妙法蓮華經文句 譬喻品 · 偈頌（頌總譬）
我們往往等到火焰升起，才承認事情出了問題。
可是火宅偈先寫的不是火。它先寫久故、頓弊的宅院：柱根已朽，梁棟已斜，牆壁已裂，覆苫、椽梠已經凌亂脫落。宅中眾類也沒有安住，牠們彼此追逐、咀嚼、撲取、鬥諍。真正起火以前，危險早已遍布。
這很像我們的心。明顯的痛苦尚未爆發時，慢已在俯視別人，瞋已在等待螫害，癡已把污穢認作清淨，貪已把所得堆到骨肉狼藉，疑則在是非兩端來回拉扯。
火沒有創造這一切。火只是讓原先藏在宅中的形相，忽然全部顯露。
本論又把被燒者分成禽獸與鬼神。禽獸譬五鈍使，鬼神譬五利使。鬼神有智有通，卻不因此安全；見解若從撥無因果、執著自我、計斷計常出發，思路越敏捷，越可能把錯誤說得斬釘截鐵。
所以，被困不只是一無所知。有時，被困也會表現成『我已經看清了』。一邊有人揚聲大叫，宣稱自己的判斷確定無疑；另一邊有人忽見無常，慞惶恐怖，卻不知道怎樣出去。過度確定與完全失措，看似相反，仍同在宅內。
躲進孔穴，也還不是走出大門。孔穴能暫避欲界猛焰，卻仍有熱惱；升向無色，到了非想最高處，頭上依然燃火。從粗重換到細微，從喧鬧換到寂靜，若愛味與顛倒還在，只是換了宅中位置。
這一段最刺人的地方，也許不是『火很可怕』，而是『不能自出』。
我們很容易把出路理解成換環境、換對象、換一套更高明的說法。火宅偈卻一次次追問：宅換了嗎？貪真的止了嗎？見真的正了嗎？只是暫時沒有猛焰，還是已經走到門外？
下次一場火忽然在生活中升起，不妨先別只問怎樣把眼前火勢壓下去。也問一問：在火起以前，哪一根柱子早已鬆動？哪一面牆早已剝落？又是哪一種禽獸或鬼神，早就在裡面奔走？
能在無煙時看見危宅，才可能在火起時不再只顧慞惶。
We often wait until flames rise before admitting that something has gone wrong.
Yet the burning-house verse does not begin with the fire. It begins with a house long-standing, old, and suddenly decrepit: the bases of its pillars have rotted, its beams and ridgepoles lean, its walls have split, and its thatching, rafters, and eaves are disordered and coming loose. Nor do the creatures within the house dwell there peacefully. They pursue, chew, seize, and fight one another. Long before the fire truly starts, danger already pervades the place.
This greatly resembles our own minds. Before obvious suffering erupts, arrogance is already looking down on others, anger is waiting to sting, delusion is mistaking filth for purity, greed is piling up what it acquires until bones and flesh lie scattered everywhere, and doubt is pulling back and forth between the two sides of right and wrong.
The fire did not create any of this. It merely causes every form already hidden in the house to become suddenly visible.
The root treatise further divides those being burned into birds and beasts on one side and ghosts and spirits on the other. The birds and beasts symbolize the five dull agents; the ghosts and spirits symbolize the five sharp agents. Ghosts and spirits possess knowledge and powers, yet this does not make them safe. When views begin from denying cause and effect, clinging to a self, or reckoning in terms of annihilation and permanence, the quicker the thinking, the more decisively it may proclaim what is wrong.
Thus being trapped does not mean only knowing nothing. Sometimes it appears as “I have already seen everything clearly.” On one side, someone cries out loudly, declaring a judgment beyond doubt. On the other, someone suddenly sees impermanence and becomes frantic with fear, yet does not know how to leave. Excessive certainty and utter disorientation appear opposite, but both remain inside the house.
Hiding in a hole is still not passing through the gateway. A hole may offer temporary refuge from the fierce flames of the desire realm, yet distress from heat remains. One may ascend to the formless realm and reach the summit of neither-perception-nor-nonperception, but the fire still burns overhead. To exchange coarse for subtle, or clamor for stillness, is merely to change one's place within the house so long as attachment to meditative experience and inversions remain.
Perhaps the most piercing part of this passage is not “the fire is terrifying,” but “they cannot emerge by themselves.”
We readily imagine an exit as changing environments, changing objects, or adopting a more sophisticated account. Yet the burning-house verse asks again and again: Has the house changed? Has greed truly ceased? Have views truly become right? Are fierce flames merely absent for a time, or have we actually reached the other side of the gateway?
The next time a fire suddenly rises in life, perhaps we should not ask only how to suppress the flames before us. We can also ask: Which pillar had already loosened before the fire began? Which wall had already shed its coating? And which bird, beast, ghost, or spirit had long been running about inside?
Only by seeing the dangerous house when there is no smoke can we cease merely panicking when the fire begins.
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 0074c04〕。段/行首〔T34 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨（換頁一枚）。
