長者」下，牒免難。「自惟財富」下，牒等賜。「如來亦復如是」下，合免難。門有三義：入義，出義，別義。若三界為宅、五陰為舍，由迷色心而入色心，即是入宅，生死之門。若作出者，是乘從三界出，即是稟佛通教下所詮為門。若別義者，即是稟別教下所詮為門也。今言佛教門者，正是藏、通二教，教下之理共為門，得出三界而免難也。「如來爾時便作是念」下，合等賜也。上等賜，先列二章門、二廣說、三釋出，今合闕略，文小不次第。「如來爾時便作是念，我有無量智慧力」下，第一，合上第四釋有車之由，上云財富無量庫藏充溢也。「是諸眾生皆是我子」下，第二，合上第五廣等心，上云我財物無極不應以下劣小車也。「不令有人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之」，豈非合等心義？「是諸眾生脫三界」下，第三，合上第一等心章門，上云各賜諸子等也。「諸佛禪定解脫等」下，第四，合上第二標車章門。「皆是一相一種」下，第五，合上第三正廣大車，通合上高廣乃至僕從等。「一相」是實相，即法身；「一種」是種智。般若能生淨妙之樂，樂即無苦，名為解脫。三德高廣，具足莊嚴收羅眾德，名摩訶衍，合上大車譬也。「如彼長者以三車」下，合第四不虛譬。上答有二：一全身命，二不乖本心，各有三別；今但合不乖本心兼得全身。何者？佛意本為除其五濁，五濁既盡大善自全。上不乖心有三：一標，次釋，三況；今但合釋合況也。初牒三車誘引，後與大車譬，次合如來初說三乘誘導，然後但以大乘，此合解釋不乖本心，上云「先作是意我以方便令子得出」也。「何以故」下，合上第三況出不虛，即是長者自知財富無量，欲饒益諸子，故許三與一，非是虛也。此釋小異於前，前意為令諸子得出意不在三，既出不與亦非虛妄。今明如來出世，本欲說大，但為小智樂著三界，故以方便誘引既已，得出還與大乘，即稱本心，故言能與眾生大乘之法但不盡能受也。若《華嚴》中能受，即為與大，不俟開一為三；不能受者，以方便力於一佛乘分別說三，三由眾生，非佛本意，故用此釋成不乖本心不虛也。 〔T34 0074c01〕妙法蓮華經文句卷第五下
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
這一段是第二大段，解釋經文怎樣把前面的火宅譬喻合回法義。
光宅法雲把前譬分成十項，但到合譬時只合了七項，另有三項沒有合；七項之中，正面合到五項，又兼帶第五、第八兩項，卻沒有合第七、第九兩項。由此可見，開成十譬，分類繁多而前後未能契合。現在改以總譬、別譬兩類統攝。總譬又有六項；這六項在眼前經文中都有合到，只是次序略有不同。
一、總譬的六項
第一項，合前譬中長者的名字、行履、地位、稱號、德能與事業。
經文說『舍利弗，如來也是如此』，先合長者的地位與稱號。如來有無量德號，這裡只略舉前文已說過的十種義。接著說『一切世間』，是用所在之處來確定名行。前面的譬喻說國、邑、聚落，現在直說一切世間，通指同居、有餘、自體，都是妙色、妙心所得果報的所在。如來普遍應現於這三處，所以『一切世間』便合前譬的國、邑、聚落。
從『在種種怖畏之中』以下，合前文對長者內德、外德的讚歎。內德以年高衰邁表示：年長則所歷多，識見也多，譬喻如來的智慧與斷除惑障。在一切怖畏中，無明已經永盡，合『衰邁』而顯示斷德；成就無量知見，合『年高』而顯示智德。力與無所畏等，合長者外在的財富無量。深修禪定，能得神通，所以『神力』合田地；智慧必能照見境界，如同身體有所依託，所以『智慧力』合宅舍；具足方便波羅蜜，則合眾多僕從。
第二項，從『大慈大悲』以下，合前譬的第四項。慈悲是施行教化的根本。『一切』是五道眾生，恆常都為慈悲所覆育，所以合宅中五百人。
第三項，從『而生三界火宅』以下，合前譬第二項的家宅。
第四項，從『為度眾生』以下，合前譬第六項。眾生與佛有緣，關係親近的先得度脫，所以合長者的三十個兒子。
第五項，從『生老病死』等語以下，合前譬第五項忽然起火。
第六項，從『教化令得無上菩提』以下，合前譬第三項。教說能詮明道理；循著道理而起修行，便能得到菩提。因此，教與理在這裡共同發生作用，合宅中只有一門。
講說這六項時，要使前後容易明白，便須逐一提起〈方便品〉譬本來相互核對。以下各段也都依此辦理。
二、別譬第一：見火
從『看見眾生』以下，進入合別譬。別譬共有四段，這裡先合第一段見火。前面的譬喻有三層意思，經文安排卻有四個位置；現在的合譬也有四個位置。只是譬喻先寫長者驚怖，後寫諸子仍貪戀遊戲之處；合譬則先寫眾生不覺、不驚，後寫如來要拔苦、與樂。兩邊互相顯出，表明次第並非固定不移。
第一，由『見』這一字，合長者能見之眼，也就是如來寂然明照、能如實看見的智慧之眼。
第二，從『眾生被生老』以下，合所見的火從四面而起。這裡以八苦為火：生、老、病、死四苦照經文直說；貪著而追求，是求不得苦；後來在地獄、天上、人間受生，是五陰苦；愛別離、怨憎會二苦也照經文而說。這八苦由四種顛倒而起，正合四面起火。
第三，從『眾生沉沒在其中』以下，合前面第四項所見的火，也就是諸子不覺、不知、不驚、不怖等情形。他們不觀察苦與苦因，所以不厭離；不觀察出苦之道與苦的止息，所以不求解脫。即使遭受大苦，也不把它看成禍患，正合心中不厭、不想出離。
第四，從『佛看見這情形後，便這樣想』以下，合前面第三項長者驚怖，也合長者想到自己雖能從正被火燒的門安穩出去。『應當拔除他們的苦難』，是大悲的力量；『給與無量安樂』，是大慈的力量。
三、別譬第二之前半：捨几用車
從『如來又這樣想』以下，合第二段捨几用車。前譬既有勸善，也有誡惡；眼前合譬只明說勸善，沒有另說誡惡。前面的法說同樣是勸善而沒有另明誡惡，因為勸人修善是正面，警誡作惡是旁面；勸善本身也就是誡惡，誡惡本身也就是勸善。現在既然合了勸善，也就知道誡惡同在其中。
前譬的勸說有三層：先衡量合宜的救法，其次因諸子沒有接受的機緣而不得施行，最後停止原先的教化。衡量救法時有身、手、衣裓、几案等譬事。經文說只以神力，合長者的身力；說以及智慧力，合長者的手力；讚歎如來知見，合衣裓；力與無所畏，合几案。假使佛初出世便立刻用這些來衡量眾生，眾生仍不能因此得度。
經文接著以『為什麼』解釋何以不能得度，合諸子不肯接受勸告。正因五濁障礙深重，眾生還未脫離生死等火；大乘微妙，他們不能進入，所以說，怎能理解佛的智慧？這一句又合宅中只有一門而門狹小。門小，所以不能理解佛智；所謂不解智慧，也就是不能以相應的行作為出入之門。
經文說，譬如長者雖然身手有力，卻不使用，這便合放下原先的善巧誘導：既然沒有機緣，便停止那一種教化；若仍強用，諸子可能墮落而被火焚燒。這裡雖沒有明寫『放下』兩字，但對照譬喻和譬本，停止教化的意思十分清楚。
停止教化的文字分兩層：先牒舉前後三段譬喻，再正面合停止教化。所牒的前一段譬喻，直接貼合停止教化；所牒的後兩段譬喻，則從旁完成這一意思。
『雖然身手有力卻不使用』，重牒先前以身手救子而不得的譬喻，用來合停止教化；如來也就暫停原先的大教。從『只以殷勤』以下，牒舉施設三車的譬喻；從『然後各自給與』以下，牒舉第三段平等賜予大車的譬喻。接下來『如來也是如此』以下十六字，才正面合第三層停止教化。
四、用車救子：四種形式
從『只以智慧方便』以下，合用車而使諸子得救。前文有四種形式，這裡也有四種。
第一，從『只以智慧』以下，合先衡量以三車救子的方式。
第二，從『為他們說三乘』以下，合長者知道兒子先前各有所喜愛。
第三，從『便對他們說』以下，合讚歎三車希有。前譬有勸、示、證三項，現在也三項俱合，只是次序不同。
先合原來的第二項『示』。『你們不要樂於住在三界』，是指示煩惱盡、後生不再起的所在。三界顯示苦；不要貪著粗劣的色、聲、香、味、觸，乃至由貪著而生愛，顯示苦的原因；趕快出離三界，顯示苦的止息與通往止息的修行。止息與修行，也就是顯示三界之外有三乘的智慧、斷德與所得之果，所以催促他們迅速出去，便能得到三乘。三乘在這裡以出苦之道與苦的止息為主要內容。
其次，『我現在為你們保證這件事，終究不會虛妄』，合原來第三項必定給車，以不虛的保證證明確實可得。
再從『又這樣說，你們應當知道』以下，合原來第一項讚歎希有。這三乘是諸佛以方便引導眾生的通用方式，所以為眾聖所稱歎。得到無生智，名為自在；得到盡智，名為無繫；由『我生已盡』，不再承受後有，名為無所依；由『所作已辦、梵行已立』，名為無所求。
第四，從『若有眾生內有智慧性』以下，合三車正好符合諸子所願。前譬有真、似等四種位置，現在合譬也有四種；只是前面總說，這裡分別說明三乘，而每一乘都有四項，都牒引前譬來相合。
『內有智慧性』，是說過去修習三乘，已形成對三乘的喜好與智慧資質，所以佛為他施設三乘教法。從『內有智慧』到『從佛聞法而信受』，合聽聞父親所說的玩好之物正合所願，也合聞慧。『殷勤』合諸子心中各自勇銳，也合思慧；『精進』合第二項推排：推，是推究道理；排，是排除惡法。惡法除去，所以稱精；道理顯明，所以稱進，這便合修慧。從『想要迅速出去』以下，合第三項競相奔馳；『這名為聲聞乘』，合第四項爭相跑出火宅。
三乘的修行都各有這四項。辟支佛追求自然慧；辟支佛偏於依自心觀法，從他人聞法較少，自己推究義理較多，所以取鹿車作譬，因為鹿不依人。所謂自然，是從十二因緣之門而入；這一門本來如此，不是佛、天或人所造，因此名為自然慧。不從他人聞，也稱自然慧。
菩薩所求稱為一切智，不同於前二乘，而是佛智。菩薩仰望此智而修習成佛之因，所以有大乘兼能運載自己與他人的意思。
五、別譬第三：平等賜予大車
從『譬如長者看見兒子們安穩出去』以下，合第三段平等賜予大車。前文共有四項：一是免除火宅之難，二是向父親索車，三是平等賜車，四是得到車後歡喜。現在略去第二、第四，沒有另外逐段合說；但合免難時也兼含索車，合等賜時也兼含歡喜。
現在先成雙地牒舉免難、賜車兩段譬喻，再成雙地合回法義。從『譬如那位長者』以下，牒免難；從『自己想到財富』以下，牒等賜；從『如來也是如此』以下，合免難。
門有三種意思：進入、出去、差別。若把三界看作宅，把五陰看作屋舍，眾生因迷於色心而進入色心，這是進入宅舍，也是生死之門。若從出去來說，所乘之法能使人從三界出去；也就是稟受佛所說的通教，以教下所詮之理作門。若從差別來說，便是稟受別教，以教下所詮之理作門。眼前所說的佛教之門，正指藏教、通教兩種教法；教下所詮的道理共同作門，使人得以走出三界，免除火宅之難。
從『如來那時便這樣想』以下，合平等賜車。前面等賜大車先列兩個章門，再作兩段廣說，最後又有第三段解釋；現在的合文有所省略，次序也稍有不同。
第一，從『如來那時便這樣想：我有無量智慧力』以下，合前文第四項解釋何以有車，正如前譬所說財富無量、庫藏充滿。
第二，從『這些眾生都是我的兒子』以下，合前文第五項廣明平等之心，正如長者所想：我的財物沒有窮盡，不應給兒子低劣的小車。『不讓任何人獨自得到滅度，都以如來的滅度使他滅度』，正是合平等之心。
第三，從『這些眾生已經脫離三界』以下，合前文第一項平等心的章門，正如前譬所說各自平等地賜給兒子。
第四，從『諸佛的禪定、解脫等』以下，合前文第二項標舉大車的章門。
第五，從『都是一相、一種』以下，合前文第三項廣說大車，總合車身高廣直到僕從等種種莊嚴。一相，是實相，也就是法身；一種，是種智。般若能生清淨微妙之樂，既是樂便沒有苦，所以名為解脫。這三德高廣，具足莊嚴，收攝眾德，名為摩訶衍，合前譬的大車。
六、別譬第四：為什麼不虛
從『譬如長者先用三車』以下，合第四段不虛。前譬的回答有兩章：第一是保全諸子的身命，第二是不違背長者本來的心意；每章又各有標舉、解釋、以重況輕三項。現在只正面合不違本心，但同時也得到保全身命的意思。
為什麼？佛的本意原是為眾生除去五濁；五濁既然除盡，大善自然得以保全。前文不違本心又有三項：先標舉，其次解釋，第三以長者財富無量反況不虛。眼前只合後面的解釋與反況。
先牒舉以三車誘引、後來給大車的譬喻；其次合如來最初說三乘來誘導，然後只給大乘。這正合前文對不違本心的解釋：長者先有『我要用方便使兒子出去』的心意。
從『為什麼』以下，合第三項反況不虛。長者自己知道財富無量，又想利益兒子，所以先許三車，後給一大車，並不是虛妄。
這一解釋與前面的說法稍有不同。前面的意思是，長者只想使兒子出去，本意不在三車；兒子既已出去，即使不給三車，也不能說是虛妄。現在則說，如來出世，本來想說大乘；只是智慧狹小的眾生貪著三界，所以先用方便誘引。眾生既已出去，最後仍給大乘，便符合如來本心。因此，如來確能把大乘法給與眾生，只是不是一切眾生都能完全領受。
若《華嚴》中的眾生能夠領受，佛便直接給大乘，不必先從一乘分說為三；不能領受的人，才由方便力，在一佛乘中分別說三。三乘之說因眾生的根機而起，不是佛的本意。由此便能說明：先許三而後給一，仍不違本心，也並非虛妄。
This is the second major passage, explaining how the scripture applies the preceding burning-house parable to its Dharma meanings.
Guangzhai Fayun divides the preceding parable into ten items, but applies only seven in the application, leaving three unapplied. Of the seven, five are directly applied and the fifth and eighth are incidentally included, while the seventh and ninth are not applied. This shows that opening the passage into ten parables produces numerous classifications without correspondence between the earlier and later texts. The passage now gathers them under two types, the general and specific parables. The general parable in turn has six items; all six are applied in the present scripture, although their order differs slightly.
I. The Six Items of the General Parable
The first item applies the name, conduct, station, title, virtues, and works of the elder in the preceding parable.
The scripture says, “Śāriputra, the Tathāgata is likewise so,” first applying the elder's station and title. The Tathāgata has immeasurable titles of virtue, of which this passage briefly cites only the ten meanings explained earlier. It next says “all worlds,” using place to determine name and conduct. The preceding parable spoke of country, town, and village; the present text directly says all worlds, referring comprehensively to shared habitation, expedient means with remainder, and its own substance, all of which are places of recompense obtained through wondrous form and wondrous mind. The Tathāgata universally appears in response throughout these three places, so “all worlds” applies the country, town, and village of the preceding parable.
Beginning with “amid various fears,” the text applies the preceding praise of the elder's inner and outer virtues. The inner virtues are represented by his advanced age and decrepitude: age brings extensive experience and abundant understanding, representing the Tathāgata's wisdom and severance of delusive barriers. Amid all fears, ignorance has been forever exhausted, corresponding to “decrepitude” and revealing the virtue of severance; the accomplishment of immeasurable knowledge and vision corresponds to “advanced age” and reveals the virtue of wisdom. Powers, fearlessnesses, and the rest correspond to the elder's immeasurable external wealth. Deeply cultivating meditative concentration enables supernormal powers, so “supernormal power” corresponds to fields; wisdom necessarily illuminates its objects, like a body having somewhere to rely, so “wisdom-power” corresponds to houses; possessing the perfection of skillful means corresponds to the many servants.
The second item, beginning with “great loving-kindness and great compassion,” applies the fourth item in the preceding parable. Loving-kindness and compassion are the basis for carrying out teaching and transformation. “All” means living beings in the five destinies, who are constantly covered and nurtured by compassion, and therefore corresponds to the five hundred people in the house.
The third item, beginning with “and are born in the burning house of the three realms,” applies the house in the second item of the preceding parable.
The fourth item, beginning with “in order to deliver living beings,” applies the sixth item of the preceding parable. Living beings with affinities with the Buddha and close relations to him are delivered first, and therefore correspond to the elder's thirty children.
The fifth item, beginning with the words “birth, old age, illness, and death,” applies the fifth item of the preceding parable, the fire suddenly breaking out.
The sixth item, beginning with “teaching and transforming them so that they attain unsurpassed awakening,” applies the third item of the preceding parable. The teaching can express and disclose principle; following principle, one activates practice and thereby attains awakening. Teaching and principle therefore function together here, corresponding to the house's single gateway.
When explaining these six items, each basis in the parable from the “Skillful Means” chapter must be brought forward and compared so that earlier and later are readily understood. Every passage below is handled in the same way.
II. The First Specific Parable: Seeing the Fire
Beginning with “seeing living beings,” the text enters the application of the specific parables. There are four specific parables in all, and this first applies seeing the fire. The preceding parable has three levels of meaning, although the scriptural wording is arranged in four places; the present application likewise has four places. The parable first describes the elder's alarm and fear, and later describes the children still attached to their place of play. The application instead first describes living beings neither awakening nor being alarmed, and later describes the Tathāgata wishing to remove suffering and give joy. The two sides reveal one another, showing that their sequence is not immovably fixed.
First, the word “seeing” applies the elder's eye that can see: the Tathāgata's wisdom-eye that is quiescently luminous and able to see things as they really are.
Second, beginning with “living beings are beset by birth and old age,” the text applies the fire seen arising on four sides. Here the eight sufferings are the fire. The four sufferings of birth, old age, illness, and death follow the scripture's direct wording. Craving and pursuing is the suffering of not obtaining what is sought. Later birth in hell, heaven, or the human realm is the suffering of the five aggregates. The sufferings of separation from what is loved and encounter with what is hated likewise follow the scripture. These eight sufferings arise from the four inversions and precisely correspond to the fire arising on four sides.