〔T34 0074c04〕妙法蓮華經文句卷第六上 天台智者大師說 第二，偈，有一百六十五行，分為二：前有一百行，頌上長行，後有六十五行，明通經方法。上長行有開譬、合譬，偈頌亦二：初有六十五行半，頌開譬；次有三十四行半，頌合譬。初亦二：初有三十三行偈，頌總譬；次有三十二行半偈，頌別譬。總頌六意，六意中止頌其四，兼得其二，頌家宅兼得一門，頌五百人兼得三十子。初一句明長者，即頌上位號，即兼得名行歎德。既有長人之德，即知名行遍為國邑所崇，亦知內外年德俱高也，內合婆伽婆即位號，自知具足智斷慈悲萬德也。「有一大宅」下，第二，三行一句，頌上第二家宅譬，為二：初一句頌宅廣大；「其宅久故」下，第二，三行，廣出宅體，明所燒之相，故知此頌宅體也。三界無始為「久」，非今所造為「故」，無常卑鄙名「頓弊」。亦云頭殿、腹堂、背為舍，念念相續無常為「高危」。一云，色界為「堂」，欲界為「舍」，不免墮落名「高危」，命根支持如「柱」，過去行業為「基陛」也。亦云，兩足為「柱根」，三相所遷名「摧朽」也。意識綱維以為「梁棟」，諸苦所壞如「傾斜」。亦云脊骨為「梁棟」，𦝣為「基陛」，衰老之時為「頹毀」。「牆壁」者，一云，四大為「牆壁」，皮膚為「泥塗」，四威儀不正為「亂墜」，五識不聰不相主境為「差脫」。亦云，「牆壁圮圻」如皮膚皴朽，壯色鮮淨如初泥塗，老色枯悴如後褫落，髮髭朽老則皆脫落如「覆苫亂墜」，筋骨老弱支節不援如「椽梠荖脫」。「周障屈曲」者，印師云：「三十六物更相隔障故云周障，猪腸盤迴故云屈曲，非但無常所遷，亦有不淨苦等，故云雜穢充遍也。」今云，「周障」是六識，「屈曲」是六根，六識緣六根取境，艱關故言「屈曲」，六塵遍染六根故言「雜穢充遍」。因緣、觀心兩番釋〔云云〕。「有五百人」下，第三，半行，頌上第三，五百人譬。三乘根性為五道所攝，兼得三十子譬也。從「鴟梟」下，第四，有二十九行偈，正頌上第五火起。就此復四：初有二十二偈，明地上事，譬欲界火起；次第二有三偈半，明穴中事，譬色界火起；次第三有二偈半，明空中事，譬無色界火起；後第四，一偈，總結眾難非一。就欲界火起復為四：初十七偈半，明所燒之類，譬眾生十使；次第二有一偈半，明火起之由，譬起五濁所由；次第三，一行半，正明火起之勢，譬正起五濁；後第四，一行半，明被燒之相，譬受八苦五濁。就第一，十七行半復二：初十六行，正明所燒；後一行半，總結。就所燒中又二：初六行，明禽獸被燒，譬五鈍使眾生；後十行，明鬼神被燒，譬五利使眾生。第一五鈍使，為二：初五行半，明五鈍；第二，半行，結。今初五鈍為五：初半行譬慢使。眾生自舉輕他，如鳥為性陵高下視。八鳥譬八慢，《文殊問經》明八憍，今用配八鳥。盛壯憍如鴟，性憍如梟，富憍如雕，自在憍如鷲，壽命憍如烏，聰明憍如鵲，行善憍如鳩，色憍如鴿，陵他為憍、自貴為憍，自愛為貪、愛他為淫，自忿為恚、忿他為瞋，自惑為愚、惑他為癡〔云云〕。次「蚖蛇」下，第二，二句，譬瞋使。瞋有三：蚖毒盛，不觸而吸，譬非理生瞋；蝮蠍觸則螫，譬執理瞋；蜈蚣譬戲論瞋。世人云，赤頸者是蜈蚣，不赤者是蚰蜒。「守宮」下，第三，二行，譬癡使。癡有獨起、相應起，守宮百足等兀然，譬獨頭無明，狖狸鼷鼠等譬相應也。「諸惡蟲輩」下，從癡根本備起諸結也。明諸使相緣，或緣三界如交橫，起之速疾如馳走。「屎尿」下一行，明癡心所著之境，皆無常、苦、無我、不淨，由癡不了，於中計淨等而生染著，故云「蜣蜋諸蟲而集其上」。「狐狼」下，第四，二行，明貪使。貪有二種：一有力，二無力。有力者，以威勢取，如狐狼等；無力者，但能從他乞索麁弊，如野干等。「咀嚼」下，明貪取境，引物向己如「咀嚼」，不以道理如「踐踏」。貪心取境，或取一城、或取一國，其有齊畔如「䶩囓」也。亦云，貪心取境有用不用，有用而取如「咀嚼」，不用而取如「踐踏」，又少則咀嚼，多則踐踏也。「骨肉狼藉」者，積聚五塵不知止足也。「由是群狗競來搏撮」者，此有力貪，搏撮無力之者，謂王賊也。「饑羸慞惶」者，常不知足如饑，求不能得如羸，種種營覓如慞惶，多欲之人雖富而貧也。愛心貪，貪五塵之肉；見心貪，貪道理之骨，推求知見遂多所解即是多骨，須骨之狗競來撮之。諸見心中，未得正法之食名飢，不能伏斷見名羸，處處求解名為慞惶。一云，即是貪人希求念望也。「鬪諍摣掣」，第五，二句，譬疑使。猶豫二邊名疑，未決是非鬪諍，意謂為是名掣，復謂為非為摣。「啀喍嘷吠」者，發言論決是非之理也。「恐怖」兩句，第二，結上五鈍使也。 〔T34 0075c08〕「處處皆有」下，第二，有十行，明五利使。為二：初半行，總明利使，利使遍緣五陰四諦，下故言「處處皆有」。夫鬼神有通有智，禽獸則無，故以利使譬鬼神，鈍使喻蟲獸。「夜叉」下，第二，九行半，別明五利使。為五：初三行，明夜叉，是捷疾鬼，譬邪見撥無因果，人是善報，譬出世因果不雜煩惱；撥無此理，如食人肉也。毒蟲之屬是惡報，如世間因果雜諸煩惱，撥無此理，如噉毒蟲之屬也。「孚乳產生」者，世間之法從自類因生自類果也。「各自藏護」者，因能有果名藏，必得不失名護也。又人肉是善，毒蟲是惡，邪見之心，撥無善惡因果，事如噉食也。「孚乳產生」，總說善惡並有因果相生之用也。「食之既飽」者，見心成就也。「惡心熾盛」者，見心增廣也。「鬪諍之聲」者，內心成就、外彰言教，宣於無因無果之法，能令聞者墮落三途，故言怖畏也。「鳩槃茶」下，第二，兩行二句，譬戒取。鳩槃茶是鬼勝者，如有漏善能勝諸蟲也。「蹲踞土埵」者，修十善戒能生六天，六天是欲界高處，事如土埵也。又外道持戒能修禪定，初得欲界定，或得未來定，未來定未脫欲界，欲界之頂如土埵也。「或離一尺二尺」者，得色界定如一尺，得無色處定如二尺，得升上界為「往」，退墮為「反」，起見蓋如「縱逸嬉戲」。「捉狗兩足」，一云，謗無苦因如捉狗足，撥無苦果如脚加頸，集本得果如狗之聲，利見撥言無集無得苦之理，令其失聲也。觀解者，修六行觀伏貪，貪不行似如被斷為失聲；狗是欲貪，兩足為覺觀，覺觀往還常在貪境，數息止心是能縛義，為捉覺觀也。撲者，貪覺若強向不淨境，作不淨觀伏貪覺，貪覺摧伏，如狗被撲因不能聲。又云，作不淨觀如撲狗，能生禪定如被撲失聲也。「脚加頸」者，如狗雖被撲，擾動不伏，更以脚加；貪雖知不淨止，貪猶未甚靜，更以無常觀脚，加保常之頸則生怖畏，則貪覺不起也。又云，一往制心如向地撲；常繫在緣，如脚加頸令不得起也；「怖狗自樂」者，以修無常覺悟貪心，如怖狗，因得禪味名自樂也。「其身長大」下，第三，一行半偈，譬身見。豎入三世計我名「長」，橫遍五陰計我名「大」，計我自在不修善法，即無慚愧故言「裸形」，以惡莊嚴故言「黑」，無功德資故言「瘦」。計我者不出三界，故言「常住其中」。計我在心，發言宣說有我之相，故言「發大惡聲」。冀因此說望得道果，故言「叫呼求食」也。「復有諸鬼」下，第四，半行，譬見取。咽細命危而保其壽，非想無常而計涅槃，故言「其咽如針」。「首如牛頭」下，第五，兩行，譬邊見。推我斷常，斷常二邊如牛頭二角，為身是我、為我是身，依我見起邊見，如頭兩角也。計常斷之過，能斷出世善，如食人肉。能斷世善根，如「或時噉狗」。或時計常，或復計斷，前後迴轉如「頭髮蓬亂」。計常即破斷，計斷即破常，如「殘害兇險」。無有智定食飲自資，如「飢渴所逼」。「夜叉餓鬼」下，第二，一行半，總結欲界煩惱之相，亦是結利純眾生之相，並是有漏之心，常無道味，故云「飢急」。「窺看牖」者，明其邪觀空理慕仰道味，雖復觀察而滯著，心多不會正理，如窺窓見空不得無礙也。「是朽故宅屬于一人」下，第二，有一偈，明失火之由。三界是佛化應之處，發心已來誓願度脫，故云屬于一人。長者在宅能令慎火，由出去後諸子無知故令火起，內合正由如來大通佛時常教是等令伏五濁眾生，感盡如來捨應，此等於後便起五濁，他土赴緣非是永去，故言「近出」。又云，從得無生已，不生三界故名「出」，不久應來故言「近」。〈壽量品〉云「數現涅槃」，即是出宅意也。「於後宅舍」下，第三，二行，正明火起之勢。「四面」即是處所，身受心法等起四倒五濁八苦，故云「一時」，相續漸增為「熾」，命根斷為「爆」，風刀解體為「裂」。又云，受苦悲痛呻吟聲名為「爆」，諸根破壞為「裂」，氣斷骨離筋絕，為「摧折墮落」，四大解散為「牆壁崩倒」也。「諸鬼神等」下，第四，一行半，明被燒之相。或云，親屬為「鬼神」，哭泣為「揚聲」，今例上利使以譬神鬼。利使之人或計斷常，若計常者謂法定空，已有還無，無即常；計斷之人謂法定斷，唯此一死更無復續，皆唱言定說其事已顯，故云「揚聲大叫」也。若是鈍使及諸戒取，本不計斷，今見無常但生疑怖，不知出離之方，故言「慞惶不能自出」。「惡獸毒蟲」下，第二，三行半，明穴中事，譬色界火起，諸部解義瞋通三界，即此文也。文為四：初一行，明所燒之類。四禪之定，譬如孔穴也，雖復不及門外敞豁，猶得免於猛炎，入禪定中猶得免於欲界麁惡也。利使眾生亦得禪定，如毘舍闍鬼亦住其中。「薄福德故」一句，是第二，火起之由，由少福故近惡遇苦。「為火所逼」一句，是第三，明火起之勢，孔穴之中雖無猛炎猶有熱惱，四禪雖無欲界惡，亦有愛味細苦，故言為火所逼。「共相殘害」下，第四，二行，明被燒之相，明利鈍相奪，諸使眾生得禪是同，所計各異，異故互相是非，如相殘害也。既於禪中起諸見，則不能生無漏定慧，但著默然如「飲血」，又著五支如「噉肉」，「野干」是欲界貪，未來定已斷，故言「並已前死」，亦名「食噉」，禪定之貪如大惡獸能吞欲界貪也。欲界四倒八苦如「猛炎」，色界四倒此苦如「臭煙」，亦通身受心法四大皮肉等，故言「四面充塞」也。蜈蚣下，第三，二行半偈，明空中事，譬無色界火起。為二：初一行，明所燒之類；後一行半，明所燒之相。厭色界定出向無色，厭色麁境觀無色法，如毒蛇類火燒出穴，若爾瞋通三界也。若得無色定必滅下緣，故云「隨取而食」也。非想最頂，猶尚不免顛倒諸苦，如「頭上火然」。非想亦有八苦之火：心生異念名生苦；念念不住名老苦；行心擾擾妨定名病苦；退定是死苦；求定不得是求不得苦；求定不得必有於障，即怨憎會苦；四陰心即五盛陰苦。不能即斷有頂種，故頭上火然也。無無漏故飢渴所惱，猶是輪迴周慞悶走也。「其宅如是」下，第四，一行，總結三界眾難非一，頌總譬竟。
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.