Third, beginning with “living beings are submerged within them,” the text applies the fourth item of the fire seen above: the children neither awaken nor know, and are neither alarmed nor afraid. Because they do not contemplate suffering and its cause, they feel no disenchantment. Because they do not contemplate the path out of suffering and the cessation of suffering, they do not seek liberation. Even while undergoing great suffering, they do not regard it as calamity. This precisely corresponds to their minds feeling no disenchantment and having no wish to leave.
Fourth, beginning with “after seeing this, the Buddha had this thought,” the text applies the third item above, the elder's alarm and fear, and also the elder's thought that although he himself could emerge peacefully and securely through the gateway being burned, the children could not. “I should remove their painful danger” is the power of great compassion; “give them immeasurable joy” is the power of great loving-kindness.
III. The First Half of the Second Specific Parable: Setting Aside the Stool and Using the Carts
Beginning with “the Tathāgata again had this thought,” the text applies the second passage, setting aside the stool and using the carts. The preceding parable has both exhortation to good and admonition against evil; the present application expressly explains only exhortation to good and does not separately explain admonition against evil. The preceding Dharma-teaching likewise exhorts to good without separately explaining admonition against evil because exhorting people to cultivate good is primary and warning against evil ancillary. Exhortation to good is itself admonition against evil, and admonition against evil is itself exhortation to good. Since exhortation to good has now been applied, one knows that admonition against evil is also present within it.
The exhortation in the preceding parable has three levels: first assessing a suitable means of rescue, next being unable to carry it out because the children lack the capacity to accept it, and last ceasing the original transformation. In assessing the means of rescue, there are the parable-matters of body, hands, robe-fold, stool, and table. When the scripture says “only through supernormal power,” it corresponds to the elder's bodily strength; “and through wisdom-power,” to the strength of his hands; praise of the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision, to the robe-fold; and powers and fearlessnesses, to the stool and table. Even if the Buddha, immediately upon appearing in the world, were to assess living beings through these means, they still could not thereby be delivered.
The scripture next asks “Why?” to explain why they cannot be delivered, corresponding to the children's refusal to accept the exhortation. Precisely because the barriers of the five turbidities are profound, living beings have not yet escaped the fires of birth and death. The Great Vehicle is subtle and they cannot enter it, so the text asks how they could understand the Buddha's wisdom. This sentence also corresponds to the house having only one gateway that is narrow and small. Because the gateway is small, they cannot understand buddha-wisdom; not understanding wisdom means being unable to make corresponding practice a gateway of entry and exit.
The scripture says that although the elder has strong body and hands, he does not use them. This corresponds to setting aside the original skillful enticement: because there is no capacity, he ceases that form of transformation; if he were still to impose it, the children might fall and be burned by the fire. Although the word “set aside” does not appear here, comparison with the parable and its basis makes the meaning of ceasing transformation entirely clear.
The passage on ceasing transformation has two levels: it first restates three preceding and following passages of the parable, then directly applies cessation of transformation. The first parable passage restated directly corresponds to ceasing transformation; the two later passages restated incidentally complete this meaning.
“Although body and hands are strong, he does not use them” restates the preceding parable in which he fails to rescue the children through his body and hands, and is used to apply ceasing transformation; the Tathāgata likewise temporarily suspends the original Great teaching. Beginning with “only earnestly,” the text restates the parable of establishing the three carts. Beginning with “then giving each,” it restates the third parable, equally giving great carts. Only the sixteen characters beginning with “the Tathāgata is likewise so” that follow directly apply the third level, cessation of transformation.
IV. Rescuing the Children with the Carts: Four Forms
Beginning with “only through wisdom and skillful means,” the text applies the use of the carts to rescue the children. The preceding text has four forms, and the present text likewise has four.
First, beginning with “only through wisdom,” the text applies the initial assessment of using the three carts to rescue the children.
Second, beginning with “teaching the three vehicles for them,” the text applies the elder's knowledge of what each child formerly delighted in.
Third, beginning with “he then told them,” the text applies praise of the rarity of the three carts. The preceding parable has exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation; the present application likewise contains all three, although in a different order.
It first applies the original second item, “demonstration.” “Do not delight in dwelling within the three realms” indicates the place where afflictions have been exhausted and later birth no longer arises. The three realms demonstrate suffering; not craving coarse forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile objects, or the attachment born from craving them, demonstrates the cause of suffering; swiftly leaving the three realms demonstrates the cessation of suffering and the practice leading to cessation. Cessation and practice also demonstrate that outside the three realms are the wisdom, virtue of severance, and attained fruits of the three vehicles. Urging them to leave swiftly so that they may obtain the three vehicles therefore takes the path out of suffering and the cessation of suffering as the principal content of the three vehicles here.
Next, “I now assure you that this matter will ultimately not be false” applies the original third item, the certainty that the carts will be given, confirming through the assurance of no falsehood that attainment is certain.
Then, beginning with “He further said: you should know,” the text applies the original first item, praise of rarity. These three vehicles are the common means by which all buddhas skillfully guide living beings, and therefore are praised by all noble ones. Attaining knowledge of nonarising is called mastery; attaining knowledge of exhaustion is called freedom from bonds; because “my births are ended” and no later existence is received, it is called having nothing upon which to rely; because “what was to be done has been done and the brahma conduct established,” it is called having nothing to seek.
Fourth, beginning with “if living beings inwardly possess a wisdom-nature,” the text applies the three carts precisely suiting the children's wishes. The preceding parable has four stations including true and semblant; the present application likewise has four. The preceding passage states them generally, whereas this one explains the three vehicles separately. Each vehicle has four items, and each restates the preceding parable in making its correspondence.
“Inwardly possessing a wisdom-nature” means that past cultivation of the three vehicles has already formed a delight in and aptitude for their wisdom, and therefore the Buddha establishes the teachings of the three vehicles. From “inwardly possessing wisdom” through “hearing the Dharma from the Buddha and accepting it in faith” corresponds to hearing that the delightful playthings spoken of by the father suit their wishes, and also corresponds to wisdom through hearing. “Earnestness” corresponds to the children each becoming keen and courageous in mind, and also to wisdom through reflection. “Vigor” corresponds to the second item, pressing one another forward: to press means to infer principle; to push aside means to remove evil dharmas. Because evil dharmas are removed, it is called purification; because principle becomes clear, it is called advancement. This corresponds to wisdom through cultivation. Beginning with “wishing to leave swiftly,” the text corresponds to the third item, racing together; “this is called the Śrāvaka Vehicle” corresponds to the fourth item, vying to escape the burning house.
The practices of all three vehicles each have these four items. Pratyekabuddhas seek natural wisdom. They emphasize contemplating dharmas through their own minds, hear the Dharma from others less, and infer meaning by themselves more. The deer cart is therefore taken as the parable because deer do not depend on people. “Natural” means entering through the gateway of the twelve links of dependent origination. This gateway is originally so and is not made by a buddha, deva, or human; it is therefore called natural wisdom. Not hearing from another is also called natural wisdom.
What bodhisattvas seek is called knowledge of all. Unlike the first two vehicles, it is buddha-wisdom. Bodhisattvas look upward to this wisdom and cultivate the causes of buddhahood, and so the Great Vehicle carries both themselves and others.
V. The Third Specific Parable: Equally Giving Great Carts
Beginning with “it is like the elder seeing that the children had emerged safely,” the text applies the third passage, equally giving great carts. The preceding text has four items: first, escape from the danger of the burning house; second, seeking the carts from the father; third, equally giving the carts; fourth, rejoicing after obtaining them. The present passage omits the second and fourth without applying them in separate passages, but its application of escape from danger also incidentally includes seeking the carts, while its application of equal gift also incidentally includes joy.
The text now restates the two parable passages of escape from danger and giving the carts as a pair, and then applies their Dharma meanings as a pair. Beginning with “It is like that elder,” it restates escape from danger. Beginning with “himself reflecting on his wealth,” it restates equal gift. Beginning with “The Tathāgata is likewise so,” it applies escape from danger.
The gateway has three meanings: entry, exit, and distinction. If the three realms are taken as the house and the five aggregates as its rooms, living beings enter form and mind because they are deluded about form and mind. This is entering the house and is also the gateway of birth and death. In terms of exit, the Dharma ridden can enable people to leave the three realms: one receives the Buddha's Shared teaching and takes the principle it expresses as the gateway. In terms of distinction, one receives the Distinct teaching and takes the principle it expresses as the gateway. The gateway of the Buddha's teaching in the present passage specifically refers to the two teachings of Tripiṭaka and Shared; the principles expressed by these teachings jointly serve as the gateway through which one leaves the three realms and escapes the danger of the burning house.
Beginning with “The Tathāgata then had this thought,” the text applies equally giving the carts. The preceding equal gift of great carts first listed two chapter divisions, then gave two expanded accounts, and finally had a third passage of explanation. The present application abbreviates some material, and its order also differs slightly.
First, beginning with “The Tathāgata then had this thought: I possess immeasurable wisdom-power,” it applies the preceding fourth item, explaining why carts are possessed, just as the preceding parable spoke of immeasurable wealth and storehouses and treasuries full to overflowing.
Second, beginning with “These living beings are all my children,” it applies the preceding fifth item, the expanded explanation of equality of mind, just as the elder thought: my wealth has no limit, and I should not give my children inferior small carts. “Not allowing anyone to attain extinction alone, but causing all to attain extinction through the Tathāgata's extinction” precisely applies equality of mind.
Third, beginning with “These living beings have already escaped the three realms,” it applies the preceding first item, the chapter division of equality of mind, just as the preceding parable said that he equally gave one to each child.
Fourth, beginning with “the buddhas' meditative concentrations, liberations, and the rest,” it applies the preceding second item, the chapter division that initially states the great carts.
Fifth, beginning with “all are of one mark and one kind,” it applies the preceding third item, the expanded account of the great carts, comprehensively applying the cart-body's height and breadth through the servants and the various ornaments. One mark is the true mark, which is Dharma body. One kind is knowledge of all modes. Prajñā gives rise to pure and wondrous joy; because this is joy, it is free from suffering and is therefore called liberation. These three virtues are high and broad, complete with ornaments, and gather all virtues. They are called Mahāyāna and correspond to the great carts in the preceding parable.
VI. The Fourth Specific Parable: Why There Is No Falsehood
Beginning with “It is like the elder first using three carts,” the text applies the fourth passage, no falsehood. The answer in the preceding parable has two chapters: first, preserving the children's bodies and lives; second, not violating the elder's original intent. Each chapter in turn has statement, explanation, and a comparison from the weightier to the lighter. The present passage directly applies only not violating the original intent, but at the same time also includes the meaning of preserving body and life.
Why? The Buddha's original intent is to remove the five turbidities for living beings. Once the five turbidities have been exhausted, great goodness is naturally preserved. The preceding chapter on not violating the original intent also has three items: first a statement, second an explanation, and third the counter-comparison from the elder's immeasurable wealth that establishes no falsehood. The present passage applies only the latter explanation and counter-comparison.
It first restates the parable of using three carts to entice the children and later giving great carts; it next applies the Tathāgata first teaching the three vehicles as an enticement and afterward giving only the Great Vehicle. This precisely corresponds to the preceding explanation of not violating the original intent: the elder first intended, “I will use skillful means to enable the children to emerge.”
Beginning with “Why?” the text applies the third item, the counter-comparison establishing no falsehood. The elder knows that his own wealth is immeasurable and also wishes to benefit his children, so first promising three carts and later giving one great cart is not false.
This explanation differs slightly from the preceding account. The preceding meaning is that the elder wishes only to bring the children out, and his intent is not centered on the three carts. Once the children have emerged, even if the three carts are not given, this cannot be called false. The present text instead says that when the Tathāgata appears in the world, he originally wishes to teach the Great Vehicle. Only because beings of narrow wisdom are attached to the three realms does he first use skillful means to entice them. Once living beings have emerged, he still gives them the Great Vehicle, thereby according with the Tathāgata's original intent. The Tathāgata can therefore give the Dharma of the Great Vehicle to living beings; it is only that not all living beings can fully receive it.
If living beings in the Avataṃsaka can receive it, the Buddha directly gives the Great Vehicle without first differentiating the one vehicle into three. Only for those unable to receive it does the Buddha, through the power of skillful means, differentiate and teach three within the one buddha vehicle. The teaching of the three vehicles arises from the capacities of living beings and is not the Buddha's original intent. This explains why promising three first and later giving one still does not violate the original intent and is not false.
長者看見宅中起火，先想用身手救子，後來改以三車誘引；諸子出門，又各得大車。故事至此已經完整，經文為何還要把長者、火宅、諸子、三車、大車逐一合回法義？
因為譬喻使人先看見情勢，合譬則使人知道：究竟是誰在看、看見什麼、為何先停下一種救法、三車在何處發生作用、大車又在何處給與。若只停在故事，車與宅容易成為可觀的外物；一經合回，火便是眾生正在承受的苦，出門便是眾生真正需要完成的事。
一、十譬太繁，總、別二譬如何接住全文
開頭先問的不是某一句怎樣解，而是前譬究竟應當分成多少項。光宅把它開成十譬，合譬時卻只合七項，三項沒有合；七項中又有正合、兼合與不合。分類愈多，前後反而不能一一相會。因此，本論不沿十譬往下填，而以總譬、別譬重新收束。
總譬有六項：如來的位號與德能、慈悲所被的眾生、三界火宅、先度有緣者、生老病死等火、由教尋理而修行得菩提。六項在經文中都能找到，只是沒有照前譬原次序排列。這一句『略有不同次第』很重要：能相合，不等於字句必須排成相同隊形；真正要守的是每一譬事所承擔的義沒有丟失。
別譬則依見火、捨几用車、等賜大車、不虛四段前進。總譬先把長者、宅、火、子、門的共同所指立住，別譬再追問救子如何展開。總不是另一個故事，別也不是重說一次；先辨人、處、難與所度，後辨看見、施救、得車與不虛，前後正好相承。
二、長者的財富，為何不只指身外之物
前譬說長者年高、財富無量，有田宅，也有僕從。合譬沒有把這些當成一串華麗裝飾，而逐項問它們如何顯出如來之德。
年衰而識達，合智慧與斷除惑障：無明永盡，顯示所斷已盡；無量知見，顯示能知廣大。財富無量，合力與無所畏等外德；深修禪定而能神通，合田；智慧能照所緣境，如身有所依，合宅；方便波羅蜜隨教化而運用，合僕從。於是，長者之富不只在『擁有很多』，而在救子所需的德能沒有欠缺。
可是，德能具足，為何還要另說大慈大悲？因為有能力救，尚未回答為何要救。慈悲是施化的根本，一切五道眾生都為慈悲所被，合宅中五百人；其中與佛有緣、關係親近者先度，合三十子。宅中人多而子有親疏，沒有把慈悲縮成只顧少數；它只是說明施救時有先後，不是慈悲本身有內外。
三界合宅，生老病死等合忽然起火；教能說明道理，循理而起行，便能得菩提，合宅中唯一的門。門在這裡不是只供觀看的出口，而是教、理、行相接之處：教若不顯理，無從知道往哪裡走；知理而不起行，也還沒有真正出門。
三、同是見火，為何前後次序不同
前譬的長者先大驚怖，然後才重說諸子戀著遊戲；合譬卻先說眾生不覺、不驚，最後才說佛要拔苦、與樂。這不是兩段互相矛盾。本論明說，兩邊互相顯出，次第不必固定；一邊從救者的驚怖落筆，一邊從被救者的沉迷落筆，合起來才見同一場火的兩面。
見火本有三意，文字卻安成四處，合譬也照四處說。第一是能見：如來以寂照智眼看見。第二是所見：生、老、病、死，加上求不得、五陰、愛別離、怨憎會，共成八苦；八苦從四種顛倒而起，合四面起火。第三是眾生的反應：不觀苦與苦因，所以不厭；不觀出苦之道與苦的止息，所以不求解脫；身在大苦中，仍不以為患。第四才是佛見此而起念：應拔苦難，是大悲；應給無量安樂，是大慈。
最逼人的地方不只是火大，而是宅中人不覺得非出去不可。若已怕火，催促尚有著力處；如今是不覺、不知、不驚、不怖、不厭、不求，救者所面對的便不只是一道門，還有眾生對火宅的留戀。因此，見火之後不能直接跳到出宅，下一段先要回答：何種救法，此刻真正能被接受？
四、身手有力，為何反而不用
如來先想到以神力、智慧力、知見、無所畏救度，如同長者先想到身、手、衣裓、几案。問題不在救者缺少力量，而在眾生能不能藉此得度。五濁障重，生死之火未離，大乘微妙而不能理解；門雖在眼前，眾生尚不能以相應之行進入。
所以，『有力而不用』不是捨棄眾生，而是停止一種眾生當下不能承受的教化。本論把這一段分為擬宜、無機、息化：先衡量合宜的救法，發現對方沒有領受的機緣，便停止原先的大教。正文沒有另寫『放下』兩字，停止的意思卻由前後譬文清楚顯出。
此處又只明說勸善，沒有另列誡惡。是否漏了一半？本論答得很直接：勸修為正，誡惡為旁；勸善本身即含誡惡，誡惡也以勸善為歸。不是把兩者混成一詞，而是說二者在所要成就的行動上彼此相即。
停止原先的教化之後，文字先回牒三件事：身手有力而不用，直接合息化；殷勤施設三車，牒後來的誘引；最後各給大車，牒出門後的等賜。三件事先後出現，使讀者知道『停』不是全程停住，而是由不能施行的救法，轉到三車能使諸子出門，再轉到出門後的大車。
五、三車、大車，為何不能提早合成一件事
用車救子有四種形式：先以智慧衡量三車，知道諸子從前各有所好，接著讚歎三車希有，最後使三車符合各子所願。讚車又有勸、示、證三項；合譬三項俱在，只是次序不同。
先『示』三界內的苦與苦因，也示出離的止息與修行；再以保任不虛『證』所得一定可成；最後說三乘是諸佛方便引導眾生的方式，以此『勸』其希有可取。三項的共同作用，是使仍在火宅中的人願意動身。此時所要成就的是出門，所以三車首先承擔誘引。
接著，三乘各有四項。眾生內有過去熏習所成的智慧性，佛才施設相應教法；從佛聞法信受，合聞慧；殷勤，合思慧；精進推理、排惡，合修慧；想迅速出離，合競相奔馳；最後各依所求而名聲聞、辟支佛、菩薩之乘。辟支佛從十二因緣門自推義多，取鹿不依人為譬；菩薩仰求佛智而修因，兼有自運、運他的意思。
等賜大車發生在諸子已經安穩出宅之後。前一段的三車，是長者知道諸子所好而設的誘引；後一段的大車，是長者自念財富無量、諸子皆子而平等給與。若因兩處都有『車』，便把它們提早合成同一件事，何以誘出、出後何以等賜，兩個問題都會失去經文原有的回答。
六、等賜明明有四項，為何只正合兩項
前譬的等賜有免難、索車、等賜、歡喜四項；合譬略去索車與歡喜，沒有分別立句。本論卻沒有說它們消失：合免難時兼有索車，合等賜時兼有歡喜。文字正合兩項，義則由前後相因而帶出另外兩項，數目仍是四，不可改說只有兩項。
合文先雙牒，再雙合：先牒長者見子出宅免難，再牒長者自念財富而等賜；接著合如來使眾生由佛教之門出離，再合如來自念智慧力無量而等與。門有入、出、別三義。迷於色心而入色心，是生死之門；依佛所說之理而出三界，是出門；因所稟之理有別，門也有差別。眼前正取佛教之門使人出離而免難。
正合等賜又列五項。第一，如來有無量智慧力，合長者財富、庫藏充溢，說明有車可給。第二，眾生都是佛子，不應有人只得低劣小車，合等心廣說。第三，眾生已脫三界，合平等給與的章門。第四，諸佛禪定、解脫等，合標舉大車。第五，一相、一種，合廣說大車，並以法身、般若、解脫三德收攝車的高廣莊嚴。
所以，平等不是只說『大家一樣』。有足以給與的德能，有皆是我子的等心，有已經免難的眾生，有所給大車，也有大車所具之德，五項一一到位，等賜才不會成為一句沒有內容的許諾。
七、先許三車，後給大車，為何仍是不虛
前譬對不虛有兩章：一是保全諸子身命，二是不違長者本心；每章各有標、釋、況三項。合譬正說不違本心，也兼得保全身命。佛意本為除去眾生五濁；五濁既盡，身命與大善得以保全，先誘出宅已經成就救子的本事。
但諸子所聞是三車，所得卻是大車，承諾是否改變？本論保留前、今兩種解釋。前一解釋說，長者的心意在使諸子出宅，本來不在三車；既然兒子已經出去，即使不照原話給三車，也不能說是虛妄。後一解釋說，如來出世本欲說大，只因眾生智慧狹小、樂著三界，才先以三乘方便誘引；等他們出去，仍給大乘，正好符合本心。
兩種解釋共同守住的，不是一句許諾的表面形狀，而是長者從未以欺騙取樂，也從未少給兒子。祂有財富無量，所給大車遠勝先許三車；先說三，是為使人肯出，出後與大，仍為饒益。能立即受大者，便直接給大；不能受者，才由一乘分別說三。三由眾生所能領受而施設，不是佛本來只想停在三乘。
於是，合譬末端又回到起初那場火。若沒有火宅中的沉迷，無須以三車誘引；若只求諸子離火，不問出後所得，等賜便無從顯出；若把等賜誤作改口，不虛又會成為新的疑問。見火、設車、出宅、等賜、不虛，正是同一救子之事前後展開。
文句記之眼
湛然先補明總譬中的三處：本論所說自體，被祂判為實報土；妙色妙心的果報之處，又通三土色心而說。至於『在種種怖畏中』，祂只依界內因果解釋，並駁斥以初地離五怖畏套入此處的異說。這三段都屬鏡中定位，不能倒填為本論原有的土名與位次〔T34n1719 0269c22–0270a09〕。
對見火次序，湛然指出譬中先驚怖、後重釋戀著，合譬則先明眾生沉沒、後明拔苦；大悲著重拔除濁苦，大慈給與大樂。祂接著以兩番問答展開勸與誡：門別所以立二，體同所以相即；即使善達時一門可足，若逕廢一門，勸善與斷惡兩義都會受損〔0270a09–0270a25〕。這是鏡中細辨，不改本論『正、旁』的落筆。
釋三乘所願時，湛然把自在、無繫、無所依、無所求配入無學四智，又把本論略說的真、似四位分成聞慧與思修、賢與聖；祂也補說辟支佛雖偏於自思，仍可能聞教，所謂聞法少不能讀成絕不聞法。十二因緣非佛、非他人所作的問答，則由祂明引《大論》為證〔0270a25–0270b11〕。四智、位次與外書引證都只在此鏡中成立。
對等賜只正合免難、等賜兩項，湛然以二正、二旁收束：由免難所以有索車，由等賜所以有歡喜。祂又詳解門的入、出、別三義，特別說教必須對所詮之理才成為門，不能只憑『教』字便成立出宅之門〔0270b11–0270b24〕。這照明本論省文仍含四項，也守住門與所詮之理的關係。
在入義中，湛然把迷於色心而進入色心說成尚在宅內；在出義中，重點是由佛教所詮之理走出三界；在別義中，則因所緣之理有別而得名。祂又說，單有能詮之教而不對所詮之理，門義便不能成立。這一細分可以解釋本論何以同稱佛教門，卻不能反過來把鏡中每一教名塞回本論短句。合大車時，鏡文也仍只照明本論所列一相、一種與三德，不另把三車的各別所求混入等賜所得。
最後，湛然評前解與今解雖稍有不同，前者著眼『本意不在三』，後者著眼『本來欲與大』，終究名異而義同〔0270b24–0270b26〕。這一句只作鏡中收束；本論正文仍須先把兩種解釋各自說足，不能以後釋的一句判語抹去它們的差別。
The elder sees the house in flames, first thinks of rescuing the children through the strength of his body and hands, and then turns to the three carts to draw them out. Once outside, each child receives a great cart. The story is already complete, so why must the scripture still apply the elder, burning house, children, three carts, and great cart one by one to their Dharma meanings?