《妙法蓮華經文句》第六卷上，天台智者大師說。
一、一百六十五行偈，先頌總譬
第二是偈頌，共有一百六十五行，分作兩部分：前一百行重頌上文長行，後六十五行說明弘通經典的方法。上文長行有開譬、合譬兩段，偈頌也分成兩段：最初六十五行半重頌開譬，其次三十四行半重頌合譬。
開譬的重頌又分兩段：最初三十三行偈重頌總譬，其次三十二行半偈重頌別譬。總譬原有六義，這裡只正面重頌其中四義，並兼帶另外兩義：重頌家宅時兼得一門之譬，重頌五百人時兼得三十子之譬。
最初一句說長者，重頌上文的位號，也兼得名稱、德行與歎德。既然具有長者之德，便可知道祂的名聲與德行普遍受到國邑崇敬，也可知道祂內在、外在以及年齡、德望都很高。對應到所表示的義理，婆伽婆就是位號；佛自己知道已具足智慧、斷德、慈悲等一切功德。
二、大宅為何久、故、頓弊
從『有一座大宅』以下，是第二科，共三行一句，重頌上文第二家宅譬，分作兩段：最初一句重頌宅院廣大；從『這座宅院久遠而陳舊』以下三行，廣說宅體，說明它被燒時的形相，所以知道這一段重頌的是宅體。
三界無始以來便已存在，所以名為『久』；並非現在才造，所以名為『故』；無常而卑下鄙陋，所以名為『頓弊』。又有一解，把頭部配殿，把腹部配堂，把背部配舍；念念相續而無常，所以名為『高危』。
又有一說，以色界為『堂』，以欲界為『舍』；仍不免墮落，所以名為『高危』。命根支撐色身，如同『柱』；過去的行業成為今身的基礎，如同『基陛』。也有一解，以兩足為『柱根』；身體被三相遷變，所以名為『摧朽』。
意識維繫、統攝諸法，如同『梁棟』；身心受各種痛苦破壞，如同梁棟『傾斜』。又有一解，以脊骨為『梁棟』，以𦝣為『基陛』，衰老之時便是『頹毀』。
說到『牆壁』，有一解以四大為『牆壁』，以皮膚為『泥塗』；四威儀不端正，便如『亂墜』；五識昏鈍，不能各自主掌所對境界，便如構件『差脫』。
另有一解，牆壁毀裂，如同皮膚皴裂朽壞；壯年時色澤鮮明清淨，如同剛塗上的泥；年老時色澤枯槁憔悴，如同泥塗後來剝落；頭髮、鬍鬚老朽，終至完全脫落，如同覆蓋屋頂的茅苫凌亂墜下；筋骨老弱，肢節不能相互扶持，如同『椽梠荖脫』。
三、周障、屈曲與雜穢充遍
解釋『周障屈曲』時，印師說：身體三十六種不淨物互相隔障，所以叫作『周障』；豬腸盤旋迴繞，所以叫作『屈曲』。身體不只被無常遷變，其中還有不淨與苦等，所以說『雜穢充遍』。
本論現在的解釋則說：『周障』是六識，『屈曲』是六根。六識依六根攀取境界，通行艱難曲折，所以說『屈曲』；六塵普遍染著六根，所以說『雜穢充遍』。此外還有因緣、觀心兩番解釋〔云云：以下從略〕。
從『有五百人』以下，是第三科，只有半行，重頌上文第三五百人譬。三乘根性都被五道所攝，因此說五百人；這一譬同時兼得三十子之譬。
四、火起二十九行的總科
從鴟梟以下，是第四科，共二十九行偈，正式重頌上文第五火起譬。這二十九行又分四段：最初二十二偈說地面上的事，譬喻欲界火起；第二有三偈半，說孔穴中的事，譬喻色界火起；第三有二偈半，說空中的事，譬喻無色界火起；第四最後一偈，總結各種災難不只一種。
欲界火起的二十二行又分四段：最初十七偈半說被燒的種類，譬喻受十使支配的眾生；第二一偈半說火起的原因，譬喻五濁生起的原因；第三一行半正式說火起的勢頭，譬喻五濁正在生起；第四一行半說眾類被燒的形相，譬喻承受八苦、五濁。
第一段十七行半再分兩段：最初十六行正式說被燒的眾類，後一行半作總結。十六行之中又分兩段：最初六行說禽獸被燒，譬喻受五鈍使支配的眾生；後十行說鬼神被燒，譬喻受五利使支配的眾生。
五鈍使一段再分兩段：最初五行半分別說五鈍使，第二半行作結。最初五鈍使又依慢、瞋、癡、貪、疑分作五段。
五、八鳥譬慢，毒蟲譬瞋
最初半行譬喻慢使。眾生抬高自己、輕視別人，像鳥天性飛臨高處，向下俯視。八種鳥譬喻八種慢；《文殊問經》說八種憍，本論用來配合八鳥：盛壯憍配鴟，性憍配梟，富憍配雕，自在憍配鷲，壽命憍配烏，聰明憍配鵲，行善憍配鳩，色憍配鴿。
凌駕別人叫作憍，珍視自己也叫作憍；愛著自己叫作貪，愛著他人叫作淫；對自己忿恨叫作恚，對他人發怒叫作瞋；自己迷惑叫作愚，使他人迷惑叫作癡〔云云：以下從略〕。
其次，從蚖蛇以下兩句，是第二段，譬喻瞋使。瞋有三種：蚖蛇毒性強盛，沒有受到碰觸便能吸，譬喻無理而生瞋；蝮蛇與蠍子受到觸犯才螫人，譬喻自認執持道理而生瞋；蜈蚣譬喻由戲論而生的瞋。世人說，頸部赤紅的是蜈蚣，不赤的是蚰蜒。
六、守宮以下譬癡
從守宮以下，是第三段，共兩行，譬喻癡使。癡有單獨生起與相應生起兩類。守宮、百足等蟲呆然不動，譬喻單獨生起的無明；狖、貍、鼷鼠等，譬喻相應而起的無明。
從『種種惡蟲』以下，是說從癡這一根本，完備地生起各種結使。各種使互相攀緣，有時橫跨三界而緣，如同蟲類『交橫』；生起得迅速急切，如同『馳走』。
從屎尿以下一行，說癡心所黏著的境界。這些境界本來全都無常、是苦、無我、不淨；眾生因愚癡不能明白，反在其中計執為清淨等而生染著，所以說蜣蜋等蟲聚集在污穢上。
七、狐狼以下譬貪
從狐狼以下，是第四段，共兩行，說明貪使。貪有兩種：第一有力量，第二沒有力量。有力量的貪，憑藉威勢奪取，如狐、狼等；沒有力量的貪，只能向別人乞求粗劣弊壞之物，如野干等。
從咀嚼以下，說貪心取得境界。把外物牽引到自己這邊，如同『咀嚼』；取用不合道理，如同『踐踏』。貪心取境，有時取一座城，有時取一個國家；所取仍有邊界，如同『䶩囓』般啃咬。
又有一解，貪心取境，有的東西有用，有的沒有用：有用仍取，如同『咀嚼』；沒有用也取，如同『踐踏』。另可依多寡分別：少量便咀嚼，數量多便踐踏。『骨肉狼藉』，表示積聚五塵，不知道何時滿足。
『因此群狗爭相撲取』，是說有力量的貪，反過來撲取沒有力量的貪，所指的是國王與盜賊。『飢餓、羸弱、慞惶』，是說常不知足如同飢餓，追求卻不能得到如同羸弱，為了求取而作種種經營尋覓如同慞惶。多欲的人即使富有，實際仍然貧乏。
若依愛心與見心再說，愛心的貪貪著五塵之肉；見心的貪貪著道理之骨。推求知見而得到許多理解，便是骨頭很多；需要骨頭的狗，便爭相前來撲取。
在各種見心中，尚未得到正法之食，所以名為飢；不能制伏、斷除自己的見，所以名為羸；到處尋求解釋，所以名為慞惶。又有一說，這只是直接表示貪求之人心中希求、盼望。
八、鬥諍譬疑，鬼神譬五利使
從鬥諍、摣掣以下兩句，是第五段，譬喻疑使。在兩邊之間猶豫不定，名為疑；不能決定是非，所以鬥諍；心裡一度以為是，名為掣；隨後又以為非，名為摣。啀喍嘷吠，是指發出言論，試圖判決是非的道理。經文接著兩句說恐怖，是第二段，總結上面的五鈍使。
從『處處都有』以下，是第二大段，共十行，說五利使，分作兩段：最初半行總說利使；五利使普遍緣取五陰與四諦，所以下文說『處處都有』。
鬼神有神通、有智慧，禽獸則沒有，所以用鬼神譬喻五利使，用蟲獸譬喻五鈍使。從夜叉以下是第二段，共九行半，分別說五利使；又依邪見、戒取、身見、見取、邊見分作五段。
九、夜叉譬邪見
最初三行說夜叉。夜叉是行動迅捷的鬼，用來譬喻邪見撥棄因果。人屬善報，譬喻出世因果不夾雜煩惱；邪見撥無這一道理，就像夜叉吃人肉。毒蟲等屬惡報，譬喻世間因果夾雜各種煩惱；邪見撥無這一道理，就像夜叉吞吃毒蟲。
『孵育生產』，是說世間之法從同類的因生出同類的果。『各自收藏保護』，是說因中能含有果，所以名為藏；因必定招得果而不會失去，所以名為護。
又可把人肉看作善，把毒蟲看作惡；邪見之心撥無善惡因果，事情如同把善惡全都吞食。『孵育生產』，總說善與惡都具有因果相生的作用。『吃得飽足』，表示邪見之心已經成就；『惡心更加熾盛』，表示邪見之心繼續增廣。
『鬥諍的聲音』，表示錯誤見解在內心成就以後，又向外顯成言教，宣說無因、無果之法，使聽聞的人墮入三惡道，所以說十分可怖。
十、鳩槃茶譬戒取
從鳩槃茶以下，是第二段，共兩行兩句，譬喻戒取。鳩槃茶是鬼中較強勝者，如同有漏的善法勝過各種蟲類。