A parable first enables people to see the situation; its application then enables them to know who is seeing, what is seen, why one form of rescue is first suspended, where the three carts perform their function, and where the great cart is given. If one stops at the story, the carts and house easily become fascinating external objects. Once the parable is applied, the fire is the suffering that living beings are presently undergoing, and leaving the house is what they actually need to accomplish.
I. If Ten Parables Are Too Elaborate, How Do the General and Specific Parables Gather the Whole Text?
The opening question is not how to interpret a single sentence, but how many items the preceding parable should contain. Guangzhai opens it into ten parables, yet in the application applies only seven, leaving three unapplied; even among those seven, some are directly applied, some incidentally, and some not at all. The more numerous the classifications become, the less the earlier and later passages can meet one by one. The root treatise therefore does not continue filling in the ten parables, but gathers them anew under the general and specific parables.
The general parable has six items: the Tathāgata's titles and powers; the living beings embraced by compassion; the burning house of the three realms; the prior deliverance of those with affinities; the fire of birth, old age, illness, death, and the rest; and attainment of awakening by following principle disclosed through the teaching and then cultivating practice. All six items can be found in the scripture, although they do not follow the order of the preceding parable. The phrase “the order differs slightly” is important: correspondence does not require the words to stand in an identical formation; what must be preserved is that the meaning carried by each matter in the parable is not lost.
The specific parables then proceed through seeing the fire, setting aside the stool and using the carts, equally giving great carts, and no falsehood. The general parable first establishes the common referents of elder, house, fire, children, and gateway; the specific parables then ask how rescue unfolds. The general is not another story, nor do the specific parables simply tell the same story again. First one distinguishes the person, place, danger, and those to be delivered; afterward one distinguishes seeing, rescuing, obtaining the carts, and no falsehood. The two stages follow one another exactly.
II. Why Does the Elder's Wealth Not Refer Only to External Possessions?
The preceding parable says that the elder is advanced in years, possesses immeasurable wealth, and has fields, houses, and servants. The application does not treat these as a string of splendid decorations, but asks item by item how they disclose the Tathāgata's virtues.
Advanced in years and mature in understanding corresponds to wisdom and the severance of delusive barriers. Ignorance forever exhausted reveals that what is to be severed has been exhausted; immeasurable knowledge and vision reveal the vastness of what knows. Immeasurable wealth corresponds to such external virtues as powers and fearlessnesses. Deep cultivation of meditative concentration that enables supernormal abilities corresponds to fields; wisdom illuminating its objects, like a body having a place of reliance, corresponds to houses; and the perfection of skillful means functioning in accordance with transformation corresponds to servants. The elder's wealth therefore means not merely “possessing much,” but lacking none of the virtues and powers needed to rescue the children.
Why, then, must great loving-kindness and great compassion be stated separately if these powers are complete? Because the ability to rescue does not yet answer why rescue is undertaken. Loving-kindness and compassion are the basis of teaching and transformation. All living beings in the five destinies are embraced by them, corresponding to the five hundred people in the house. Among them, those with affinities and close connections to the Buddha are delivered first, corresponding to the thirty children. The many people in the house and the degrees of kinship among the children do not reduce compassion to concern for only a few. They explain only a sequence in rescue, not an inside or outside to compassion itself.
The three realms correspond to the house, while birth, old age, illness, death, and the rest correspond to the fire that suddenly breaks out. The teaching can disclose principle; by following principle, one activates practice and thereby attains awakening. This corresponds to the house's single gateway. Here the gateway is not merely an exit to be observed, but the point where teaching, principle, and practice join: if the teaching does not reveal principle, one cannot know where to go; if one knows principle but does not activate practice, one has still not truly passed through the gateway.
III. If It Is the Same Seeing of the Fire, Why Does the Order Differ?
In the preceding parable, the elder is first greatly alarmed and afraid, and only afterward is the children's attachment to play restated. In the application, the text first says that living beings neither awaken nor fear, and only at the end says that the Buddha wishes to remove suffering and give joy. The two passages do not contradict each other. The root treatise expressly says that the two sides reveal one another and need not have a fixed order. One begins from the rescuer's alarm and fear, the other from the immersion of those being rescued; together they reveal the two sides of the same fire.
Seeing the fire originally has three meanings, yet its wording is arranged in four places, and the application likewise speaks in four places. First is the one who sees: the Tathāgata sees with the wisdom-eye of quiescent illumination. Second is what is seen: birth, old age, illness, and death, together with not obtaining what is sought, the five aggregates, separation from what is loved, and encounter with what is hated, make the eight sufferings; the eight sufferings arise from the four inversions, corresponding to fire arising on four sides. Third is the response of living beings: because they do not contemplate suffering and its cause, they feel no disenchantment; because they do not contemplate the path out of suffering and its cessation, they do not seek liberation; though immersed in great suffering, they still do not regard it as distress. Fourth comes the Buddha's thought upon seeing this: the wish to remove their painful danger is great compassion; the wish to give them immeasurable joy is great loving-kindness.
What is most pressing is not only the greatness of the fire, but that those inside the house do not feel that they must leave. If they already feared the fire, urging them would have something upon which to work. But when there is no awakening, knowing, alarm, fear, disenchantment, or seeking, the rescuer faces not merely a gateway, but living beings' attachment to the burning house. Seeing the fire therefore cannot lead directly to emergence. The next passage must first answer which form of rescue can actually be received at this moment.
IV. If Body and Hands Are Strong, Why Are They Not Used?
The Tathāgata first thinks of rescuing beings through supernormal power, wisdom-power, knowledge and vision, and fearlessnesses, just as the elder first thinks of his body, hands, robe-fold, stool, and table. The problem is not that the rescuer lacks strength, but whether living beings can thereby be delivered. The barriers of the five turbidities are heavy, the fire of birth and death has not been left behind, and the subtle Great Vehicle cannot be understood. Although the gateway stands before them, living beings cannot yet enter through corresponding practice.
Thus, “possessing power but not using it” is not abandoning living beings, but stopping a form of teaching that living beings cannot presently bear. The root treatise divides this passage into assessing suitability, absence of capacity, and cessation of transformation: first weighing the suitable means of rescue, then finding that those before him lack the capacity to receive it, and so ceasing the original Great teaching. The body does not separately contain the word “set aside,” yet the meaning of cessation is clearly revealed by the preceding and following parable.
Only exhortation to good is explicitly applied here; admonition against evil is not separately listed. Has half been omitted? The root treatise answers directly: exhortation to cultivation is primary and admonition against evil ancillary; exhortation to good itself includes admonition against evil, while admonition against evil likewise returns to exhortation to good. The two are not merged into one term. Rather, each is present in the action the teaching seeks to accomplish.
After the original transformation ceases, the text first restates three matters. Having strong body and hands but not using them directly corresponds to cessation of transformation; earnestly establishing three carts restates the later enticement; and finally giving each a great cart restates the equal gift after they emerge. The appearance of all three in sequence shows that “ceasing” does not mean that everything stops. The rescuer moves from a method that cannot be carried out, to the three carts that can bring the children through the gateway, and then to the great carts given after they emerge.
V. Why Can the Three Carts and Great Cart Not Be Merged into One Thing in Advance?
Rescuing the children by means of the carts has four forms: first, wisdom assesses the suitability of the three carts; next, the father knows what each child formerly preferred; then he praises the rarity of the three carts; finally, the three carts suit the wishes of each child. Praising the carts further has exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation. All three are present in the application, though in a different order.
First the Buddha “demonstrates” suffering and its cause within the three realms, as well as the cessation that leaves them and the practice leading out. Next, by assuring them without falsehood, he “confirms” that what is attained will certainly be accomplished. Finally, he says that the three vehicles are the means by which all buddhas skillfully guide living beings, thereby “exhorting” them to regard these vehicles as rare and worth taking. The common function of all three is to make people still within the burning house willing to move. At this point, what must be accomplished is emergence, so the three carts first carry the function of enticement.
Next, each of the three vehicles has four items. Only because living beings inwardly possess a wisdom-nature formed through past cultivation does the Buddha establish a corresponding teaching. Hearing the Dharma from the Buddha and accepting it in faith corresponds to wisdom through hearing; earnestness corresponds to wisdom through reflection; energetically inferring principle and rejecting evil correspond to wisdom through cultivation; wishing to leave swiftly corresponds to racing out together; and finally, each is named the Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, or Bodhisattva Vehicle according to what is sought. Because a pratyekabuddha largely infers meaning independently through the gateway of the twelve links of dependent origination, the deer that does not depend on people is taken as the parable. A bodhisattva seeks buddha-wisdom above and cultivates causes, bearing the meaning of both carrying oneself and carrying others.
The equal gift of great carts occurs after the children have safely emerged from the house. The three carts in the preceding passage are the enticement devised because the elder knows what the children like; the great carts in the later passage are equally given because the elder reflects that his wealth is immeasurable and all the children are his own. If the two are prematurely merged merely because both passages contain “carts,” the text's answers to both questions—how the children are drawn out and why they are equally given something after emerging—are lost.
VI. If the Equal Gift Clearly Has Four Items, Why Are Only Two Directly Applied?
The preceding parable of equal gift has four items: escape from danger, seeking the carts, equal gift, and joy. The application omits seeking the carts and joy without establishing separate sentences for them. Yet the root treatise does not say that they disappear: the application of escape from danger incidentally includes seeking the carts, while the application of equal gift incidentally includes joy. Two items are directly applied in the wording, while two others arise from the causal relation between earlier and later. The denominator therefore remains four and must not be changed to two.
The applied text first restates both matters and then applies both: it first restates the elder seeing that the children have escaped the house and danger; next restates the elder reflecting on his wealth and equally giving; then applies the Tathāgata enabling living beings to leave through the gateway of the Buddha's teaching; and finally applies the Tathāgata reflecting on his immeasurable wisdom-power and giving equally. The gateway has three meanings: entry, exit, and distinction. Being deluded about form and mind and entering into form and mind is the gateway of birth and death; leaving the three realms through the principle taught by the Buddha is the gateway of exit; because the principles received differ, the gateways also differ. The present passage specifically takes the gateway of the Buddha's teaching through which people emerge and escape danger.
The direct application of equal gift further lists five items. First, the Tathāgata has immeasurable wisdom-power, corresponding to the elder's wealth and overflowing storehouses and treasuries, and explaining why there are carts to give. Second, living beings are all children of the Buddha and no one should receive only an inferior small cart, corresponding to the expanded account of equality of mind. Third, living beings have escaped the three realms, corresponding to the chapter division on equal gift. Fourth, the buddhas' meditative concentrations, liberations, and the rest correspond to the initial statement of the great carts. Fifth, one mark and one kind correspond to the expanded account of the great cart, gathering the cart's height, breadth, and ornaments within the three virtues of Dharma body, prajñā, and liberation.
Equality therefore does not merely mean “everyone is the same.” There are virtues and powers sufficient to give, an equal mind that regards all as one's children, living beings who have escaped danger, the great cart that is given, and the virtues possessed by that great cart. Only when all five items are present does equal gift cease to be a promise without content.
VII. Why Is It Still Not False to Promise Three Carts First and Later Give the Great Cart?
The preceding parable has two chapters on no falsehood: first, preservation of the children's bodies and lives; second, not violating the elder's original intent. Each chapter has statement, explanation, and concluding comparison. The application directly explains not violating the original intent and also incidentally includes preservation of the whole body. The Buddha's intent is originally to remove living beings' five turbidities. Once the five turbidities are exhausted, body, life, and great goodness are preserved; drawing them from the house has already accomplished the essential work of rescuing the children.
But the children heard about three carts and received great carts. Has the promise changed? The root treatise preserves two explanations, the former and the present. The former says that the elder's intention was to bring the children out of the house and was never centered on the three carts; once the children have emerged, even not giving the three carts exactly as stated cannot be called false. The present explanation says that the Tathāgata appears in the world originally wishing to teach the Great, but because living beings possess narrow wisdom and delight in the three realms, he first entices them through the skillful means of the three vehicles; once they have emerged, he still gives the Great Vehicle, precisely according with his original intent.
What the two explanations preserve in common is not the superficial shape of a sentence of promise, but the fact that the elder never takes pleasure in deception and never gives the children less. His wealth is immeasurable, and the great carts he gives far surpass the three carts first promised. Speaking of three first makes them willing to emerge; giving the Great after emergence still serves to benefit them. Those capable of immediately receiving the Great are given the Great directly; only for those who cannot receive it is the one vehicle differentiated into three. The three are established because of what living beings can receive, not because the Buddha originally wished to stop at the three vehicles.
The application thus returns at its end to the fire with which it began. Without the immersion of those in the burning house, there would be no need to entice them with three carts. If one sought only to remove the children from the fire without asking what they receive afterward, the equal gift could not be disclosed. If equal gift were mistaken for changing one's word, no falsehood would become a new doubt. Seeing the fire, establishing the carts, leaving the house, equal gift, and no falsehood are one act of rescuing the children unfolded from beginning to end.
Through the Eye of the Wenjuji
Zhanran first supplements three points in the general parable. He judges what the root treatise calls “its own substance” to be the land of true recompense; he also says that the place of recompense composed of wondrous form and wondrous mind extends through the form and mind of three lands. As for “amid various fears,” he explains it only through causes and effects within the realms and rejects the alternative explanation that inserts the first ground's freedom from five fears here. All three are placements in the mirror and cannot be backfilled as land names and stages already present in the root treatise〔T34n1719 0269c22–0270a09〕.
Regarding the order of seeing the fire, Zhanran points out that the parable first has alarm and fear and afterward restates attachment, while the application first explains living beings' immersion and only later removing suffering. Great compassion emphasizes removing the suffering of the turbidities; great loving-kindness gives great joy. He then unfolds exhortation and admonition through two rounds of questions and answers: because their gateways differ, two are established; because their substance is the same, they mutually include one another. Even if one gateway can suffice when goodness is fully understood, directly abolishing one would impair both exhortation to good and severance of evil〔0270a09–0270a25〕. This is a fine distinction in the mirror and does not alter the root treatise's wording of “primary” and “ancillary.”
When explaining the wishes of the three vehicles, Zhanran correlates mastery, freedom from bonds, having nothing upon which to rely, and having nothing to seek with four knowledges beyond training. He also divides the true and semblant four stages briefly stated by the root treatise into wisdom through hearing, reflection, and cultivation, and the worthy and noble stages. He further explains that although pratyekabuddhas emphasize independent reflection, they may still hear the teaching; “little hearing of Dharma” cannot be read as never hearing Dharma. The question and answer stating that the twelve links of dependent origination are made neither by the Buddha nor by others is then explicitly supported by his citation of the Great Treatise〔0270a25–0270b11〕. The four knowledges, stages, and external citation are established only within this mirror.
To explain why equal gift directly applies only escape from danger and equal gift, Zhanran gathers the structure as two direct and two ancillary applications: because danger is escaped, seeking the carts occurs; because the gift is equal, joy occurs. He also explains in detail the gateway's three meanings of entry, exit, and distinction, saying in particular that the teaching becomes a gateway only in relation to the principle it expresses; the word “teaching” by itself cannot establish a gateway out of the house〔0270b11–0270b24〕. This illuminates how the root treatise's abbreviated wording still contains four items and preserves the relation between the gateway and the principle expressed.
For entry, Zhanran explains that being deluded about form and mind and entering into form and mind means one still remains inside the house. For exit, the emphasis is on leaving the three realms through the principle expressed by the Buddha's teaching. For distinction, the name is obtained because the principles taken as objects differ. He further says that an expressing teaching alone, without relation to the principle expressed, cannot establish the meaning of gateway. This distinction can explain why the root treatise calls all three the gateway of the Buddha's teaching, but it cannot be used in reverse to insert every teaching-name from the mirror into the root treatise's short sentences. In applying the great cart, the mirror likewise illuminates only the one mark, one kind, and three virtues listed by the root treatise; it does not insert the separate objects sought in the three carts into the great cart equally received.
Finally, Zhanran judges that although the former and present explanations differ slightly—the former emphasizing that “the original intent was not in the three,” the latter that “the original wish was to give the Great”—their names differ while their meaning is the same〔0270b24–0270b26〕. This sentence serves only as the mirror's conclusion. The body of the root treatise must still state both explanations fully before it, rather than using one later judgment to erase their difference.
考據Apparatus
本單元承火宅譬前文，進入經中以法合譬的長段。智者先辨光宅十譬之說，自立總、別二譬；總譬有六支，別譬有見火、捨几用車、等賜大車、不虛四段。所帖根經集中於〈譬喻品〉合譬九段，另牒前文一段；本論所引與今本字面有增、省、異字及標點差，以下分層並錄，不判取捨。
一、科判定位
嚴格域為 T34n1718〔0072c27–0074c01〕，共二千三百九十五個漢字。起處與前一單元共用〔0072c27〕一行，本單元須依段標自「舍利弗如來亦復」起，不能吞入前句；正文止於「用此釋成不乖本心不虛也。」〔0074b29〕，其後卷尾題「妙法蓮華經文句卷第五下」〔0074c01〕仍屬本單元。下一卷正文自〔0074c04〕起，不納入。
本單元位於迹門〈譬喻品〉釋的合譬段。本文只沿自身所標總、別、六、四及各段次第立科：
| 次第 | 行域 | 本論內容 |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | 0072c27–0073a02 | 合譬總標；錄光宅開十譬而合七之說，本論改立總、別二譬，總中有六 |
| 二 | 0073a03–0073a25 | 合總譬六支：如來位號、大慈大悲、三界火宅、度眾生、生老病死、教化得菩提 |
| 三 | 0073a26–0073b14 | 合別譬第一見火；譬有三意而文有四，合亦有四，次序互現 |
| 四 | 0073b14–0073c08 | 合別譬第二之前半：捨几用車、勸而不誡、擬宜、無機、息化 |
| 五 | 0073c09–0074a12 | 合用車救得；依擬宜三車、知子先心、歎三車希有、適子所願四式展開 |
| 六 | 0074a12–0074b11 | 合別譬第三等賜大車；免難、索車、等賜、歡喜四支互兼，正合又列五項 |
| 七 | 0074b11–0074b29 | 合別譬第四不虛；承全身命、不乖本心二章，末以『前意／今明』兩釋收束 |
《法華文句記》的對位域為 T34n1719〔0269c22–0270b26〕。起句與前段共行，須從「自體」一段的段標起；末句是「雖復小殊名異義同」〔0270b26〕，同一行其後「有一大宅」已轉下一單元。鏡文在本域共有十六段對位，逐項見第四目。
二、成立與傳本
本單元所在卷的卷首題署逐字作「天台智者大師說」〔T34n1718 0067b09〕；不由記憶補朝代、字號或其他稱銜。卷端神逈序另稱本文為「灌頂法師私記」〔0001a23〕，並記天寶戊子朗和尚條倫治定。故義說、筆錄與後世治定三層分書，不把序中傳述重貼為每卷題署。
本域正文有十組字詞校勘，另有一組卷界校記；沒有行內夾註，也沒有待解算外字。這些異存足以顯示現行字面可考，卻不能由此反造條倫以前的本文。正文守大正現行讀法，異讀在第八目並列。
本論末尾提示講說時「一一須提〈方便品〉譬本來勘捒之」〔0073a25〕；現行火宅譬長行則在 T09n0262〈譬喻品〉〔0012b13–0013c18〕。本論所題與今本品位各守其本，只誌兩層，不改字，也不把不相應另立為義理裁決。
三、所帖經文與所引
（一）根經域與九段位置
本單元合譬所帖根經主域為 T09n0262〔0013a10–0013c18〕，在本倉封印本 canon/tiantai/fahua/treatise/03_piyu/03_piyu_source.md 中對應九個段落。九段依次承擔：
| 次 | 根經首字實位–末行 | 本論所合 |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | 0013a10–0013a26 | 合總譬六支；見火的所見、不覺、不驚 |
| 二 | 0013a26–0013a28 | 見火後起驚怖；拔苦、與樂 |
| 三 | 0013a29–0013b04 | 捨几用車的大擬不得 |
| 四 | 0013b04–0013b18 | 息化、三車及勸、示、證 |
| 五 | 0013b18–0013b29 | 三乘各自適願 |
| 六 | 0013b29–0013c04 | 免難、佛教門、涅槃樂 |
| 七 | 0013c05–0013c10 | 等與大乘、一相、一種 |
| 八 | 0013c10–0013c16 | 三車誘引而後大車；不虛 |
| 九 | 0013c16–0013c18 | 方便力故於一佛乘分別說三 |
本論另牒「先作是意我以方便令子得出」〔T34n1718 0074b18〕，其今本原句在上述九段以前：「是長者先作是意：『我以方便令子得出。』」〔T09 0013a08〕。引句首字在〔0013a08〕，不能用整個答段的首行替代。
（二）本論七十七組帖句與今本對讀
以下依本論原次序列七十七組。短引、重引與同句再牒各守其消文位置；左欄是 T1718 所帖，右欄是 T0262 今本字面，異同只誌不判。
| 次 | T1718 所帖 | T0262 今本 | 字面記事 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 「舍利弗如來亦復」〔T34 0072c27〕 | 「舍利弗！如來亦復如是」〔T09 0013a11〕 | 今本有驚歎號與「如是」。 |
| 2 | 「一切世間」〔T34 0073a05〕 | 「一切世間之父」〔T09 0013a12〕 | 本論截至處所名。 |
| 3 | 「於諸怖畏」〔T34 0073a09〕 | 「於諸怖畏」〔T09 0013a12〕 | 字面同。 |
| 4 | 「成就無量知見」〔T34 0073a11〕 | 「成就無量知見」〔T09 0013a13〕 | 字面同；今本前接「而悉」。 |
| 5 | 「力無畏」〔T34 0073a12〕 | 「力、無所畏」〔T09 0013a14〕 | 無畏／無所畏，今本有頓號。 |
| 6 | 「神力」〔T34 0073a13〕 | 「大神力」〔T09 0013a14〕 | 今本有「大」。 |
| 7 | 「智慧力」〔T34 0073a14〕 | 「智慧力」〔T09 0013a14〕 | 字面同。 |
| 8 | 「具足方便波羅蜜」〔T34 0073a15〕 | 「具足方便、智慧波羅蜜」〔T09 0013a14〕 | 今本另有智慧。 |
| 9 | 「大慈大悲」〔T34 0073a16〕 | 「大慈大悲」〔T09 0013a15〕 | 字面同。 |
| 10 | 「一切」〔T34 0073a17〕 | 「利益一切」〔T09 0013a16〕 | 本論取末二字消五道。 |
| 11 | 「而生三界火宅」〔T34 0073a18〕 | 「而生三界朽故火宅」〔T09 0013a16〕 | 今本有「朽故」。 |
| 12 | 「為度眾生」〔T34 0073a19〕 | 「為度眾生」〔T09 0013a16〕 | 字面同。 |
| 13 | 「生老病死」〔T34 0073a21〕 | 「生老病死、憂悲、苦惱、愚癡、闇蔽、三毒之火」〔T09 0013a17〕 | 本論取四苦入口。 |
| 14 | 「教化令得三菩提」〔T34 0073a22〕 | 「教化令得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」〔T09 0013a18〕 | 本論縮稱。 |
| 15 | 「見諸眾生」〔T34 0073a26〕 | 「見諸眾生」〔T09 0013a18〕 | 字面同。 |
| 16 | 「諸眾生為生老」〔T34 0073b02〕 | 「諸眾生為生老病死、憂悲苦惱之所燒煮」〔T09 0013a19〕 | 本論取句首。 |
| 17 | 「貪著追求」〔T34 0073b04〕 | 「貪著追求」〔T09 0013a20〕 | 字面同。 |
| 18 | 「後受地獄天上人間」〔T34 0073b05〕 | 「後受地獄、畜生、餓鬼之苦；若生天上，及在人間」〔T09 0013a21〕 | 本論撮錄，今本三惡趣全列。 |
| 19 | 「眾生沒在其中」〔T34 0073b07〕 | 「眾生沒在其中」〔T09 0013a23〕 | 字面同。 |
| 20 | 「不厭」〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「亦不生厭」〔T09 0013a24〕 | 今本有「亦不生」。 |
| 21 | 「不求解脫」〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「不求解脫」〔T09 0013a25〕 | 字面同。 |
| 22 | 「雖遭大苦不以為患」〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「雖遭大苦，不以為患」〔T09 0013a25〕 | 今本有逗號。 |
| 23 | 「佛見此已便作是念」〔T34 0073b10〕 | 「佛見此已，便作是念」〔T09 0013a26〕 | 今本有逗號。 |
| 24 | 「應拔其苦難」〔T34 0073b12〕 | 「應拔其苦難」〔T09 0013a27〕 | 字面同。 |
| 25 | 「與無量樂」〔T34 0073b13〕 | 「與無量無邊佛智慧樂」〔T09 0013a27〕 | 今本展足樂名。 |
| 26 | 「如來復作是念」〔T34 0073b14〕 | 「如來復作是念」〔T09 0013a29〕 | 字面同。 |
| 27 | 「但以神力」〔T34 0073b19〕 | 「若我但以神力」〔T09 0013a29〕 | 今本有「若我」。 |
| 28 | 「及智慧力」〔T34 0073b20〕 | 「及智慧力」〔T09 0013a29〕 | 字面同。 |
| 29 | 「讚如來知見」〔T34 0073b20〕 | 「為諸眾生讚如來知見」〔T09 0013b01〕 | 今本有施化對象。 |
| 30 | 「力無所畏」〔T34 0073b21〕 | 「力無所畏者」〔T09 0013b01〕 | 今本有「者」。 |
| 31 | 「所以者何」〔T34 0073b23〕 | 「所以者何」〔T09 0013b02〕 | 字面同。 |
| 32 | 「何由能解佛之智慧」〔T34 0073b25〕 | 「何由能解佛之智慧」〔T09 0013b04〕 | 字面同。 |
| 33 | 「如彼長者雖復身手有力而不用之」〔T34 0073b28〕 | 「如彼長者，雖復身手有力而不用之」〔T09 0013b05〕 | 今本有逗號。 |
| 34 | 「雖復身手有力而不用之」〔T34 0073c04〕 | 「如彼長者，雖復身手有力而不用之」〔T09 0013b05〕 | 本論第二次牒引省句首。 |
| 35 | 「但以殷勤」〔T34 0073c06〕 | 「但以慇懃方便」〔T09 0013b06〕 | 殷勤／慇懃；今本有「方便」。 |
| 36 | 「然後各與」〔T34 0073c07〕 | 「然後各與珍寶大車」〔T09 0013b06〕 | 本論取句首。 |
| 37 | 「如來亦復如是」〔T34 0073c07〕 | 「如來亦復如是」〔T09 0013b07〕 | 字面同；不同於第六十五組所在。 |
| 38 | 「但以智慧方便」〔T34 0073c09〕 | 「但以智慧方便」〔T09 0013b08〕 | 字面同。 |
| 39 | 「但以智慧」〔T34 0073c10〕 | 「但以智慧方便」〔T09 0013b08〕 | 本論再以短域切第一式。 |
| 40 | 「為說三乘」〔T34 0073c11〕 | 「為說三乘」〔T09 0013b09〕 | 字面同。 |
| 41 | 「而作是言」〔T34 0073c12〕 | 「而作是言」〔T09 0013b09〕 | 字面同。 |
| 42 | 「汝等莫得樂住三界」〔T34 0073c14〕 | 「汝等莫得樂住三界火宅」〔T09 0013b10〕 | 今本有「火宅」。 |
| 43 | 「三界」〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「三界火宅」〔T09 0013b10〕 | 短域。 |
| 44 | 「勿貪麁弊」〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「勿貪麁弊色聲香味觸也」〔T09 0013b10〕 | 今本列五欲境。 |
| 45 | 「生愛」〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「若貪著生愛」〔T09 0013b11〕 | 本論取末二字。 |
| 46 | 「速出三界」〔T34 0073c16〕 | 「汝速出三界」〔T09 0013b12〕 | 今本有「汝」。 |
| 47 | 「我今為汝保任此事終不虛」〔T34 0073c18〕 | 「我今為汝保任此事，終不虛也」〔T09 0013b13〕 | 今本有逗號與「也」。 |
| 48 | 「復作是言汝等當知」〔T34 0073c20〕 | 「復作是言：『汝等當知此三乘法」〔T09 0013b14〕 | 今本有引號、冒號及賓語。 |
| 49 | 「自在」〔T34 0073c22〕 | 「自在」〔T09 0013b16〕 | 字面同。 |
| 50 | 「無繫」〔T34 0073c23〕 | 「無繫」〔T09 0013b16〕 | 字面同。 |
| 51 | 「無所依」〔T34 0073c23〕 | 「無所依求」〔T09 0013b16〕 | 本論拆釋今本連語。 |
| 52 | 「無所求」〔T34 0073c24〕 | 「無所依求」〔T09 0013b16〕 | 本論拆釋今本連語。 |
| 53 | 「若有眾生內有智性」〔T34 0073c24〕 | 「若有眾生內有智性」〔T09 0013b18〕 | 字面同。 |
| 54 | 「內有智性」〔T34 0073c27〕 | 「若有眾生內有智性」〔T09 0013b18〕 | 本論再牒短域。 |
| 55 | 「內有智」〔T34 0073c29〕 | 「內有智性」〔T09 0013b18〕 | 本論再縮一字。 |
| 56 | 「從佛聞法信受」〔T34 0073c29〕 | 「從佛世尊聞法信受」〔T09 0013b19〕 | 今本有「世尊」。 |
| 57 | 「殷勤」〔T34 0074a01〕 | 「慇懃」〔T09 0013b19〕 | 異體字面。 |
| 58 | 「精進」〔T34 0074a02〕 | 「精進」〔T09 0013b19〕 | 字面同。 |
| 59 | 「欲速出」〔T34 0074a04〕 | 「欲速出三界」〔T09 0013b19〕 | 今本有「三界」。 |
| 60 | 「是名聲聞乘」〔T34 0074a05〕 | 「是名聲聞乘」〔T09 0013b20〕 | 字面同。 |
| 61 | 「自然」〔T34 0074a08〕 | 「自然慧」〔T09 0013b22〕 | 本論取名素。 |
| 62 | 「如彼長者見諸子等安隱得出」〔T34 0074a12〕 | 「如彼長者，見諸子等安隱得出火宅」〔T09 0013b29〕 | 今本有逗號與「火宅」。 |
| 63 | 「如彼長者」〔T34 0074a17〕 | 「如彼長者」〔T09 0013b29〕 | 短域。 |
| 64 | 「自惟財富」〔T34 0074a17〕 | 「自惟財富無量」〔T09 0013c01〕 | 今本有「無量」。 |
| 65 | 「如來亦復如是」〔T34 0074a18〕 | 「如來亦復如是」〔T09 0013c02〕 | 字面同；不同於第三十七組所在。 |