『蹲踞在土埵上』，表示修十善戒可以生到六天；六天是欲界中的高處，事情如同坐在土埵上。又可解作外道持戒能修禪定，最初得到欲界定，或者得到未來定；未來定尚未脫離欲界，而處在欲界頂端，也如土埵。
『有時離地一尺、二尺』，表示得到色界定如離地一尺，得到無色處定如離地二尺。上升到較高界名為『往』，退墮下來名為『反』；生起覆障心性的見解，如同『縱逸嬉戲』。
解釋『捉住狗的兩足』，有一說：誹謗沒有苦因，如同捉住狗足；撥無苦果，如同用腳壓在狗頸上。集本來能招得果報，如同狗能發出聲音；五利使的見解卻撥無集、也撥無由集得苦的道理，使這個聲音消失。
依觀心解釋，修習六行觀以制伏貪欲；貪暫時不起，看來像已被斷除，所以叫作失聲。狗表示欲貪，兩足表示覺、觀；覺與觀往返活動，常在所貪境界之中。數息使心停止，具有繫縛之義，所以說捉住覺、觀。
所謂撲，是貪覺如果強盛而朝向不淨境界，便修不淨觀來制伏它；貪覺被摧伏，如同狗被撲倒而不能出聲。又有一說，修不淨觀如同撲狗，因不淨觀而能生起禪定，如同狗被撲後失去聲音。
『用腳壓在頸上』，表示狗雖被撲倒，仍然擾動而不肯制伏，所以再用腳壓住。貪雖因知道境界不淨而暫止，仍未十分寂靜，還要以無常觀這一隻腳，壓在保執常住的頸項上，使貪心生起怖畏，貪覺便不再生起。
又有一說，最初一次制心，如把狗朝地面撲倒；使心長時繫於所緣，如以腳壓住狗頸，使它不能再起。『使狗害怕而自己快樂』，表示修無常觀而警醒貪心，如同使狗害怕；由此得到禪定之味，所以名為自己快樂。
十一、身見、見取與邊見
從『鬼身高大』以下，是第三段，共一行半偈，譬喻身見。縱向進入三世而計著有我，所以名為『長』；橫向遍滿五陰而計著有我，所以名為『大』。
計著自我能夠自在，不肯修行善法，也就沒有慚愧，所以名為『裸形』；以惡法莊嚴自己，所以名為『黑』；沒有功德資養，所以名為『瘦』。計著有我的人不能出離三界，所以說『常住其中』。有我的計著存在心中，再發言宣說有我之相，所以說『發出巨大的惡聲』。希望憑這些說法得到道果，所以說『叫呼求食』。
從『另有諸鬼』以下，是第四段，只有半行，譬喻見取。喉嚨細得像針，生命十分危險，卻還保執自己會長壽；非想定本來無常，卻把它計執為涅槃，所以說『喉嚨如針』。
從『頭如牛頭』以下，是第五段，共兩行，譬喻邊見。推求自我是斷滅或常住；斷、常二邊如同牛頭的兩隻角。思量身是不是我、我是不是身，是依我見再生起邊見，如同依牛頭生出兩角。
執常、執斷的過失，能截斷出世間的善，如同吃人肉；也能截斷世間善根，如同有時吞吃狗。時而計常，時而又計斷，前後迴轉，如同頭髮蓬亂。計常便破斷，計斷便破常，彼此殘害，如同兇險殘害。自己沒有智慧與禪定作飲食來資養，所以被飢渴逼迫。
從夜叉、餓鬼以下，是第二段，共一行半，總結欲界煩惱的形相，也總結純受五利使支配的眾生之相。這些全是有漏之心，恆常沒有正道法味，所以說『飢餓急迫』。
『從窗牖向外窺看』，表示用邪曲觀法觀察空理，心中仰慕正道法味；雖然反覆觀察，卻因滯著而不能契會正理，就如隔窗窺見外面的空間，仍不能通行無礙。
十二、宅主近出與欲界火勢
從『這座朽壞的舊宅屬於一人』以下，是第二科，共一偈，說明失火的原因。三界是佛示現教化的處所；佛從發心以來便誓願度脫其中眾生，所以說這座宅屬於一人。
長者在宅時能使人謹慎防火；祂出去以後，諸子無知，因而使火生起。所表示的義理是：如來在大通佛時便常常教導這些眾生，使祂們制伏五濁；眾生感佛示現的因緣盡了，如來便捨棄這一期應身，這些眾生後來又生起五濁。如來只是到他方隨緣赴應，並非永遠離去，所以說『剛出去不久』。
又有一說，從證得無生以後便不再受生三界，所以名為『出』；不久仍將前來應化，所以名為『近』。〈壽量品〉所說多次示現涅槃，正是長者出宅的意思。
從『後來宅舍』以下，是第三科，共兩行，正式說明火起的勢頭。『四面』就是火起的處所；在身、受、心、法等生起四種顛倒、五濁、八苦，所以說『同時』；火勢相續而逐漸增長，所以名為『熾盛』；命根斷絕，所以名為『爆』；風刀分解身體，所以名為『裂』。
又有一解，受苦時悲痛呻吟的聲音名為『爆』，各種感官功能破壞名為『裂』；氣息斷絕、骨骼分離、筋脈斷裂，名為『摧折墮落』；四大解散，名為『牆壁崩倒』。
從鬼神等以下，是第四科，共一行半，說明眾類被燒的形相。有人說，『鬼神』是親屬，『揚聲』是親屬哭泣。本論現在依照上文的五利使來理解鬼神。
受五利使支配的人，有的計著斷滅，有的計著常住。計常的人說，法決定是空，原先有而後來還歸於無，這個無便是常；計斷的人說，法決定斷滅，只有這一次死亡，往後不再相續。兩者都高聲說自己已確定其事、道理已經顯明，所以叫作『揚聲大叫』。
至於受五鈍使支配的人以及各種戒取，本來不計斷滅；如今見到無常，只會生起疑惑、恐懼，不知道出離的方法，所以說『慞惶而不能自己逃出』。
十三、孔穴中的色界火
從惡獸、毒蟲以下，是第二大段，共三行半，說孔穴中的事，譬喻色界火起。諸部解釋義理時，有瞋通於三界之說；這一段經文就是根據。
本段分四：最初一行說被燒的種類。四禪的定境如同孔穴；雖然不像門外那樣開敞寬廣，仍能暫避猛烈火焰。進入禪定，也能暫時免除欲界粗重的惡法。受五利使支配的眾生也能得到禪定，如同毘舍闍鬼也住在孔穴中。
『因為福德淺薄』一句，是第二科，說明火起的原因：因為福德少，所以接近惡緣而遭遇苦惱。『被火逼迫』一句，是第三科，說明火起的勢頭：孔穴中雖然沒有猛焰，仍有熱惱；四禪雖然沒有欲界粗惡，仍有愛著禪味的細苦，所以說被火所逼。
從『互相殘害』以下，是第四科，共兩行，說明被燒的形相。這是說五利使、五鈍使互相侵奪。各種受使支配的眾生同樣得到禪定，所計執的見解卻各自不同；因為不同，便彼此判斷對方的是非，如同互相殘害。
既然在禪定中生起各種見解，便不能生起無漏定慧，只黏著於沉默無言，如同『飲血』；又黏著於五支，如同『吃肉』。野干表示欲界的貪，到了未來定已被斷除，所以說『全都先已死去』，也可以名為被吞食；禪定中的貪如同大惡獸，能吞下欲界之貪。
欲界的四倒、八苦如同『猛烈火焰』；色界的四倒及其苦如同『臭煙』。這也可通指身、受、心、法以及四大、皮肉等，所以說臭煙『四面充塞』。
十四、空中的無色界火與總結
從蜈蚣以下，是第三大段，共兩行半偈，說空中的事，譬喻無色界火起。又分兩段：最初一行說被燒的種類，後一行半說被燒的形相。
厭離色界定而趣向無色，厭棄粗重的色境，轉而觀無色之法，如同毒蛇被火燒而逃出孔穴。若如此解釋，也可知道瞋通於三界。若已得到無色定，必定滅除對下界境界的攀緣，所以說鳩槃茶『隨即捉取而食』。
非想處在三界最高處，仍不能免除顛倒與各種苦，如同『頭上火然』。非想也有八苦之火：心中生起不同的念，名為生苦；念念不能停住，名為老苦；造作之心紛擾，妨礙禪定，名為病苦；從定境退失，名為死苦；追求禪定卻不能得到，名為求不得苦；求定不得，必定有障礙現前，名為怨憎會苦；四陰之心便是五盛陰苦。
不能立即斷除三界最高處的種子，所以如同頭上火然。因為沒有無漏法食，便受飢渴惱迫；仍舊在輪迴中周慞悶走。
從『這座宅院就是如此』以下，是第四科，最後一行總結三界中的災難不只一種。到這裡，總譬的重頌解釋完畢。
Fahua Wenju, Fascicle Six, Upper. Taught by Tiantai Great Master Zhizhe.
I. Of the 165 Lines of Verse, First Chanting the General Parable
Second comes the verse, comprising 165 lines and divided into two parts. The first one hundred lines repeat in verse the preceding prose; the following sixty-five explain methods for transmitting the scripture. The prose above has the opening of the parable and its application, and the verse likewise has two parts: the first sixty-five and a half lines chant the opening of the parable; the next thirty-four and a half chant its application.