| 66 | 「如來爾時便作是念」〔T34 0074a25〕 | 「如來爾時便作是念」〔T09 0013c05〕 | 字面同。 |
| 67 | 「如來爾時便作是念，我有無量智慧力」〔T34 0074a27〕 | 「我有無量無邊智慧、力、無畏等諸佛法藏」〔T09 0013c05〕 | 本論連牒並撮錄。 |
| 68 | 「是諸眾生皆是我子」〔T34 0074a29〕 | 「是諸眾生皆是我子」〔T09 0013c06〕 | 字面同。 |
| 69 | 「不令有人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之」〔T34 0074b02〕 | 「不令有人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之」〔T09 0013c07〕 | 字面同。 |
| 70 | 「是諸眾生脫三界」〔T34 0074b04〕 | 「是諸眾生脫三界者」〔T09 0013c08〕 | 今本有「者」。 |
| 71 | 「諸佛禪定解脫等」〔T34 0074b05〕 | 「諸佛禪定、解脫等娛樂之具」〔T09 0013c08〕 | 今本有頓號與後接語。 |
| 72 | 「皆是一相一種」〔T34 0074b06〕 | 「皆是一相、一種」〔T09 0013c09〕 | 今本有頓號。 |
| 73 | 「一相」〔T34 0074b08〕 | 「一相」〔T09 0013c09〕 | 本論分釋第一詞。 |
| 74 | 「一種」〔T34 0074b08〕 | 「一種」〔T09 0013c09〕 | 本論分釋第二詞。 |
| 75 | 「如彼長者以三車」〔T34 0074b11〕 | 「如彼長者，初以三車」〔T09 0013c10〕 | 今本有逗號與「初」。 |
| 76 | 「先作是意我以方便令子得出」〔T34 0074b18〕 | 「是長者先作是意：『我以方便令子得出。』」〔T09 0013a08〕 | 本論牒引省句首與標點；根經在九段主域之前。 |
| 77 | 「何以故」〔T34 0074b19〕 | 「何以故？如來有無量智慧、力、無所畏諸法之藏」〔T09 0013c14〕 | 本論依此處語境回錨第八段。 |
（三）本論所指書名
| 本論原錄 | 現行對讀與限度 |
|---|---|
| 「一一須提〈方便品〉譬本來勘捒之」〔T34n1718 0073a25〕 | 火宅譬長行在封印本〈譬喻品〉及 T09n0262〔0012b13–0013c18〕；題名與現行品位並錄，不以一層覆寫另一層。 |
| 「若《華嚴》中能受，即為與大，不俟開一為三」〔T34n1718 0074b26〕 | 本論只作比較性撮述，沒有給出足以在現行《華嚴》逐字同定的句柄；只存書名指向，不反造原文。 |
四、文句記釋要〔鏡〕
湛然《法華文句記》在本域有十六段對位。下表逐段標作鏡釋；凡三土、二悉、四智、位次、三門細判及名異義同，均不能倒作智者原說。
| 次 | 對應本論 | 《文句記》逐字 | loc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 同居、有餘、自體三處中的自體 | 「自體」者，實報土也。此是攝大乘師從因立名，謂有為緣集即同居因，無為緣集即方便因，自體緣集即實報因，亦云法界緣集。今疏前二仍舊從果立名，後一依彼從因立稱。 | 0269c22–0269c26 |
| 2 | 妙色妙心果報之處 | 「皆是妙色妙心報處」者，既云一切世間之父，故知三土皆是證道色心報處，寂光既遍遮那亦等，諸身既與法身量同，諸土亦與寂光不異，如像如飯如鏡如器方之可知，一切眾生無不具此，果報未滿全局在迷，迷故陰質局彼太虛，滿故即與法界等量，應三土者從化事說，故云處等。 | 0269c26–0270a04 |
| 3 | 於諸怖畏、無量知見 | 「於諸怖畏」等者，且約界內因果而言，以對諸子是所畏故，故云「永盡」。所離同麁、能離理極，故云「無量知見」等。有人以初地離五怖畏用釋此中，都不相關，上不及諸佛、下過於離界，望諸釋義其例若斯。 | 0270a04–0270a09 |
| 4 | 見火合中與譬中次序互現 | 「但譬中驚怖在前」等者，前云「即大驚怖而作是念」等。次云「戀著」即是重釋所見。今合不覺在前者，先云「眾生沒在其中」等，即是略後便明廣也。「拔苦等在後」者，次此文後方云「我為眾生之父應拔其苦難」等。 | 0270a09–0270a13 |
| 5 | 應拔其苦難、與無量樂 | 「應拔其苦」至「慈之力」者，大悲且從拔濁、大慈與其大樂，故慈從化意、悲從用小。 | 0270a13–0270a15 |
| 6 | 捨几用車只明勸而不明誡 | 「上譬有勸誡」等者，釋譬及法有無之意，即是旁正相即，即是其體本同。況此二文既是二悉，當知勸善本令斷惡，斷惡本令勸善。 | 0270a15–0270a18 |
| 7 | 勸、誡第一問答 | 問：二體既同，何須立二先辯互無復更相即？答：門別故二、體同故即，雖復勸即是誡，但是勸家之誡，誡即是勸，但是誡家之勸，故兩門各存不妨體一。 | 0270a18–0270a22 |
| 8 | 勸、誡第二問答 | 問：若爾，一門廢之理亦何爽？答：若善達二門，一門亦足，但一門若廢則二義俱虧，況表父慇懃先勸又誡，或時各逗機宜不同，化時不別共成一事。 | 0270a22–0270a25 |
| 9 | 無所依、無所求 | 「我生已盡」等者，無學四智羅漢皆具，或慧解脫未得無生，今以無依是初後二智，無求是中間二智，後有即是所依處故。若生已盡，未來無依，中間二智盡三界因，名已辦等，故云「無求」。 | 0270a25–0270a29 |
| 10 | 上有真似等四位 | 「上有真似等四位」者，賢合為二，及聖位二，今依前外凡，亦但聞慧為一，思修為一。 | 0270a29–0270b02 |
| 11 | 辟支是法行人 | 「辟支是法行人」者，一往且對聲聞憑教，所以支佛自思為法，然支佛必自證，聲聞具信法，信法具如《止觀》第五記引《婆沙》等文。 | 0270b02–0270b05 |
| 12 | 聞法少 | 「聞法少」者，支佛或聞教墮在聲聞者，亦是因信但云聞少。 | 0270b05–0270b06 |
| 13 | 十二因緣本自有之 | 「此門」至「非佛」等者，《大論》云：「有一道人問佛：大德！十二因緣佛作耶？佛言：我不作。又問：餘人作耶？佛言：亦非餘人作，有佛無佛本性有之。」夫答問有四，此即決定答也。若其廣出三藏諦緣，具如《俱舍》、《婆沙》，《玄》文略出。 | 0270b07–0270b11 |
| 14 | 等賜段略不合第二、第四 | 「但合」等者，以此四中二正二旁，當知由免難故索車，由等賜故歡喜。 | 0270b11–0270b13 |
| 15 | 佛教門的入、出、別三義 | 「門有三義」者，三門之中出別是門入者義立，從一色心入一色心，門以經遊為義，但未出名入，從一入一義言為入，實非外來。「若作出者」，須兼三藏，今立通教所詮，以此兩教所詮同故。言「若別義者」，依別理人。言「所詮」者，意顯獨教門義不成。經雖云教，必須對理，故知別教雖詮別理，亦非車門，但對通藏而立別名。由緣別理故名為別。次第之初與藏通人咸出火宅，據出宅同仍可名通。初證又同兩教涅槃，故亦可云得涅槃樂。三德具如《玄》文三法及《止觀》第三顯體中說。 | 0270b13–0270b24 |
| 16 | 不虛段前釋、今釋 | 「此釋小異於前」者，前云意不在三，今云本欲與大，雖復小殊名異義同。 | 0270b24–0270b26 |
（一）鏡中來源指向
《記》稱「此是攝大乘師從因立名」〔T34n1719 0269c23〕，是師承指向，沒有明引一段原書；又以《止觀》第五記、《婆沙》〔0270b04〕，《俱舍》《婆沙》《玄》〔0270b10〕及《玄》文三法、《止觀》第三顯體〔0270b23〕作回指。這些只登錄書名，不由書名反造原句。
本域唯一以云字明引的外書連文，是《大論》十二因緣問答：
| 見證 | 逐字與行錨 |
|---|---|
| 《文句記》原錄 | 《大論》云：「有一道人問佛：大德！十二因緣佛作耶？佛言：我不作。又問：餘人作耶？佛言：亦非餘人作，有佛無佛本性有之。」〔T34n1719 0270b07〕 |
| T25n1509 第一處 | 如一道人問佛言：「大德！十二因緣佛作耶？他作耶？」〔T25 0075a10〕佛言：「我不作十二因緣，餘人亦不作。有佛無佛，生因緣老死，是法常定住。」〔T25 0075a10〕 |
| T25n1509 第二處 | 如《雜阿含》中說，有一比丘問佛：「十二因緣法，為是佛作？為是餘人作？」〔T25 0298a11〕佛告比丘：「我不作十二因緣，亦非餘人作；有佛無佛，諸法如、法相、法位常有，所謂是事有故是事有，是事生故是事生；如無明因緣故諸行，諸行因緣故識，乃至老死因緣故有憂悲苦惱。是事無故是事無，是事滅故是事滅；如無明滅故諸行滅，諸行滅故識滅，乃至老死滅故憂悲苦惱滅。」〔T25 0298a13〕 |
道人／比丘、他作／餘人作、本性有之／常定住／法位常有，各守其本；本項不判《記》所據底本。
五、諸家異釋
本域逐字掃描「有人云」「或言」「舊云」「解者不同」「一云」等二十二種慣用異解標記均為零。裸字串有人只在根經帖句「不令有人獨得滅度」〔T34n1718 0074b02〕；「或當墮落」〔0073b29〕也是可能語氣，兩者都不是另家立說。然而，本論仍明錄兩組異解或對釋，不能因標記為零而漏列：
一、光宅開十譬之說。本論原錄：「光宅開十譬，但合七不合三，七中正合五，兼第五第八，不合第七第九，故知十譬繁而不會。」〔T34n1718 0072c28〕隨後自立「今合總、別二譬，總中有六，今文皆合，小不次第。」〔0073a01〕。十、七、三、五、第五、第八、第七、第九及總中六，各守原數，不合製另一套計數。
二、不虛段的前意與今明。本論先說前意是使諸子出宅，所意不在三車，既出而不與也不成虛妄〔0074b21〕；今明則說如來本欲說大，只因小智樂著三界，先以方便誘引，出後仍與大乘，因而符合本心〔0074b23–0074b26〕。兩釋都保留；鏡中「雖復小殊名異義同」〔T34n1719 0270b26〕只能署作湛然的收束。
《文句記》另錄「有人以初地離五怖畏用釋此中」〔T34n1719 0270a07〕，並判其與上下義位不合。這是鏡中所舉異說，不冒作 T1718 的有人云。
六、術語
| 詞語 | 本論自說 | 分層限度 |
|---|---|---|
| 同居、有餘、自體 | 「通指同居、有餘自體，皆是妙色妙心果報之處」〔T34n1718 0073a07〕 | 三處名可直說；緣集因名、實報與寂光等展釋屬鏡。 |
| 智斷 | 「年高衰邁，識達則多，譬如來智斷」〔0073a10〕 | 下分無明永盡為斷德、無量知見為智德。 |
| 神力、智慧力 | 「深修禪定能得神通，合上田也」〔0073a13〕；「智必照境，如身之託處，合上宅也」〔0073a14〕 | 田、宅對配依本論，不以鏡文改配。 |
| 方便波羅蜜 | 「具足方便波羅蜜」，合上諸僕從也。〔0073a15〕 | 根經今本另有方便、智慧波羅蜜，兩層並錄。 |
| 八苦、四倒 | 「此中明八苦為火」〔0073b04〕；「此之八苦，從四倒四面起也」〔0073b06〕 | 四苦、求不得、五陰、愛離、怨會依本論算法，不另重排。 |
| 勸、誡 | 「故勸修為正，誡惡是傍」〔0073b16〕 | 本論又說二者相即；二悉與兩問答屬鏡。 |
| 擬宜、無機、息化 | 「上勸文有三，謂擬宜無機息化」〔0073b18〕 | 三詞是一段施化進程，不改作三乘名。 |
| 寢大化 | 「如來亦寢大化也」〔0073c05〕 | 寢指停止大化，不另造睡眠譬。 |
| 勸、示、證 | 「上有勸、示、證，今亦具合，但不次第」〔0073c12〕 | 三項俱存，不依今本次序重排本論。 |
| 自在、無繫、無所依、無所求 | 本論依無生智、盡智、我生已盡、所作已辦、梵行已立分釋〔0073c22–0073c24〕 | 根經「無所依求」是一個連語；本論分釋照存。 |
| 聞慧、思慧、修慧 | 本論以聞父所說、心各勇銳、推排分別帖合〔0074a01–0074a04〕 | 外凡與賢聖位的細判屬鏡。 |
| 自然慧 | 「此門本自有之，非佛天人所作，名自然慧」〔0074a09〕 | 《大論》逐字引由鏡補出，不作本論自引。 |
| 佛教門 | 「門有三義：入義，出義，別義」〔0074a18〕 | 入、出、別依本論各自分說。 |
| 一相、一種 | 「一相」是實相，即法身；「一種」是種智。〔0074b08〕 | 兩詞不作同義複說；本論續以般若、解脫成三德。 |
| 摩訶衍 | 「三德高廣，具足莊嚴收羅眾德，名摩訶衍」〔0074b10〕 | 此處直合大車，不把三車中的大乘與等賜大車混同。 |
| 不虛 | 「今但合不乖本心兼得全身」〔0074b13〕 | 全身命與不乖本心二章都須保留。 |
本域未見五時八教、化儀、化法、藏通別圓、迹門十妙、本門十妙、一念三千七個後世約詞。這只是一項字面邊界，不由零見推成相應義理不存在。
七、譬喻・互讀・承衍
合譬不能與上譬混成一層。根經先敘長者、宅、火、諸子、三車及大車；本單元則逐句把這些譬事合到法義。比如長者年衰邁，在上譬是人物物相，本論合為如來智斷〔T34n1718 0073a10〕；三界合其家，生老病死等合火起〔0073a18–0073a22〕。這些是合譬段的配釋，不能倒寫成經中長者故事已經直說如來智斷或三界諸苦。
（一）長者、宅、火與諸子
| 譬事 | 根經物相 | 本單元帖合 |
|---|---|---|
| 國邑聚落、長者 | 「若國邑聚落有大長者」〔T09 0012b13〕 | 「一切世間」定處所，如來位號與內外德合長者〔T34 0073a03–0073a16〕 |
| 年衰邁、財富、田宅、僮僕 | 「其年衰邁，財富無量，多有田宅及諸僮僕」〔T09 0012b14〕 | 智斷、外德、神力、智慧力、方便波羅蜜逐項帖合〔T34 0073a10–0073a16〕 |
| 家、火 | 「其家廣大，唯有一門」〔T09 0012b15〕；「歘然火起，焚燒舍宅」〔0012b17〕 | 三界合家，生老病死等合火起〔T34 0073a18–0073a22〕 |
| 五百人、三十子 | 「一百、二百乃至五百人」〔T09 0012b15〕；「長者諸子，若十、二十，或至三十」〔0012b18〕 | 大慈大悲所被的一切五道合五百人；有緣親者前度合三十子〔T34 0073a16–0073a20〕 |
| 身、手、衣裓、机案 | 「我身手有力，當以衣裓、若以机案，從舍出之」〔T09 0012b24〕 | 本論前譬以身譬神通荷負、手譬智慧提拔〔T34 0068b03〕；本單元合神力、智慧力、知見與無畏〔0073b19–0073b21〕 |
机、几是傳本字面差：T0262 大正正文作机，諸本異讀作几；T1718 作几案〔0073b21〕。衣裓亦有古疏兩解：「衣裓，古釋云：衣襟也。真諦云：外國盛華器也。」〔T37n1760 0354c15〕兩說並存，不由詞義記事改字。
（二）三車與等賜大車
根經先列「羊車、鹿車、牛車」〔T09 0012c09〕，後來另說「一大車，其車高廣」〔0012c18〕。本單元又依次說聲聞乘、辟支佛乘、大乘的所求〔T34n1718 0073c24–0074a12〕，再進入等賜大車〔0074a12〕。三車、三乘與等賜大車是三個相接而不相混的層次。
本論前文列用車四式：擬宜三車〔0069a20〕、父知先心所好〔0069a21〕、歎三車〔0069a22〕、適子所願〔0069a23〕；歎三車中另有勸、示、證三項〔0069b12〕。本單元明說四式與三項俱合而次序不一〔0073c09–0073c19〕，不能把兩套數目拼成七步。
等賜大車前文的莊嚴包含高廣、眾寶莊校、欄楯、懸鈴、幰蓋、寶繩、華纓、綩綖、丹枕、白牛與僕從等。眼前合譬只以「通合上高廣乃至僕從等」〔0074b07〕總攝，再以一相、一種、般若、解脫及三德說其所合〔0074b08–0074b10〕。若展開車上器物，所據是前一科的本論自釋，不冒作本單元另逐件重說。
（三）互讀與承衍
與本倉封印本〈譬喻品〉互讀，可以逐句檢查本論七十七組消經句柄，並看見『殷勤／慇懃』『几案／机案』『寶繩交絡／寶繩絞絡』等本各守字。與《法華玄義》互讀，只取本論自指的教相背景；與《摩訶止觀》互讀，只取由解入行的穩定接點，不把他部門目倒入本段。
《法華玄贊》與《法華文句》同釋一經，可在同一火宅譬上作慈恩、天台二鏡互讀，不以一疏裁另一疏。本段承衍至後文時，須保留三個轉折：三車是出宅的方便誘引，等賜大車是出後所與，不虛則回答先許三而後與一是否失信。若缺任何一環，合譬的前後因果都會被壓平。
八、校本定位
（一）十組字詞異讀
| 行錨 | 校記型 | 現行正文／【大】 | 異讀 | 短境 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0073a13 | 對舉式 | 外德【大】 | 甲本缺 | 合上外德財富無量也 |
| 0073a14 | 對舉式 | 力【大】 | 力者【甲】 | 智慧力 |
| 0073b10 | 對舉式 | 也【大】 | 甲本缺 | 無求出意也 |
| 0073b11 | 對舉式 | 已【大】 | 甲本缺 | 佛見此已便作是念 |
| 0073b13 | 對舉式 | 者【大】 | 甲本缺 | 應拔其苦難者 |
| 0073b21 | 對舉式 | 所【大】 | 甲本缺 | 力無所畏 |
| 0073c07 | 星號校 _41，corresp="#0073003" | 也【大】 | 甲本缺 | 正合第三息化也 |
| 0073c20 | 星號校 _42，corresp="#0073003" | 也【大】 | 甲本缺 | 合上第一歎希有也 |
| 0073c23 | 對舉式 | 繫【CB】 | 繁【大】 | 無繫 |
| 0074a02 | 對舉式 | 推【大】 | 惟【甲】 | 第二推排 |
兩個星號校各有一個正文實位，不能因共用對應號而少列一處。繫／繁一組是現行校字與大正原字之別，見證不是【甲】，故如實標【CB】／【大】。
（二）卷界單邊校記
正文末句〔0074b29〕有一枚單邊校記：「不分卷【甲】」。它是 <note type="mod"> 型，沒有成對的正文、異讀欄；其後〔0074c01〕為卷尾題。這一枚與十組字詞異讀分列，不把它虛算作第十一組字詞校。
（三）外字、夾註、目錄與頁錨
本域待解算外字為零，行內所傳夾註也為零；零見即據實記零，不虛造表。全帙品題有兩形：〈序品〉不冠釋字，其餘二十七品冠釋字；本單元是〈譬喻品〉內的品內切分，不另占一品。
讀者原典採換頁一枚、段首行內精錨；本域頁面轉換在〔T34 0072c27〕與〔T34 0073a26〕兩個正文段首，卷尾另標〔T34 0074c01〕。考據中的引文錨則一律取引句首字前最近的大正藏行標，不能拿讀者頁錨、科段起點或標名所在行代替。
This unit follows the preceding burning-house parable and enters the long scriptural passage that applies the Dharma to the parable. Zhizhe first distinguishes Guangzhai's account of ten parables and establishes instead general and specific parables. The general parable has six branches; the specific parable has four divisions: seeing the fire, setting aside the stool and using the carts, equally giving the great cart, and no falsehood. The root-scripture passages attached here are concentrated in nine segments of the application in the “Parable” chapter, together with one restatement from the preceding text. The root treatise contains additions, omissions, variant graphs, and punctuation differences in relation to the present scripture. Every layer is recorded separately below, without deciding among the readings.
I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
The strict domain is T34n1718〔0072c27–0074c01〕, comprising 2,395 Han characters. Its opening shares line〔0072c27〕 with the preceding unit, so this unit must begin from the segment marker and the words 「舍利弗如來亦復」 tr. “Śāriputra, the Tathāgata is also thus,” without swallowing the preceding sentence. The body ends with 「用此釋成不乖本心不虛也。」 tr. “Using this explanation establishes that he did not violate his original intent and was not false”〔0074b29〕. The fascicle-end title 「妙法蓮華經文句卷第五下」 tr. “Words and Phrases of the Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle Five, Lower”〔0074c01〕 still belongs to this unit. The next fascicle's body begins at〔0074c04〕 and is excluded.