The verse repetition of the opening parable is again divided in two. The first thirty-three lines chant the general parable, and the next thirty-two and a half chant the specific parables. The general parable originally has six meanings. Here only four are chanted directly, while the other two are included incidentally: chanting the house also includes the parable of the single gateway, and chanting the five hundred people also includes the parable of the thirty children.
The opening sentence concerns the elder and repeats the preceding status and title while also including name, conduct, and praise of virtue. Since he possesses the virtues of an elder, one knows that his name and conduct are universally honored throughout country and city, and that his inner and outer qualities, age, and moral stature are all eminent. In the doctrinal meaning symbolized, Bhagavān is the title; the Buddha himself knows that he fully possesses wisdom, the virtue of severance, compassion, and all other virtues.
II. Why Is the Great House Long-Standing, Old, and Suddenly Decrepit?
Beginning with “there was one great house” is the second division, comprising three lines and one sentence and chanting the second preceding parable, the house. It has two parts. The first sentence chants the house's vastness; the three lines beginning with “this house was long-standing and old” extensively describe its substance and its appearance while being burned, showing that this passage chants the substance of the house.
The three realms have existed without beginning and are therefore called “long-standing.” They were not made only now and are therefore called “old.” Being impermanent, debased, and contemptible, they are called “suddenly decrepit.” Another explanation correlates the head with the palace hall, the abdomen with the main hall, and the back with the dwelling; because moment-to-moment continuity is impermanent, this is called “high and dangerous.”
Another account takes the form realm as the “hall” and the desire realm as the “dwelling.” Because they still cannot avoid falling, they are called “high and dangerous.” The life faculty supports the body of form like a “pillar”; past karmic activity is the foundation of the present body, like the “foundation and steps.” Another explanation takes the two feet as the “bases of the pillars”; because the body is transformed by the three marks, they are called “broken and rotted.”
Consciousness maintains and governs the various dharmas like “beams and ridgepoles”; body and mind are damaged by many sufferings like beams and ridgepoles “leaning.” Another explanation takes the spine as the “beams and ridgepoles,” the waist as the “foundation and steps,” and old age as their “collapse.”
Regarding the “walls,” one explanation takes the four elements as the “walls” and the skin as the “earthen coating.” When the four modes of deportment are improper, it is like “falling in disorder”; when the five consciousnesses are dull and cannot each govern their respective objects, it is like structural members “coming apart.”
Another explanation says that ruined and split walls resemble cracked and decaying skin; the fresh, clear complexion of youth resembles newly applied earthen coating; the withered and haggard complexion of old age resembles the coating later falling away; aged hair and beard eventually fall out entirely like roof thatching dropping in disorder; and old, weak sinews and bones whose joints can no longer support one another resemble “rafters and eaves loosened and detached.”
III. Encircled by Obstructions, Winding, and Filled Everywhere with Filth
In explaining “encircled by obstructions and winding,” Master Yin says that the body's thirty-six impure constituents obstruct one another and are therefore called “encircled by obstructions,” while the pig intestine coils and turns and is therefore called “winding.” The body is not only transformed by impermanence but also contains impurity, suffering, and the rest; hence it is “filled everywhere with filth.”
The root treatise's present explanation instead says that “encircled by obstructions” means the six consciousnesses and “winding” the six faculties. The six consciousnesses grasp objects in reliance on the six faculties, proceeding with difficulty and circuitousness; hence “winding.” Because the six objects stain the six faculties everywhere, it is “filled everywhere with filth.” There are also explanations in terms of causes and conditions and contemplation of the mind. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
Beginning with “there were five hundred people” is the third division. It occupies only half a line and chants the preceding third parable, the five hundred people. The capacities of the three vehicles are all included within the five destinies, hence five hundred people; this parable also incidentally includes the parable of the thirty children.
IV. General Outline of the Twenty-Nine Lines on the Outbreak of Fire
Beginning with owls and other birds is the fourth division, comprising twenty-nine lines of verse and directly chanting the preceding fifth parable, the outbreak of fire. These twenty-nine lines are divided into four passages. The first twenty-two concern events on the ground, symbolizing the outbreak of fire in the desire realm. The second, three and a half lines, concerns events in holes, symbolizing the outbreak of fire in the form realm. The third, two and a half lines, concerns events in open space, symbolizing the outbreak of fire in the formless realm. The fourth and final line concludes that the many dangers are not of only one kind.
The twenty-two lines on the outbreak of fire in the desire realm are further divided into four passages. The first seventeen and a half describe the kinds of beings burned, symbolizing living beings governed by the ten agents. The second, one and a half lines, describes the cause of the fire, symbolizing the cause from which the five turbidities arise. The third, one and a half lines, directly describes the force with which the fire begins, symbolizing the actual arising of the five turbidities. The fourth, one and a half lines, describes the appearance of the many kinds being burned, symbolizing undergoing the eight sufferings and five turbidities.
The first passage of seventeen and a half lines is divided in two: the first sixteen directly describe the kinds of beings burned, and the last one and a half conclude. The sixteen are again divided in two: the first six describe birds and beasts being burned, symbolizing living beings governed by the five dull agents; the next ten describe ghosts and spirits being burned, symbolizing living beings governed by the five sharp agents.
The passage on the five dull agents is again divided in two: the first five and a half lines explain them separately, and the second half-line concludes. The first section divides the five dull agents into conceit, anger, delusion, greed, and doubt.
V. Eight Birds Symbolize Conceit; Poisonous Creatures Symbolize Anger
The first half-line symbolizes the agent of conceit. Living beings elevate themselves and slight others, like birds whose nature is to soar high and look down. Eight kinds of birds symbolize eight forms of conceit. The Sutra of Questions by Mañjuśrī teaches eight forms of pride, which the root treatise correlates with the eight birds: pride in youthful strength with the kite, pride in lineage with the owl, pride in wealth with the eagle, pride in mastery with the vulture, pride in longevity with the crow, pride in intelligence with the magpie, pride in wholesome conduct with the turtledove, and pride in appearance with the pigeon.
To tower over others is called pride, and to value oneself is likewise called pride. Loving oneself is greed, loving another is lust; anger directed at oneself is resentment, anger directed at another is wrath; one's own confusion is foolishness, and confusing another is delusion. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
Next, the two phrases beginning with black snakes form the second passage and symbolize the agent of anger. Anger has three kinds. The black snake's poison is so potent that it can draw in without being touched, symbolizing anger that arises without reason. Vipers and scorpions sting only when touched, symbolizing anger arising from attachment to what one regards as principle. Centipedes symbolize anger arising through conceptual proliferation. People commonly say that those with red necks are centipedes and those without are house centipedes.
VI. Beginning with House Lizards: The Parable of Delusion
Beginning with house lizards is the third passage, comprising two lines and symbolizing the agent of delusion. Delusion has two types: arising alone and arising in association. House lizards, many-legged creatures, and the like remain blankly still, symbolizing ignorance that arises alone; monkeys, wildcats, mice, and the like symbolize ignorance that arises in association.
Beginning with “the many evil insects” explains how, from the root of delusion, the various fetters arise in full. The various agents condition one another; some range across and take all three realms as objects, like the insects crossing in every direction; they arise rapidly and urgently, like the creatures racing about.
The one line beginning with excrement and urine explains the objects to which the deluded mind attaches. All these objects are impermanent, painful, without self, and impure. Unable to understand because of delusion, living beings instead construe purity and the like in them and become attached; hence dung beetles and other insects gather upon the filth.
VII. Beginning with Foxes and Wolves: The Parable of Greed
Beginning with foxes and wolves is the fourth passage, comprising two lines and explaining the agent of greed. Greed has two forms: with strength and without strength. Greed with strength seizes through force and power, like foxes and wolves. Greed without strength can only beg others for coarse and inferior things, like jackals.
Beginning with chewing explains the greedy mind taking its objects. Drawing external things toward oneself resembles “chewing”; taking without following principle resembles “trampling.” A greedy mind may seize a city or seize an entire country. What it takes still has boundaries, like “gnawing with the teeth.”
Another explanation says that some objects taken by greed are useful and some useless: taking what is useful resembles “chewing,” while taking even what is useless resembles “trampling.” They may also be divided by quantity: a small amount is chewed, while a great amount is trampled. “Bones and flesh scattered everywhere” means accumulating the five sensory objects without knowing when one has enough.
“Because of this, the pack of dogs competes to strike and seize” means that greed with strength turns upon and seizes those without strength, referring to kings and thieves. “Hungry, emaciated, and panicked” means that constant dissatisfaction resembles hunger, pursuing without obtaining resembles emaciation, and undertaking all kinds of schemes and searches to acquire things resembles panic. A person of many desires remains impoverished even when wealthy.
Explained further through minds of craving and views, greed belonging to craving desires the flesh of the five objects, while greed belonging to views desires the bones of principles and explanations. Pursuing knowledge and views until one has acquired many understandings means possessing many bones; dogs that need bones compete to come and seize them.
Among the many minds of views, not yet obtaining the food of right Dharma is called hunger; being unable to subdue and sever one's own views is called emaciation; searching everywhere for explanations is called panic. Another account says that the three simply express the hopes and longings of a greedy person's mind.
VIII. Fighting Symbolizes Doubt; Ghosts and Spirits Symbolize the Five Sharp Agents
The two phrases beginning with fighting, grasping, and pulling form the fifth passage and symbolize the agent of doubt. Hesitation between two sides is called doubt; inability to decide right and wrong produces fighting. The mind temporarily supposing something right is called pulling; afterward supposing it wrong is called grasping. Baring the teeth, howling, and barking mean issuing arguments in an attempt to decide the principle of right and wrong. The next two phrases of the scripture speak of terror and form the second passage, concluding the five dull agents above.
Beginning with “they are everywhere” is the second major passage, comprising ten lines and explaining the five sharp agents. It has two parts. The first half-line gives a general explanation: because the sharp agents universally take the five aggregates and four truths as objects, the text below says “they are everywhere.”
Ghosts and spirits possess supernormal powers and knowledge, whereas birds and beasts do not. Ghosts and spirits therefore symbolize the five sharp agents, while insects and beasts symbolize the five dull agents. Beginning with yakṣas is the second passage, comprising nine and a half lines and separately explaining the five sharp agents. It is divided into deviant views, attachment to precepts, the view of a body, attachment to views, and extreme views.