This unit lies in the application of the parable within the Trace Gate's explanation of the “Parable” chapter. The outline below follows only the general, specific, sixfold, and fourfold divisions explicitly marked by the root treatise itself:
| No. | Domain | Content in the Root Treatise |
|---|---|---|
| I | 0072c27–0073a02 | General marker for the application; Guangzhai's account opens ten parables and applies seven, while the root treatise instead establishes general and specific parables, with six items in the general |
| II | 0073a03–0073a25 | Six branches applying the general parable: the Tathāgata's status and titles, great loving-kindness and great compassion, the burning house of the three realms, delivering living beings, birth–old age–illness–death, and teaching beings so they attain awakening |
| III | 0073a26–0073b14 | First specific application, seeing the fire: the parable has three meanings but four textual placements; the application likewise has four, mutually displaying a different order |
| IV | 0073b14–0073c08 | First half of the second specific application: setting aside the stool and using the carts; exhortation without a separate admonition, assessing suitability, absence of capacity, and cessation of transformation |
| V | 0073c09–0074a12 | Applying rescue through the carts: four forms—assessing the suitability of the three carts, knowing the children's former preferences, praising the rarity of the three carts, and suiting the children's wishes |
| VI | 0074a12–0074b11 | Third specific application, equal gift of the great cart: the four branches of escape from danger, seeking the carts, equal gift, and joy mutually include one another; the direct application further lists five items |
| VII | 0074b11–0074b29 | Fourth specific application, no falsehood: the two chapters of preserving body and life and not violating the original intent; the close preserves the two explanations called “the former intent” and “the present clarification” |
The corresponding domain of the Fahua Wenjuji is T34n1719〔0269c22–0270b26〕. Its opening shares a line with the preceding passage and must begin from the segment marker attached to the explanation of 「自體」 tr. “its own substance.” Its last sentence is 「雖復小殊名異義同」 tr. “Although they differ slightly, their names differ but their meaning is the same”〔0270b26〕. Later on the same line, 「有一大宅」 tr. “there was one great house” already turns to the next unit. The mirror has sixteen corresponding passages in this domain, each recorded in Section IV.
II. Formation and Transmission
The title at the head of the fascicle containing this unit reads verbatim 「天台智者大師說」 tr. “Taught by Tiantai Great Master Zhizhe”〔T34n1718 0067b09〕; no dynasty, sobriquet, or other title is supplied from memory. Shenjiong's preface at the head of the work separately calls the text 「灌頂法師私記」 tr. “Master Guanding's private record”〔0001a23〕 and records that Master Lang arranged and established its sequence in the wuxu year of the Tang Tianbao era. The doctrinal teaching, written record, and later recension are therefore kept as three separate strata; the preface's transmission account is not reapplied as the title of every fascicle.
This domain has ten groups of textual variants and one additional fascicle-boundary note. It contains no transmitted inline note and no unresolved gaiji. These variants establish that the present wording has a recoverable critical history, but they do not license reconstruction of a text predating the recension. The body preserves the current Taishō reading, with the alternatives listed side by side in Section VIII.
At the end of the sixfold general application, the root treatise instructs that when teaching each item, one must 「一一須提〈方便品〉譬本來勘捒之」 tr. “in every case bring forward the parable-basis in the ‘Skillful Means’ chapter and check it in coordination”〔0073a25〕. The extant long-prose burning-house parable is in T09n0262's “Parable” chapter〔0012b13–0013c18〕. Each work's own title and present chapter placement are retained. Neither is silently altered, and the mismatch is not manufactured into a new doctrinal question.
III. Sutra Passages Explained and Works Cited
1. Root-Scripture Domain and the Nine Passages
The principal root-scripture domain applied in this unit is T09n0262〔0013a10–0013c18〕. In this repository's sealed text, canon/tiantai/fahua/treatise/03_piyu/03_piyu_source.md, it corresponds to nine paragraphs. In sequence, the nine perform the following functions:
| No. | Actual First-Graph Location–Last Line | Application in the Root Treatise |
|---|---|---|
| I | 0013a10–0013a26 | Six branches of the general application; what is seen in seeing the fire, lack of awareness, and lack of alarm |
| II | 0013a26–0013a28 | Alarm and fear after seeing the fire; removing suffering and giving joy |
| III | 0013a29–0013b04 | The great assessment that fails in setting aside the stool and using the carts |
| IV | 0013b04–0013b18 | Cessation of transformation, the three carts, and exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation |
| V | 0013b18–0013b29 | Each of the three vehicles suits the respective wish |
| VI | 0013b29–0013c04 | Escape from danger, the gateway of the Buddha's teaching, and the joy of nirvāṇa |
| VII | 0013c05–0013c10 | Equal gift of the Great Vehicle, one mark, and one kind |
| VIII | 0013c10–0013c16 | Enticement by the three carts followed by the great cart; no falsehood |
| IX | 0013c16–0013c18 | Through the power of skillful means, the one Buddha Vehicle is differentiated and taught as three |
The root treatise also restates 「先作是意我以方便令子得出」 tr. “first formed this intention: through skillful means I will enable the children to emerge”〔T34n1718 0074b18〕. Its present scriptural wording occurs before the nine passages just listed: 「是長者先作是意：『我以方便令子得出。』」 tr. “The elder had first formed this intention: ‘Through skillful means I will enable the children to emerge’”〔T09 0013a08〕. The quotation's first graph is on〔0013a08〕; the opening line of the entire answer cannot substitute for that exact anchor.
2. Seventy-Seven Groups of Attached Scriptural Phrases Compared with the Present Text
The seventy-seven groups below follow the root treatise's own order. Short quotations, repeated quotations, and renewed explanations of the same phrase remain at their respective exegetical positions. The left column gives the wording attached by T1718; the right gives the present wording of T0262. Differences are recorded without adjudication.
| No. | Phrase Attached in T1718 | Present Wording of T0262 | Verbal Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 「舍利弗如來亦復」 tr. “Śāriputra, the Tathāgata is also”〔T34 0072c27〕 | 「舍利弗！如來亦復如是」 tr. “Śāriputra! The Tathāgata is also thus”〔T09 0013a11〕 | The present text has an exclamation point and 「如是」 tr. “thus.” |
| 2 | 「一切世間」 tr. “all worlds”〔T34 0073a05〕 | 「一切世間之父」 tr. “father of all worlds”〔T09 0013a12〕 | The root treatise stops after the designation of the place. |
| 3 | 「於諸怖畏」 tr. “amid various fears”〔T34 0073a09〕 | 「於諸怖畏」 tr. “amid various fears”〔T09 0013a12〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 4 | 「成就無量知見」 tr. “accomplishing immeasurable knowledge and vision”〔T34 0073a11〕 | 「成就無量知見」 tr. “accomplishing immeasurable knowledge and vision”〔T09 0013a13〕 | The wording agrees; the present text is preceded by 「而悉」 tr. “and fully.” |
| 5 | 「力無畏」 tr. “powers and fearlessnesses”〔T34 0073a12〕 | 「力、無所畏」 tr. “powers and fearlessnesses”〔T09 0013a14〕 | “Fearlessness” and “fearlessnesses” differ in written form; the present text also has an enumeration comma. |
| 6 | 「神力」 tr. “supernormal power”〔T34 0073a13〕 | 「大神力」 tr. “great supernormal power”〔T09 0013a14〕 | The present text has 「大」 tr. “great.” |
| 7 | 「智慧力」 tr. “wisdom-power”〔T34 0073a14〕 | 「智慧力」 tr. “wisdom-power”〔T09 0013a14〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 8 | 「具足方便波羅蜜」 tr. “fully possessing the perfection of skillful means”〔T34 0073a15〕 | 「具足方便、智慧波羅蜜」 tr. “fully possessing the perfections of skillful means and wisdom”〔T09 0013a14〕 | The present text additionally has wisdom. |
| 9 | 「大慈大悲」 tr. “great loving-kindness and great compassion”〔T34 0073a16〕 | 「大慈大悲」 tr. “great loving-kindness and great compassion”〔T09 0013a15〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 10 | 「一切」 tr. “all”〔T34 0073a17〕 | 「利益一切」 tr. “benefiting all”〔T09 0013a16〕 | The root treatise takes the final two graphs to explain the five destinies. |
| 11 | 「而生三界火宅」 tr. “and is born in the burning house of the three realms”〔T34 0073a18〕 | 「而生三界朽故火宅」 tr. “and is born in the decayed old burning house of the three realms”〔T09 0013a16〕 | The present text has 「朽故」 tr. “decayed and old.” |
| 12 | 「為度眾生」 tr. “in order to deliver living beings”〔T34 0073a19〕 | 「為度眾生」 tr. “in order to deliver living beings”〔T09 0013a16〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 13 | 「生老病死」 tr. “birth, old age, illness, and death”〔T34 0073a21〕 | 「生老病死、憂悲、苦惱、愚癡、闇蔽、三毒之火」 tr. “the fires of birth, old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, suffering, distress, delusion, obscuration, and the three poisons”〔T09 0013a17〕 | The root treatise takes the four sufferings as its point of entry. |
| 14 | 「教化令得三菩提」 tr. “teaching and transforming them so they attain awakening”〔T34 0073a22〕 | 「教化令得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. “teaching and transforming them so they attain unsurpassed complete awakening”〔T09 0013a18〕 | The root treatise uses an abbreviation. |
| 15 | 「見諸眾生」 tr. “sees living beings”〔T34 0073a26〕 | 「見諸眾生」 tr. “sees living beings”〔T09 0013a18〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 16 | 「諸眾生為生老」 tr. “living beings, by birth and old age”〔T34 0073b02〕 | 「諸眾生為生老病死、憂悲苦惱之所燒煮」 tr. “living beings are scorched and seared by birth, old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, suffering, and distress”〔T09 0013a19〕 | The root treatise takes the beginning of the sentence. |
| 17 | 「貪著追求」 tr. “greedily attached and pursuing”〔T34 0073b04〕 | 「貪著追求」 tr. “greedily attached and pursuing”〔T09 0013a20〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 18 | 「後受地獄天上人間」 tr. “afterward undergoing hell, heaven, and the human realm”〔T34 0073b05〕 | 「後受地獄、畜生、餓鬼之苦；若生天上，及在人間」 tr. “afterward undergoing the sufferings of hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts; if born in the heavens or among humans”〔T09 0013a21〕 | The root treatise gives an abridgment; the present text lists all three bad destinies. |
| 19 | 「眾生沒在其中」 tr. “living beings are submerged within it”〔T34 0073b07〕 | 「眾生沒在其中」 tr. “living beings are submerged within it”〔T09 0013a23〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 20 | 「不厭」 tr. “feel no disenchantment”〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「亦不生厭」 tr. “also give rise to no disenchantment”〔T09 0013a24〕 | The present text has 「亦不生」 tr. “also give rise to no.” |
| 21 | 「不求解脫」 tr. “do not seek liberation”〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「不求解脫」 tr. “do not seek liberation”〔T09 0013a25〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 22 | 「雖遭大苦不以為患」 tr. “though encountering great suffering, they do not regard it as distress”〔T34 0073b09〕 | 「雖遭大苦，不以為患」 tr. “though encountering great suffering, they do not regard it as distress”〔T09 0013a25〕 | The present text has a comma. |
| 23 | 「佛見此已便作是念」 tr. “Having seen this, the Buddha then formed this thought”〔T34 0073b10〕 | 「佛見此已，便作是念」 tr. “Having seen this, the Buddha then formed this thought”〔T09 0013a26〕 | The present text has a comma. |
| 24 | 「應拔其苦難」 tr. “I should remove their painful danger”〔T34 0073b12〕 | 「應拔其苦難」 tr. “I should remove their painful danger”〔T09 0013a27〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 25 | 「與無量樂」 tr. “give immeasurable joy”〔T34 0073b13〕 | 「與無量無邊佛智慧樂」 tr. “give the immeasurable and boundless joy of buddha-wisdom”〔T09 0013a27〕 | The present text supplies the full name of the joy. |
| 26 | 「如來復作是念」 tr. “The Tathāgata again formed this thought”〔T34 0073b14〕 | 「如來復作是念」 tr. “The Tathāgata again formed this thought”〔T09 0013a29〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 27 | 「但以神力」 tr. “merely by supernormal power”〔T34 0073b19〕 | 「若我但以神力」 tr. “if I merely use supernormal power”〔T09 0013a29〕 | The present text has 「若我」 tr. “if I were to.” |
| 28 | 「及智慧力」 tr. “and wisdom-power”〔T34 0073b20〕 | 「及智慧力」 tr. “and wisdom-power”〔T09 0013a29〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 29 | 「讚如來知見」 tr. “praise the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision”〔T34 0073b20〕 | 「為諸眾生讚如來知見」 tr. “praise the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision for living beings”〔T09 0013b01〕 | The present text states those for whom the teaching is given. |
| 30 | 「力無所畏」 tr. “powers and fearlessnesses”〔T34 0073b21〕 | 「力無所畏者」 tr. “as for powers and fearlessnesses”〔T09 0013b01〕 | The present text has 「者」 tr. “the topic marker.” |
| 31 | 「所以者何」 tr. “Why is this?”〔T34 0073b23〕 | 「所以者何」 tr. “Why is this?”〔T09 0013b02〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 32 | 「何由能解佛之智慧」 tr. “How could they understand the Buddha's wisdom?”〔T34 0073b25〕 | 「何由能解佛之智慧」 tr. “How could they understand the Buddha's wisdom?”〔T09 0013b04〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 33 | 「如彼長者雖復身手有力而不用之」 tr. “Just as that elder, although possessing strength in body and hands, did not use it”〔T34 0073b28〕 | 「如彼長者，雖復身手有力而不用之」 tr. “Just as that elder, although possessing strength in body and hands, did not use it”〔T09 0013b05〕 | The present text has a comma. |
| 34 | 「雖復身手有力而不用之」 tr. “although possessing strength in body and hands, he did not use it”〔T34 0073c04〕 | 「如彼長者，雖復身手有力而不用之」 tr. “Just as that elder, although possessing strength in body and hands, did not use it”〔T09 0013b05〕 | The root treatise omits the beginning when quoting it a second time. |
| 35 | 「但以殷勤」 tr. “only with earnestness”〔T34 0073c06〕 | 「但以慇懃方便」 tr. “only with earnest skillful means”〔T09 0013b06〕 | The written forms of “earnest” differ; the present text also has 「方便」 tr. “skillful means.” |
| 36 | 「然後各與」 tr. “and afterward gave each”〔T34 0073c07〕 | 「然後各與珍寶大車」 tr. “and afterward gave each a great cart adorned with treasures”〔T09 0013b06〕 | The root treatise takes the beginning of the sentence. |
| 37 | 「如來亦復如是」 tr. “The Tathāgata is also thus”〔T34 0073c07〕 | 「如來亦復如是」 tr. “The Tathāgata is also thus”〔T09 0013b07〕 | The wording agrees; this is not the location of group 65. |
| 38 | 「但以智慧方便」 tr. “only through wisdom and skillful means”〔T34 0073c09〕 | 「但以智慧方便」 tr. “only through wisdom and skillful means”〔T09 0013b08〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 39 | 「但以智慧」 tr. “only through wisdom”〔T34 0073c10〕 | 「但以智慧方便」 tr. “only through wisdom and skillful means”〔T09 0013b08〕 | The root treatise uses a second, shorter domain to delimit the first form. |
| 40 | 「為說三乘」 tr. “teaches the three vehicles”〔T34 0073c11〕 | 「為說三乘」 tr. “teaches the three vehicles”〔T09 0013b09〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 41 | 「而作是言」 tr. “and spoke these words”〔T34 0073c12〕 | 「而作是言」 tr. “and spoke these words”〔T09 0013b09〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 42 | 「汝等莫得樂住三界」 tr. “You must not delight in dwelling in the three realms”〔T34 0073c14〕 | 「汝等莫得樂住三界火宅」 tr. “You must not delight in dwelling in the burning house of the three realms”〔T09 0013b10〕 | The present text has 「火宅」 tr. “burning house.” |
| 43 | 「三界」 tr. “the three realms”〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「三界火宅」 tr. “the burning house of the three realms”〔T09 0013b10〕 | A short domain. |
| 44 | 「勿貪麁弊」 tr. “Do not crave the coarse and inferior”〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「勿貪麁弊色聲香味觸也」 tr. “Do not crave the coarse and inferior forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tangibles”〔T09 0013b10〕 | The present text lists the five objects of desire. |
| 45 | 「生愛」 tr. “give rise to attachment”〔T34 0073c15〕 | 「若貪著生愛」 tr. “if craving and attachment give rise to attachment”〔T09 0013b11〕 | The root treatise takes the final two graphs. |
| 46 | 「速出三界」 tr. “quickly leave the three realms”〔T34 0073c16〕 | 「汝速出三界」 tr. “You must quickly leave the three realms”〔T09 0013b12〕 | The present text has 「汝」 tr. “you.” |
| 47 | 「我今為汝保任此事終不虛」 tr. “I now assure you that this matter will never be false”〔T34 0073c18〕 | 「我今為汝保任此事，終不虛也」 tr. “I now assure you that this matter will never be false”〔T09 0013b13〕 | The present text has a comma and 「也」 tr. “a final particle.” |
| 48 | 「復作是言汝等當知」 tr. “Again he said these words: you should know”〔T34 0073c20〕 | 「復作是言：『汝等當知此三乘法」 tr. “Again he said these words: ‘You should know these Dharmas of the three vehicles”〔T09 0013b14〕 | The present text has quotation punctuation and an object. |
| 49 | 「自在」 tr. “mastery”〔T34 0073c22〕 | 「自在」 tr. “mastery”〔T09 0013b16〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 50 | 「無繫」 tr. “free from bonds”〔T34 0073c23〕 | 「無繫」 tr. “free from bonds”〔T09 0013b16〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 51 | 「無所依」 tr. “having nothing upon which to rely”〔T34 0073c23〕 | 「無所依求」 tr. “having nothing upon which to rely or seek”〔T09 0013b16〕 | The root treatise divides and explains the present text's compound phrase. |
| 52 | 「無所求」 tr. “having nothing to seek”〔T34 0073c24〕 | 「無所依求」 tr. “having nothing upon which to rely or seek”〔T09 0013b16〕 | The root treatise divides and explains the present text's compound phrase. |
| 53 | 「若有眾生內有智性」 tr. “If living beings inwardly possess a wisdom-nature”〔T34 0073c24〕 | 「若有眾生內有智性」 tr. “If living beings inwardly possess a wisdom-nature”〔T09 0013b18〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 54 | 「內有智性」 tr. “inwardly possess a wisdom-nature”〔T34 0073c27〕 | 「若有眾生內有智性」 tr. “If living beings inwardly possess a wisdom-nature”〔T09 0013b18〕 | The root treatise again quotes a short domain. |
| 55 | 「內有智」 tr. “inwardly possess wisdom”〔T34 0073c29〕 | 「內有智性」 tr. “inwardly possess a wisdom-nature”〔T09 0013b18〕 | The root treatise abbreviates it by one more graph. |
| 56 | 「從佛聞法信受」 tr. “hearing the Dharma from the Buddha and accepting it in faith”〔T34 0073c29〕 | 「從佛世尊聞法信受」 tr. “hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, the World-Honored One, and accepting it in faith”〔T09 0013b19〕 | The present text has 「世尊」 tr. “World-Honored One.” |
| 57 | 「殷勤」 tr. “earnest”〔T34 0074a01〕 | 「慇懃」 tr. “earnest”〔T09 0013b19〕 | The written forms differ. |
| 58 | 「精進」 tr. “energetic”〔T34 0074a02〕 | 「精進」 tr. “energetic”〔T09 0013b19〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 59 | 「欲速出」 tr. “wishes quickly to leave”〔T34 0074a04〕 | 「欲速出三界」 tr. “wishes quickly to leave the three realms”〔T09 0013b19〕 | The present text has 「三界」 tr. “the three realms.” |
| 60 | 「是名聲聞乘」 tr. “This is called the Śrāvaka Vehicle”〔T34 0074a05〕 | 「是名聲聞乘」 tr. “This is called the Śrāvaka Vehicle”〔T09 0013b20〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 61 | 「自然」 tr. “natural”〔T34 0074a08〕 | 「自然慧」 tr. “natural wisdom”〔T09 0013b22〕 | The root treatise takes the nominal element. |