IX. Yakṣas Symbolize Deviant Views
The first three lines concern yakṣas. A yakṣa is a swiftly moving ghost and symbolizes deviant views that deny cause and effect. Humans belong to good recompense and symbolize supramundane cause and effect unmixed with affliction. Deviant views deny this principle, like yakṣas eating human flesh. Poisonous insects and the like belong to bad recompense and symbolize mundane cause and effect mixed with many afflictions. Deviant views deny this principle, like yakṣas devouring poisonous insects.
“Incubating, nursing, and giving birth” means that worldly dharmas produce results of their own kind from causes of their own kind. “Each hides and protects its own” means that a cause can contain a result and is therefore called hiding; because the cause unfailingly brings about the result, which is not lost, it is called protecting.
Human flesh may also be taken as good and poisonous insects as evil. The mind of deviant views denies the cause and effect of good and evil, resembling the devouring of both. “Incubating, nursing, and giving birth” states generally that both good and evil possess the function by which cause and result produce one another. “Having eaten their fill” means that the mind of views is established; “their evil minds blaze more fiercely” means that the mind of views continues to expand.
“The sound of fighting” means that after a false view is established inwardly, it manifests outwardly as verbal teaching, proclaiming a doctrine of neither cause nor result. Because this can cause hearers to fall into the three bad destinies, it is called extremely terrifying.
X. Kumbhāṇḍas Symbolize Attachment to Precepts
Beginning with the kumbhāṇḍas is the second passage, comprising two lines and two phrases and symbolizing attachment to precepts. Kumbhāṇḍas are stronger among ghosts, just as contaminated wholesome dharmas surpass the many insects.
“Squatting upon earthen mounds” means that cultivating the ten wholesome precepts can produce rebirth in the six heavens. The six heavens are high places within the desire realm, like sitting upon an earthen mound. It may also mean that outsiders who maintain precepts can cultivate meditative concentration, first attaining desire-realm concentration or future concentration. Future concentration has not yet left the desire realm but occupies its summit, likewise resembling an earthen mound.
“At times leaving the ground by one or two feet” means that attaining form-realm concentration resembles rising one foot and attaining concentration in the formless spheres resembles rising two feet. Ascending to a higher realm is called “going,” and falling back is called “returning.” Giving rise to views that cover one's nature resembles “roaming freely and playing.”
Regarding “seizing the dog's two feet,” one explanation says that denying the cause of suffering resembles seizing a dog's feet, while denying the result of suffering resembles pressing a foot upon its neck. Accumulation originally produces a result, like a dog producing sound; the views of the sharp agents deny accumulation and deny the principle that suffering is obtained through accumulation, causing this sound to disappear.
In the contemplative explanation, one cultivates the six practices to subdue greed. Because greed temporarily does not operate and seems to have been severed, this is called losing its voice. The dog represents desire and greed, while its two feet represent applied and sustained thought. Applied and sustained thought move back and forth and constantly remain within the objects of greed. Counting breaths stops the mind and has the meaning of binding it, hence seizing applied and sustained thought.
To strike down means that when greedy thought grows strong and turns toward an impure object, one cultivates the contemplation of impurity to subdue it. Greedy thought is crushed and subdued like a dog struck down and thereby unable to make a sound. Another explanation says that cultivating the contemplation of impurity resembles striking down the dog, while the meditative concentration produced through that contemplation resembles the dog losing its voice after being struck down.
“Pressing a foot upon its neck” means that although the dog has been struck down, it still struggles and will not submit, so a foot is added to restrain it. Although greed temporarily stops upon knowing that objects are impure, it is not yet entirely still. The foot of contemplation of impermanence must further press upon the neck that clings to permanence. Greed then becomes afraid, and greedy thought no longer arises.
Another account says that initially restraining the mind once is like throwing the dog to the ground; continuously binding the mind to its object is like pressing a foot upon the dog's neck so that it cannot rise. “Frightening the dog and delighting oneself” means awakening the greedy mind through contemplation of impermanence, like frightening the dog; the taste of meditative concentration is thereby obtained, hence delighting oneself.
XI. The View of a Body, Attachment to Views, and Extreme Views
Beginning with “the ghost's body was tall and large” is the third passage, comprising one and a half lines of verse and symbolizing the view of a body. Vertically entering the three times and construing a self is called “tall”; horizontally pervading the five aggregates and construing a self is called “large.”
Reckoning that the self possesses mastery, one refuses to cultivate wholesome dharmas and therefore has no shame or conscience; hence “naked form.” Adorning oneself with evil dharmas is “black,” and lacking the nourishment of merit and virtue is “thin.” Those who construe a self cannot leave the three realms, hence “constantly dwelling within.” The construction of self exists inwardly and is then verbally proclaimed as the mark of self, hence “making a great evil sound.” Hoping to obtain the fruit of the path through these claims is “crying out in search of food.”
Beginning with “there were also other ghosts” is the fourth passage. It occupies only half a line and symbolizes attachment to views. Their throats are as narrow as needles and their lives are in great danger, yet they still cling to the belief that they will live long. The concentration of neither-perception-nor-nonperception is impermanent, yet they construe it as nirvāṇa; hence “their throats were like needles.”
Beginning with “heads like ox heads” is the fifth passage, comprising two lines and symbolizing extreme views. One investigates whether the self is annihilated or permanent; the two extremes resemble the two horns of an ox head. Deliberating whether the body is the self or the self is the body means that extreme views arise based upon the view of self, like two horns growing from an ox head.
The faults of clinging to permanence and annihilation can cut off supramundane good, like eating human flesh, and can cut off mundane roots of good, like sometimes devouring dogs. At one time they construe permanence and at another annihilation, turning back and forth like disheveled hair. Construing permanence refutes annihilation, and construing annihilation refutes permanence; each harms the other, like savage cruelty. Lacking the food and drink of wisdom and concentration to nourish themselves, they are pressed by hunger and thirst.
Beginning with yakṣas and hungry ghosts is the second passage, comprising one and a half lines. It concludes the appearance of desire-realm afflictions and also the appearance of living beings governed solely by the sharp agents. All these are contaminated states of mind that constantly lack the flavor of the right path, hence “desperately hungry.”
“Peering outward through windows” means contemplating the principle of emptiness through a deviant and crooked method while inwardly admiring the flavor of the right path. Although one repeatedly contemplates, attachment prevents accord with right principle, just as one peers through a window and sees the open space outside but still cannot pass through without obstruction.
XII. The Householder Has Recently Left and the Fire's Force in the Desire Realm
Beginning with “this decayed old house belonged to one person” is the second division, comprising one verse and explaining the cause of the fire. The three realms are the places in which the Buddha manifests and teaches. Since first giving rise to resolve, the Buddha has vowed to deliver the living beings within them, and therefore the house is said to belong to one person.
When the elder is in the house, he can make its inhabitants guard carefully against fire. After he leaves, the children are unaware, and the fire consequently begins. In the doctrinal meaning symbolized, since the time of the Buddha Great Penetrating Wisdom Excellence the Tathāgata has constantly taught these living beings and enabled them to subdue the five turbidities. When the conditions through which living beings evoke the Buddha's manifestation are exhausted, the Tathāgata relinquishes that responsive body, and later these beings again give rise to the five turbidities. The Tathāgata has only gone to another land in response to affinities and has not left forever; hence “he had recently left.”
Another explanation says that after attaining nonarising, one is no longer born in the three realms and is therefore called “having left”; because one will soon return in responsive manifestations, it is called “recent.” The “Lifespan” chapter's statement that nirvāṇa is repeatedly manifested expresses the elder's leaving the house.
Beginning with “later, in the house” is the third division, comprising two lines and directly explaining the force with which the fire begins. “Four sides” means the places in which the fire arises. Because the four inversions, five turbidities, and eight sufferings arise in relation to body, feeling, mind, and dharmas, it says “at once.” Because the fire's force continues and gradually increases, it is called “blazing”; the severance of the life faculty is “exploding,” and dismemberment by the wind-blade is “splitting.”