| 62 | 「如彼長者見諸子等安隱得出」 tr. “Just as that elder saw that the children had emerged peacefully and securely”〔T34 0074a12〕 | 「如彼長者，見諸子等安隱得出火宅」 tr. “Just as that elder saw that the children had emerged peacefully and securely from the burning house”〔T09 0013b29〕 | The present text has a comma and 「火宅」 tr. “burning house.” |
| 63 | 「如彼長者」 tr. “just as that elder”〔T34 0074a17〕 | 「如彼長者」 tr. “just as that elder”〔T09 0013b29〕 | A short domain. |
| 64 | 「自惟財富」 tr. “reflected on his own wealth”〔T34 0074a17〕 | 「自惟財富無量」 tr. “reflected that his own wealth was immeasurable”〔T09 0013c01〕 | The present text has 「無量」 tr. “immeasurable.” |
| 65 | 「如來亦復如是」 tr. “The Tathāgata is also thus”〔T34 0074a18〕 | 「如來亦復如是」 tr. “The Tathāgata is also thus”〔T09 0013c02〕 | The wording agrees; this is not the location of group 37. |
| 66 | 「如來爾時便作是念」 tr. “At that time the Tathāgata then formed this thought”〔T34 0074a25〕 | 「如來爾時便作是念」 tr. “At that time the Tathāgata then formed this thought”〔T09 0013c05〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 67 | 「如來爾時便作是念，我有無量智慧力」 tr. “At that time the Tathāgata then formed this thought: I possess immeasurable wisdom-power”〔T34 0074a27〕 | 「我有無量無邊智慧、力、無畏等諸佛法藏」 tr. “I possess the immeasurable and boundless treasuries of such buddha-dharmas as wisdom, powers, and fearlessnesses”〔T09 0013c05〕 | The root treatise joins phrases and abridges the wording. |
| 68 | 「是諸眾生皆是我子」 tr. “These living beings are all my children”〔T34 0074a29〕 | 「是諸眾生皆是我子」 tr. “These living beings are all my children”〔T09 0013c06〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 69 | 「不令有人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之」 tr. “I will not allow anyone to attain extinction alone; I will bring them all to extinction through the Tathāgata's extinction”〔T34 0074b02〕 | 「不令有人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之」 tr. “I will not allow anyone to attain extinction alone; I will bring them all to extinction through the Tathāgata's extinction”〔T09 0013c07〕 | The wording agrees. |
| 70 | 「是諸眾生脫三界」 tr. “these living beings escape the three realms”〔T34 0074b04〕 | 「是諸眾生脫三界者」 tr. “as for these living beings who escape the three realms”〔T09 0013c08〕 | The present text has 「者」 tr. “the topic marker.” |
| 71 | 「諸佛禪定解脫等」 tr. “the buddhas' meditative concentrations, liberations, and the rest”〔T34 0074b05〕 | 「諸佛禪定、解脫等娛樂之具」 tr. “the buddhas' meditative concentrations, liberations, and other instruments of delight”〔T09 0013c08〕 | The present text has an enumeration comma and a continuation. |
| 72 | 「皆是一相一種」 tr. “all are one mark and one kind”〔T34 0074b06〕 | 「皆是一相、一種」 tr. “all are one mark and one kind”〔T09 0013c09〕 | The present text has an enumeration comma. |
| 73 | 「一相」 tr. “one mark”〔T34 0074b08〕 | 「一相」 tr. “one mark”〔T09 0013c09〕 | The root treatise separately explains the first term. |
| 74 | 「一種」 tr. “one kind”〔T34 0074b08〕 | 「一種」 tr. “one kind”〔T09 0013c09〕 | The root treatise separately explains the second term. |
| 75 | 「如彼長者以三車」 tr. “Just as that elder used the three carts”〔T34 0074b11〕 | 「如彼長者，初以三車」 tr. “Just as that elder first used the three carts”〔T09 0013c10〕 | The present text has a comma and 「初」 tr. “first.” |
| 76 | 「先作是意我以方便令子得出」 tr. “first formed this intention: through skillful means I will enable the children to emerge”〔T34 0074b18〕 | 「是長者先作是意：『我以方便令子得出。』」 tr. “The elder had first formed this intention: ‘Through skillful means I will enable the children to emerge’”〔T09 0013a08〕 | The root treatise omits the sentence opening and punctuation; the root scripture lies before the principal nine-passage domain. |
| 77 | 「何以故」 tr. “Why is this?”〔T34 0074b19〕 | 「何以故？如來有無量智慧、力、無所畏諸法之藏」 tr. “Why is this? The Tathāgata possesses the immeasurable treasuries of such dharmas as wisdom, powers, and fearlessnesses”〔T09 0013c14〕 | At this exegetical position, the root treatise re-anchors the phrase to the context of the eighth passage. |
3. Works Named by the Root Treatise
| Record in the Root Treatise | Present Comparison and Limit |
|---|---|
| 「一一須提〈方便品〉譬本來勘捒之」 tr. “In every case bring forward the parable-basis in the ‘Skillful Means’ chapter and check it in coordination”〔T34n1718 0073a25〕 | The long-prose burning-house parable is in this repository's sealed “Parable” chapter and T09n0262〔0012b13–0013c18〕. The title stated by the root treatise and the present chapter placement are both recorded; one layer does not overwrite the other. |
| 「若《華嚴》中能受，即為與大，不俟開一為三」 tr. “If they can receive it in the Avataṃsaka, the Great is given immediately; it is unnecessary to wait for the one to be opened as three”〔T34n1718 0074b26〕 | The root treatise gives only a comparative summary and no handle sufficient to identify a continuous verbatim passage in the extant Avataṃsaka. The title reference alone is retained; no source sentence is reconstructed. |
IV. Essential Explanations from the Wenjuji [the Mirror]
Zhanran's Fahua Wenjuji has sixteen corresponding passages in this domain. The table marks each explicitly as a mirror explanation. Its discussions of three lands, two siddhāntas, four knowledges, stages, the three meanings of gateway, and names differing while meaning agrees cannot be read backward as words already spoken by Zhizhe.
| No. | Corresponding Root Passage | Verbatim Explanation in the Wenjuji | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Its own substance” among the three places—shared habitation, remainder, and own substance | 「自體」 tr. “‘Its own substance’” means the land of true recompense. This is the terminology of the masters of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, who name it from the cause: conditioned dependent gathering is the cause of shared habitation, unconditioned dependent gathering is the cause of skillful means, and own-substance dependent gathering is the cause of true recompense; it is also called dependent gathering of the Dharma realm. The present commentary retains the old names of the first two from the result, but follows those masters in naming the last from the cause. | 0269c22–0269c26 |
| 2 | Place of recompense composed of wondrous form and wondrous mind | 「皆是妙色妙心報處」 tr. “‘All are places of recompense composed of wondrous form and wondrous mind’”: since it says “father of all worlds,” the form and mind of all three lands must be places of recompense in the path of realization. Tranquil Light pervades everywhere and Vairocana is likewise equal; since the various bodies have the same measure as the Dharma body, the lands do not differ from Tranquil Light. Images, food, mirrors, and vessels may serve as comparisons. Every living being fully possesses this; while the recompense is incomplete, the whole is confined in delusion. Through delusion, the material aggregates restrict that vast emptiness; when complete, they have the same measure as the Dharma realm. Responding in the three lands is explained from the affairs of transformation, hence “places,” and so forth. | 0269c26–0270a04 |
| 3 | Amid various fears; immeasurable knowledge and vision | 「於諸怖畏」 tr. “‘Amid various fears,’ and so forth” is provisionally explained in terms of cause and result within the realms, corresponding to the children as what is feared; hence it says 「永盡」 tr. “‘forever exhausted.’” What is abandoned is alike coarse, while the principle that abandons it is ultimate; hence it says 「無量知見」 tr. “‘immeasurable knowledge and vision,’ and so forth.” Someone interprets this through a first-ground bodhisattva's freedom from five fears, but that is entirely unrelated here: above it does not reach the buddhas, and below it goes beyond leaving the realms. Other interpretations follow this pattern. | 0270a04–0270a09 |
| 4 | Mutual display of the order in the seeing-fire application and the parable | 「但譬中驚怖在前」 tr. “‘Only in the parable alarm and fear come first,’ and so forth”: the earlier text says 「即大驚怖而作是念」 tr. “‘he was immediately greatly alarmed and afraid and formed this thought,’ and so forth.” Next comes 「戀著」 tr. “‘attached,’” which re-explains what was seen. In the present application, lack of awareness comes first, for it initially says 「眾生沒在其中」 tr. “‘living beings are submerged within it,’ and so forth”; this is to explain in detail what was initially abbreviated. 「拔苦等在後」 tr. “‘Removing suffering and the rest come later’” means that only after this text does it say 「我為眾生之父應拔其苦難」 tr. “‘I am the father of living beings and should remove their painful danger,’ and so forth.” | 0270a09–0270a13 |
| 5 | Removing painful danger and giving immeasurable joy | From 「應拔其苦」 tr. “‘should remove their suffering’” through 「慈之力」 tr. “‘the power of loving-kindness’”: great compassion here follows the removal of turbidity, while great loving-kindness gives them great joy. Loving-kindness therefore follows the intent to transform, and compassion follows the use of the Lesser. | 0270a13–0270a15 |
| 6 | Setting aside the stool and using the carts states exhortation but not admonition | 「上譬有勸誡」 tr. “‘The preceding parable has exhortation and admonition,’ and so forth” explains why the parable and Dharma-application have or lack the two. Ancillary and primary mutually include one another, because their substance is originally the same. Moreover, since these two passages are two siddhāntas, one should know that exhortation to good is originally meant to sever evil and severance of evil is originally meant to exhort to good. | 0270a15–0270a18 |
| 7 | First question and answer on exhortation and admonition | Question: since the two have the same substance, why establish two, first distinguish their mutual absence, and afterward again say they mutually include one another? Answer: because the gateways differ, there are two; because the substance is the same, they mutually include one another. Although exhortation is itself admonition, it is only the admonition belonging to exhortation; although admonition is itself exhortation, it is only the exhortation belonging to admonition. Thus each of the two gateways remains, without preventing unity of substance. | 0270a18–0270a22 |
| 8 | Second question and answer on exhortation and admonition | Question: if so, what harm would there be in discarding one gateway? Answer: if one fully understands the two gateways, one gateway is sufficient. But if one gateway is discarded, both meanings are impaired. Moreover, to express the father's earnestness, he first exhorts and then admonishes; at other times each responds to different capacities, though in transformation they are not separate and together accomplish one matter. | 0270a22–0270a25 |
| 9 | Having nothing upon which to rely and nothing to seek | 「我生已盡」 tr. “‘My births are exhausted,’ and so forth”: arhats beyond training possess all four knowledges, though one liberated through wisdom may not yet have attained knowledge of nonarising. Here having nothing upon which to rely corresponds to the first and last knowledges, and having nothing to seek to the middle two. Future existence is the place relied upon; if births are exhausted, there is no future reliance. The middle two knowledges exhaust the causes of the three realms and are called “what had to be done is done,” and so forth; hence 「無求」 tr. “‘nothing to seek.’” | 0270a25–0270a29 |
| 10 | The preceding text has four stages of true and semblant | 「上有真似等四位」 tr. “‘The preceding text has four stages of true and semblant, and so forth’”: the worthy stages are combined into two, together with two noble stages. Following the preceding outer ordinary stages, wisdom through hearing alone forms one, and wisdom through reflection and cultivation forms one. | 0270a29–0270b02 |
| 11 | A pratyekabuddha is a person who follows Dharma | 「辟支是法行人」 tr. “‘A pratyekabuddha is a person who follows Dharma’”: provisionally contrasted with śrāvakas relying on teaching, the independently reflecting pratyekabuddha is therefore associated with Dharma. Yet a pratyekabuddha necessarily realizes for oneself, while śrāvakas include those who follow faith and those who follow Dharma. The two are explained fully in the fifth fascicle of the Great Calming and Contemplation Record, which cites the Vibhāṣā and other texts. | 0270b02–0270b05 |
| 12 | Hearing little Dharma | 「聞法少」 tr. “‘Hearing little Dharma’”: a pratyekabuddha who hears the teaching falls within the śrāvaka category; this too is due to faith, but the text says only that the hearing is slight. | 0270b05–0270b06 |
| 13 | The twelve links of dependent origination intrinsically exist | From 「此門」 tr. “‘this gateway’” through 「非佛」 tr. “‘not [made by] the Buddha,’ and so forth”: the Great Treatise says, 「有一道人問佛：大德！十二因緣佛作耶？佛言：我不作。又問：餘人作耶？佛言：亦非餘人作，有佛無佛本性有之。」 tr. “A practitioner asked the Buddha, ‘Venerable sir! Did the Buddha make the twelve links of dependent origination?’ The Buddha said, ‘I did not make them.’ He asked again, ‘Did someone else make them?’ The Buddha said, ‘Nor did someone else make them. Whether or not a buddha is present, they intrinsically exist.’” Answers to questions are of four kinds; this is a definitive answer. For extensive presentations of the Tripiṭaka teaching's truths and conditions, see the Abhidharmakośa and the Vibhāṣā; the Profound Meaning gives an abbreviated account. | 0270b07–0270b11 |
| 14 | The equal-gift passage omits direct applications of the second and fourth items | 「但合」 tr. “‘It only applies,’ and so forth”: among these four, two are direct and two ancillary. One should know that seeking the carts follows from escape from danger, while joy follows from equal gift. | 0270b11–0270b13 |
| 15 | Three meanings of entering, exiting, and distinction in the gateway of the Buddha's teaching | 「門有三義」 tr. “‘Gateway has three meanings’”: among the three gateways, exit and distinction are gateways, while entry is established by meaning. From one form-and-mind one enters one form-and-mind. “Gateway” bears the meaning of passing through; so long as one has not exited, it is called entry. Entering from one into one is spoken of conceptually as entry, though in fact nothing comes from outside. 「若作出者」 tr. “‘If explained as exit,’” it must also include the Tripiṭaka teaching. The present passage establishes what is expressed by the Shared teaching because the objects expressed by these two teachings are the same. 「若別義者」 tr. “‘If explained by the meaning of distinction,’” it follows people taking the Distinct principle as their object. 「所詮」 tr. “‘What is expressed’” is said to show that the meaning of gateway cannot be established by the teaching alone. Although the scripture says “teaching,” it must be correlated with principle. Thus, although the Distinct teaching expresses a distinct principle, it is not itself the cart-gateway; its distinct name is established only in contrast to Tripiṭaka and Shared. It is called Distinct because it takes a distinct principle as its object. At the beginning of the sequential teachings, people of the Distinct leave the burning house together with people of the Tripiṭaka and Shared; from the shared fact of leaving the house, it may still be called Shared. Their initial realization also agrees with the nirvāṇa of the two teachings, so it may be said that they attain the joy of nirvāṇa. The three virtues are fully treated in the three dharmas of the Profound Meaning and in the disclosure of substance in the third fascicle of Great Calming and Contemplation. | 0270b13–0270b24 |
| 16 | Former and present explanations in the no-falsehood passage | 「此釋小異於前」 tr. “‘This explanation differs slightly from the former one’”: the former says that the intent was not centered on the three; the present says that the original wish was to give the Great. Although they differ slightly, their names differ but their meaning is the same. | 0270b24–0270b26 |
1. Source References within the Mirror
The Record says 「此是攝大乘師從因立名」 tr. “This is the terminology of the masters of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, who name it from the cause”〔T34n1719 0269c23〕. This identifies a lineage of interpretation but does not quote a continuous passage from an original work. It also refers to the fifth fascicle of the Great Calming and Contemplation Record and the Vibhāṣā〔0270b04〕, the Abhidharmakośa, Vibhāṣā, and Profound Meaning〔0270b10〕, and the three dharmas of the Profound Meaning and disclosure of substance in the third fascicle of Great Calming and Contemplation〔0270b23〕. These titles are registered as references only; no source sentence is reconstructed from a title.
The only continuous external passage in this domain explicitly introduced as a citation is the Great Treatise question and answer on the twelve links of dependent origination:
| Witness | Verbatim Wording and Line Anchor |
|---|---|
| Wording transmitted in the Wenjuji | The Great Treatise says, 「有一道人問佛：大德！十二因緣佛作耶？佛言：我不作。又問：餘人作耶？佛言：亦非餘人作，有佛無佛本性有之。」 tr. “A practitioner asked the Buddha, ‘Venerable sir! Did the Buddha make the twelve links of dependent origination?’ The Buddha said, ‘I did not make them.’ He asked again, ‘Did someone else make them?’ The Buddha said, ‘Nor did someone else make them. Whether or not a buddha is present, they intrinsically exist’”〔T34n1719 0270b07〕. |
| First location in T25n1509 | 「大德！十二因緣佛作耶？他作耶？」 tr. “‘Venerable sir! Did the Buddha make the twelve links of dependent origination? Did another make them?’”〔T25 0075a10〕; the Buddha says, 「我不作十二因緣，餘人亦不作。有佛無佛，生因緣老死，是法常定住。」 tr. “‘I did not make the twelve links of dependent origination, nor did another. Whether or not a buddha is present, birth conditions old age and death; this Dharma constantly and determinately abides’”〔T25 0075a10〕. |
| Second location in T25n1509 | As stated in the Saṃyuktāgama, a bhikṣu asked the Buddha, 「十二因緣法，為是佛作？為是餘人作？」 tr. “‘Was the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination made by the Buddha, or was it made by someone else?’”〔T25 0298a11〕. The Buddha told the bhikṣu, 「我不作十二因緣，亦非餘人作；有佛無佛，諸法如、法相、法位常有，所謂是事有故是事有，是事生故是事生；如無明因緣故諸行，諸行因緣故識，乃至老死因緣故有憂悲苦惱。是事無故是事無，是事滅故是事滅；如無明滅故諸行滅，諸行滅故識滅，乃至老死滅故憂悲苦惱滅。」 tr. “‘I did not make the twelve links of dependent origination, nor were they made by someone else. Whether or not a buddha is present, the suchness, marks, and stations of dharmas constantly exist. That is, because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises. Conditioned by ignorance are formations; conditioned by formations is consciousness; and so on through old age and death, conditioned by which are grief, sorrow, suffering, and distress. Because this does not exist, that does not exist; because this ceases, that ceases. With the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; and so on through the cessation of old age and death, with which grief, sorrow, suffering, and distress cease’”〔T25 0298a13〕. |
道人 tr. “practitioner” and 比丘 tr. “bhikṣu”; 他作 tr. “made by another” and 餘人作 tr. “made by someone else”; 本性有之 tr. “intrinsically exists,” 常定住 tr. “constantly and determinately abides,” and 法位常有 tr. “the stations of dharmas constantly exist” each remain with its own witness. This apparatus does not decide which textual basis the Record used.
V. Explanations of Various Masters
A verbatim scan of twenty-two customary markers—including 「有人云」 tr. “someone says,” 「或言」 tr. “some say,” 「舊云」 tr. “the old explanation says,” 「解者不同」 tr. “commentators differ,” and 「一云」 tr. “one account says”—finds zero occurrences in this strict domain. The bare string 有人 tr. “anyone” occurs only in the attached scriptural phrase 「不令有人獨得滅度」 tr. “not allowing anyone to attain extinction alone”〔T34n1718 0074b02〕. The phrase 「或當墮落」 tr. “might fall”〔0073b29〕 likewise expresses possibility rather than another master's position. Even so, the root treatise explicitly preserves two clusters of alternative explanation or comparative interpretation, which cannot be omitted merely because the customary markers are absent:
First is Guangzhai's account of ten parables. The root treatise records, 「光宅開十譬，但合七不合三，七中正合五，兼第五第八，不合第七第九，故知十譬繁而不會。」 tr. “Guangzhai opens ten parables but applies only seven and does not apply three. Of the seven, five are applied directly, while the fifth and eighth are included incidentally; the seventh and ninth are not applied. Thus one knows that the ten parables are over-elaborate and fail to converge”〔T34n1718 0072c28〕. It then establishes its own structure: 「今合總、別二譬，總中有六，今文皆合，小不次第。」 tr. “Now the application has general and specific parables. The general contains six; the present text applies them all, with only a slight difference in order”〔0073a01〕. Ten, seven, three, five, fifth, eighth, seventh, ninth, and six in the general each retain their original numerical function; they are not reshaped into a new count.
Second is the former intent and present clarification in the no-falsehood passage. The former explanation says that the intent was to bring the children from the house and was not centered on the three carts; after they emerged, even not giving the carts would not make the elder false〔0074b21〕. The present clarification says that the Tathāgata originally wished to teach the Great, but because those of narrow wisdom delight in the three realms, he first enticed them through skillful means; after they emerged, he still gave the Great Vehicle and thus accorded with his original intent〔0074b23–0074b26〕. Both explanations are preserved. The mirror's 「雖復小殊名異義同」 tr. “Although they differ slightly, their names differ but their meaning is the same”〔T34n1719 0270b26〕 can only be attributed as Zhanran's conclusion.
The Wenjuji also records 「有人以初地離五怖畏用釋此中」 tr. “Someone interprets this through a first-ground bodhisattva's freedom from five fears”〔T34n1719 0270a07〕 and judges it incompatible with the doctrinal positions above and below. This is an alternative explanation cited by the mirror; it is not presented as an “someone says” passage in T1718.
VI. Terminology
| Term | Root Treatise's Own Explanation | Layering Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Shared habitation, remainder, and own substance | 「通指同居、有餘自體，皆是妙色妙心果報之處」 tr. “It refers generally to shared habitation, remainder, and own substance; all are places of recompense composed of wondrous form and wondrous mind”〔T34n1718 0073a07〕 | The three names of places may be stated directly; names based on causes of dependent gathering, true recompense, and Tranquil Light are elaborations from the mirror. |
| Wisdom and severance | 「年高衰邁，識達則多，譬如來智斷」 tr. “Advanced in years and declining in strength, yet extensively mature in understanding, symbolizes the Tathāgata's wisdom and severance”〔0073a10〕 | What follows divides ignorance forever exhausted as the virtue of severance and immeasurable knowledge and vision as the virtue of wisdom. |
| Supernormal power and wisdom-power | 「深修禪定能得神通，合上田也」 tr. “Deeply cultivating meditative concentration and thereby attaining supernormal abilities applies the preceding fields”〔0073a13〕; 「智必照境，如身之託處，合上宅也」 tr. “Wisdom necessarily illuminates objects, as the body has a place on which it relies; this applies the preceding house”〔0073a14〕 | The pairings of fields and house follow the root treatise and are not reassigned through the mirror. |
| Perfection of skillful means | 「具足方便波羅蜜」 tr. “Fully possessing the perfection of skillful means” applies the preceding servants〔0073a15〕. | The present root scripture additionally has the perfections of skillful means and wisdom; both strata are recorded. |
| Eight sufferings and four inversions | 「此中明八苦為火」 tr. “Here the eight sufferings are explained as the fire”〔0073b04〕; 「此之八苦，從四倒四面起也」 tr. “These eight sufferings arise from the four sides of the four inversions”〔0073b06〕 | The root treatise's calculation through the four sufferings, not obtaining what is sought, the five aggregates, separation from what is loved, and encounter with what is hated is retained without rearrangement. |
| Exhortation and admonition | 「故勸修為正，誡惡是傍」 tr. “Thus exhortation to cultivation is primary, and admonition against evil is ancillary”〔0073b16〕 | The root treatise further says that the two mutually include one another; the two siddhāntas and two question-and-answer rounds belong to the mirror. |
| Assessing suitability, absence of capacity, and cessation of transformation | 「上勸文有三，謂擬宜無機息化」 tr. “The preceding exhortation passage has three: assessing suitability, absence of capacity, and cessation of transformation”〔0073b18〕 | The three terms form a process of teaching and transformation; they are not renamed as the three vehicles. |
| Ceasing the Great transformation | 「如來亦寢大化也」 tr. “The Tathāgata likewise ceases the Great transformation”〔0073c05〕 | “Ceases” means stopping the Great teaching; it does not create a separate image of sleeping. |
| Exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation | 「上有勸、示、證，今亦具合，但不次第」 tr. “The preceding text has exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation. The present text also applies them all, though not in the same order”〔0073c12〕 | All three remain present; the root treatise's order is not rearranged according to the present scripture. |
| Mastery, freedom from bonds, nothing upon which to rely, and nothing to seek | The root treatise separately explains these through knowledge of nonarising, knowledge of exhaustion, “my births are exhausted,” “what had to be done is done,” and “the pure practice has been established”〔0073c22–0073c24〕. | The root scripture's 「無所依求」 tr. “having nothing upon which to rely or seek” is one compound phrase; the root treatise's separate explanations are retained. |
| Wisdom through hearing, reflection, and cultivation | The root treatise correlates these with hearing what the father says, each becoming courageous and keen in mind, and energetically inferring and distinguishing〔0074a01–0074a04〕. | The detailed placement of outer ordinary, worthy, and noble stages belongs to the mirror. |
| Natural wisdom | 「此門本自有之，非佛天人所作，名自然慧」 tr. “This gateway intrinsically exists and was not made by buddhas, gods, or humans; it is called natural wisdom”〔0074a09〕 | The mirror supplies the verbatim citation of the Great Treatise; it is not a source explicitly quoted by the root treatise. |
| Gateway of the Buddha's teaching | 「門有三義：入義，出義，別義」 tr. “Gateway has three meanings: entry, exit, and distinction”〔0074a18〕 | Entry, exit, and distinction are each separately explained by the root treatise. |
| One mark and one kind | 「一相」 tr. “‘One mark’” is the true mark, namely Dharma body; 「一種」 tr. “‘one kind’” is knowledge of all modes〔0074b08〕. | The two are not synonymous restatements; the root treatise continues with prajñā and liberation to form the three virtues. |
| Mahāyāna | 「三德高廣，具足莊嚴收羅眾德，名摩訶衍」 tr. “The three virtues are high and broad, fully adorned and gathering the manifold virtues; this is called Mahāyāna”〔0074b10〕 | Here it directly applies the great cart; the Great Vehicle among the three carts is not conflated with the equally given great cart. |
| No falsehood | 「今但合不乖本心兼得全身」 tr. “The present text directly applies not violating the original intent and incidentally includes preserving the whole body”〔0074b13〕 | Both chapters—preserving body and life and not violating the original intent—must remain. |
Seven later shorthand expressions are absent verbatim from this domain: 五時八教 tr. “five periods and eight teachings,” 化儀 tr. “modes of conversion,” 化法 tr. “teachings of conversion,” 藏通別圓 tr. “Tripiṭaka, Shared, Distinct, and Perfect,” 迹門十妙 tr. “ten subtleties of the Trace Gate,” 本門十妙 tr. “ten subtleties of the Origin Gate,” and 一念三千 tr. “three thousand in one thought-moment.” This is only a boundary of wording; zero occurrence does not support the claim that all corresponding meanings are absent.
VII. Similes · Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
The application cannot be merged with the preceding parable as a single layer. The root scripture first narrates the elder, house, fire, children, three carts, and great cart; this unit then applies those parabolic events phrase by phrase to Dharma meanings. For example, in the parable the elder's advanced years are a feature of the figure; the root treatise applies them to the Tathāgata's wisdom and severance〔T34n1718 0073a10〕. The three realms apply the house, and birth, old age, illness, death, and the rest apply the outbreak of fire〔0073a18–0073a22〕. These are correlations made in the application and cannot be rewritten as though the scriptural story of the elder itself directly states the Tathāgata's wisdom and severance or the sufferings of the three realms.
1. Elder, House, Fire, and Children
| Parabolic Event | Concrete Form in the Root Scripture | Application in This Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Country, city, settlement, and elder | 「若國邑聚落有大長者」 tr. “In a country, city, or settlement there was a great elder”〔T09 0012b13〕 | 「一切世間」 tr. “‘all worlds’” establishes the place; the Tathāgata's status and titles and his inner and outer virtues apply the elder〔T34 0073a03–0073a16〕 |
| Advanced years, wealth, fields, houses, and servants | 「其年衰邁，財富無量，多有田宅及諸僮僕」 tr. “He was advanced in years and declining in strength, possessed immeasurable wealth, and had many fields, houses, and servants”〔T09 0012b14〕 | Wisdom and severance, outer virtues, supernormal power, wisdom-power, and the perfection of skillful means are applied item by item〔T34 0073a10–0073a16〕 |
| House and fire | 「其家廣大，唯有一門」 tr. “His house was vast and had only one gateway”〔T09 0012b15〕; 「歘然火起，焚燒舍宅」 tr. “Suddenly a fire broke out and burned the dwelling”〔0012b17〕 | The three realms apply the house, while birth, old age, illness, death, and the rest apply the outbreak of fire〔T34 0073a18–0073a22〕 |
| Five hundred people and thirty children | 「一百、二百乃至五百人」 tr. “one hundred, two hundred, as many as five hundred people”〔T09 0012b15〕; 「長者諸子，若十、二十，或至三十」 tr. “the elder's children—ten or twenty, perhaps as many as thirty”〔0012b18〕 | All beings of the five destinies embraced by great loving-kindness and great compassion apply the five hundred people; those with affinities and close connections, who are delivered first, apply the thirty children〔T34 0073a16–0073a20〕 |
| Body, hands, robe-fold, stool, and table | 「我身手有力，當以衣裓、若以机案，從舍出之」 tr. “My body and hands are strong; I should use my robe-fold, or else a stool and table, to bring them from the house”〔T09 0012b24〕 | The preceding parable uses the body to symbolize the carrying function of supernormal power and the hands to symbolize wisdom's lifting function〔T34 0068b03〕; this unit applies supernormal power, wisdom-power, knowledge and vision, and fearlessnesses〔0073b19–0073b21〕 |
机 tr. “stool/table” and 几 tr. “stool/table” are transmitted variants: the Taishō body of T0262 reads 机, while other witnesses read 几; T1718 reads 几案 tr. “stool and table”〔0073b21〕. The ancient commentaries likewise preserve two explanations of 衣裓 tr. “robe-fold”: 「衣裓，古釋云：衣襟也。真諦云：外國盛華器也。」 tr. “As for yige, the old explanation says it is the lapel of a robe; Paramārtha says it is a foreign vessel for holding flowers”〔T37n1760 0354c15〕. Both explanations remain; a lexical note does not authorize changing the text.
2. Three Carts and the Equally Given Great Cart
The root scripture first lists 「羊車、鹿車、牛車」 tr. “goat cart, deer cart, and ox cart”〔T09 0012c09〕 and afterward separately describes 「一大車，其車高廣」 tr. “one great cart; the cart was high and broad”〔0012c18〕. This unit then discusses in sequence what is sought by the Śrāvaka Vehicle, Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and Great Vehicle〔T34n1718 0073c24–0074a12〕 before entering the equal gift of the great cart〔0074a12〕. The three carts, the three vehicles, and the equally given great cart are three connected but unmerged levels.
The preceding root-treatise passage lists four forms of using the carts: assessing the suitability of the three carts〔0069a20〕, the father knowing the children's former preferences〔0069a21〕, praising the three carts〔0069a22〕, and suiting the children's wishes〔0069a23〕. Within praise of the three carts are three further items—exhortation, demonstration, and confirmation〔0069b12〕. This unit expressly says that the four forms and three items are all applied, though not in the same order〔0073c09–0073c19〕. The two enumerations cannot be combined into seven steps.
The preceding equal-gift passage adorns the great cart with height and breadth, many jewels, railings, hanging bells, canopy, jeweled cords, flower garlands, soft mats, vermilion pillows, a white ox, attendants, and more. The present application gathers them by saying 「通合上高廣乃至僕從等」 tr. “This generally applies the preceding height and breadth through the attendants, and so forth”〔0074b07〕, then applies one mark, one kind, prajñā, liberation, and the three virtues〔0074b08–0074b10〕. Expanding the cart's furnishings depends on the preceding division's own root-treatise explanations; it is not represented as though this unit repeats every furnishing individually.
3. Cross-Reading and Carrying Forward
Cross-reading this repository's sealed “Parable” chapter permits phrase-by-phrase verification of the seventy-seven scriptural handles and reveals that each witness retains such forms as 殷勤／慇懃 tr. “earnest,” 几案／机案 tr. “stool and table,” and 寶繩交絡／寶繩絞絡 tr. “jeweled cords interlacing.” Cross-reading the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra is limited to the teaching-classification background identified by the root treatise itself; cross-reading Great Calming and Contemplation is limited to stable points where understanding enters practice. The outlines of other works are not inserted into this unit.
The Fahua Xuanzan and the Fahua Wenju explain the same scripture and can be cross-read as the Ci'en and Tiantai mirrors of the same burning-house parable, without using one commentary to adjudicate the other. As this passage carries forward, three turns must remain distinct: the three carts are skillful enticements for leaving the house; the equally given great cart is what is given after emergence; and no falsehood answers whether promising three and later giving one constitutes a breach of trust. If any link is omitted, the causal sequence of the application is flattened.
VIII. Placement of the Editions
1. Ten Groups of Textual Variants
| Line Anchor | Collation Type | Present Body / Taishō | Variant | Short Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0073a13 | Contrasted readings | 外德【大】 tr. “outer virtues [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 合上外德財富無量也 tr. “applies the preceding immeasurable wealth of outer virtues” |
| 0073a14 | Contrasted readings | 力【大】 tr. “power [Taishō]” | 力者【甲】 tr. “as for power [witness A]” | 智慧力 tr. “wisdom-power” |
| 0073b10 | Contrasted readings | 也【大】 tr. “final particle [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 無求出意也 tr. “nothing sought expresses the meaning of exit” |
| 0073b11 | Contrasted readings | 已【大】 tr. “having [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 佛見此已便作是念 tr. “Having seen this, the Buddha then formed this thought” |
| 0073b13 | Contrasted readings | 者【大】 tr. “topic marker [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 應拔其苦難者 tr. “as for ‘should remove their painful danger’” |
| 0073b21 | Contrasted readings | 所【大】 tr. “grammatical element [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 力無所畏 tr. “powers and fearlessnesses” |
| 0073c07 | Asterisk collation _41, corresp="#0073003" | 也【大】 tr. “final particle [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 正合第三息化也 tr. “directly applies the third, cessation of transformation” |
| 0073c20 | Asterisk collation _42, corresp="#0073003" | 也【大】 tr. “final particle [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” | 合上第一歎希有也 tr. “applies the preceding first item, praise of rarity” |
| 0073c23 | Contrasted readings | 繫【CB】 tr. “bonds [CBETA corrected text]” | 繁【大】 tr. “profuse [Taishō]” | 無繫 tr. “free from bonds” |
| 0074a02 | Contrasted readings | 推【大】 tr. “infer [Taishō]” | 惟【甲】 tr. “reflect [witness A]” | 第二推排 tr. “second, energetically inferring” |
The two asterisk collations each have one actual position in the body and cannot be reduced to one entry merely because they share the same correspondence number. In the 繫／繁 tr. “bonds/profuse” group, the witnesses are the current corrected graph and original Taishō graph, not witness A; it is therefore recorded exactly as 【CB】／【大】.
2. One-Sided Fascicle-Boundary Note
The final body sentence〔0074b29〕 has one one-sided note: 「不分卷【甲】」 tr. “Witness A does not divide the fascicle.” It is a <note type="mod"> structure with no paired body and variant fields; the fascicle-end title follows at〔0074c01〕. This note is listed separately from the ten groups of textual variants and is not falsely counted as an eleventh textual-variant group.
3. Gaiji, Inline Notes, Contents, and Page Anchors
This strict domain contains zero unresolved gaiji and zero transmitted inline notes. Zero is reported as zero; no table is invented. The work's chapter headings have two forms: the “Introduction” chapter lacks the graph “explanation,” while the other twenty-seven chapter headings include it. This unit is an internal division of the “Parable” chapter and does not occupy a separate chapter.
The reader source uses one page anchor and inline precision anchors at paragraph openings. Page transitions in this domain occur at the body-paragraph openings〔T34 0072c27〕 and〔T34 0073a26〕, with a separate fascicle-end anchor at〔T34 0074c01〕. Quotation anchors in the Apparatus instead always use the nearest Taishō line marker before the first graph of the quoted phrase; reader page anchors, outline openings, and the line containing a section label cannot substitute for the quotation's actual first-graph location.