Another explanation says that the sound of grief and groaning while undergoing suffering is “exploding,” while destruction of the various faculties is “splitting.” Breath ending, bones separating, and sinews snapping are “breaking, collapsing, and falling”; dissolution of the four elements is “the walls falling down.”
Beginning with ghosts and spirits is the fourth division, comprising one and a half lines and explaining the appearance of those being burned. Some say that “ghosts and spirits” are relatives and “raising their voices” is the relatives' weeping. The root treatise now follows the five sharp agents above in understanding the ghosts and spirits.
Some people governed by the five sharp agents construe annihilation and others permanence. Those who construe permanence say that dharmas are determinately empty: what once existed afterward returns to nonexistence, and this nonexistence is permanent. Those who construe annihilation say that dharmas are determinately annihilated: there is only this one death, with no further continuity. Both loudly proclaim that they have definitively established the matter and that the principle has become evident, hence “raising their voices and crying aloud.”
Those governed by the five dull agents and the various forms of attachment to precepts do not originally construe annihilation. On suddenly seeing impermanence, they give rise only to doubt and fear and do not know the way out; hence “panicked and unable to escape by themselves.”
XIII. The Form-Realm Fire within the Holes
Beginning with evil beasts and poisonous insects is the second major passage, comprising three and a half lines. It concerns events within holes and symbolizes the outbreak of fire in the form realm. When the various schools explain doctrine, they say that anger extends throughout the three realms; this scriptural passage is their evidence.
The passage has four parts. The first line describes the kinds of beings burned. The objects of the four meditative absorptions resemble holes: although not as open and broad as the space outside the gateway, they can still afford temporary refuge from fierce flames. Entering meditative concentration can likewise bring temporary escape from the coarse evils of the desire realm. Living beings governed by the sharp agents can also attain concentration, just as piśāca ghosts likewise dwell within the holes.
The phrase “because their merit was scant” is the second division and explains the cause of the fire: scant merit brings proximity to evil conditions and encounter with suffering. “Pressed by the fire” is the third division and explains the fire's force. Although there are no fierce flames inside the holes, painful heat remains; although the four absorptions lack the coarse evils of the desire realm, subtle suffering from attachment to the taste of concentration remains. Thus they are pressed by the fire.
Beginning with “mutually harming one another” is the fourth division, comprising two lines and explaining the appearance of those being burned. It means that the sharp and dull agents seize from one another. Living beings governed by these agents all attain concentration alike, yet the views they construe differ. Because they differ, each judges the other's right and wrong, like mutually inflicting harm.
Since various views arise within meditative concentration, uncontaminated concentration and wisdom cannot arise. They cling only to silence, like “drinking blood,” and cling to the five factors, like “eating flesh.” Jackals represent desire-realm greed, which has already been severed at future concentration; hence they “had all died earlier” and may also be called devoured. Greed within meditative concentration resembles the great evil beasts that can swallow desire-realm greed.
The four inversions and eight sufferings of the desire realm resemble “fierce flames”; the four inversions and suffering of the form realm resemble “foul smoke.” This may also refer generally to body, feeling, mind, dharmas, the four elements, skin, flesh, and the rest; hence foul smoke “filled all four sides.”
XIV. The Formless-Realm Fire in Open Space and the Conclusion
Beginning with centipedes is the third major passage, comprising two and a half lines of verse and concerning events in open space, symbolizing the outbreak of fire in the formless realm. It is divided in two: the first line describes the kinds of beings burned, and the final one and a half lines describe the appearance of those burned.
Becoming disenchanted with form-realm concentration and turning toward the formless, one rejects coarse objects of form and instead contemplates formless dharmas, like poisonous snakes burned by the fire and fleeing from their holes. Under this explanation, one also knows that anger extends through the three realms. If formless concentration is attained, engagement with objects of the lower realms necessarily ceases; hence the kumbhāṇḍas “immediately seize and eat them.”
Neither-perception-nor-nonperception occupies the summit of the three realms, yet it still cannot avoid inversions and many sufferings, like “fire burning overhead.” It too has the fire of the eight sufferings: the arising of a different thought is the suffering of birth; thoughts unable to remain from moment to moment are the suffering of old age; the disturbance of constructive mental activity, which obstructs concentration, is the suffering of illness; falling back from concentration is the suffering of death; seeking concentration without obtaining it is the suffering of not obtaining what is sought; when concentration is not obtained, an obstruction necessarily appears, which is the suffering of encountering what is hated; and the mind composed of the four aggregates is the suffering of the five clinging aggregates.
Because the seeds at the summit of existence cannot be immediately severed, it resembles fire burning overhead. Lacking uncontaminated Dharma-food, beings are oppressed by hunger and thirst and continue wandering frantically within saṃsāra.
Beginning with “this house was like this” is the fourth division. Its final line concludes that the dangers in the three realms are not of only one kind. Here the explanation of the verse that chants the general parable is complete.
偈中先見的不是火，而是一座久故、頓弊的宅院：柱根摧朽，梁棟傾斜，牆壁崩裂，泥塗剝落，禽獸與鬼神交馳其中。等到火焰真正升起，讀者才發現，火不是忽然把一座完好的家變壞；宅體早已危脆，住在其中的眾類也早已彼此追逐、吞食、爭奪。
本論解這三十三行，便從這個先後下手。它先算清偈行與科位，再讓長者、宅體、住眾、火起依次顯出。譬喻不是一張靜止的配對表，而是一座正在敗壞、正在喧動、終於全面燃燒的宅院。
一、明明有六義，為何只正面頌出四義？
總譬本有六意，偈頌卻只正面頌長者、家宅、五百人、火起四意。是不是另兩意漏失了？
本論的回答是：四意正頌，兩意兼得。家宅之中已兼一門，五百人之中已兼三十子，所以六義並非必須排成六段，才算全數在場。這一判語先替全段定下讀法：有些義由一句正面承當，有些義則依所屬關係隨文帶出。
最初一句是長者。經文只出一個稱呼，本論卻由長者之德，讀出名行受到國邑崇敬，也讀出內外、年德俱高；再以婆伽婆這一位號，收攝智慧、斷德、慈悲等功德。這不是離開一句另造人物生平，而是說明：若稱長者，這個稱呼本身已帶著足以受人尊崇的德望。
接下來三行一句轉入家宅。第一句先見其廣，後三行才廣出宅體被燒以前的形相。長者只需一句，家宅卻要逐件展開；因為這一譬的重心，很快便從宅主移到眾生實際停住的危宅。
二、宅院的敗壞，為何能同時落在界、身與心？
『久』是無始，『故』是非今所造，『頓弊』是無常而卑鄙。三個詞不是重複說老舊：久指出它沒有一個可追到的最初，故指出它不是眼前才突然造成，頓弊則指出現況已經低下、敗壞。
到了高危、柱根、梁棟、基陛、牆壁、泥塗，本論沒有只留一套配法。高危可以從念念相續而終歸無常去讀，也可以從色、欲二界仍不免墮落去讀；柱根可以是支持生命的命根，也可以是兩足；梁棟可以是統攝一身的意識，也可以是脊骨；牆壁、泥塗既可以從四大與皮膚讀，也可以順著壯色、老色、髮髭、筋骨，讀成一具身體由鮮淨而枯悴、由支援而脫落。
這些讀法沒有被壓成一組只能擇一的答案。宅院之所以能成譬，正因同一個危字可以在不同地方顯形：界有墮落之危，命有中斷之危，身有衰朽之危，心有攀緣艱難之危。本文每轉一次配釋，仍緊扣經中那件構件如何支持、如何傾斜、如何剝落。
印師讀『周障屈曲』，從三十六物互相隔障、腸道盤旋說起，並以不淨、苦與無常說雜穢。本論當下所取，則以六識為周障、六根為屈曲：識依根取境，關涉曲折；六塵遍染六根，所以雜穢充滿。前一讀使人看見肉身內部，後一讀使人看見根、識、塵的往來。宅院至此不再只是外在背景；住者所憑的身心，本身就是危宅的構造。
三、火尚未出現，為何禽獸已在互相吞食？
五百人只占半行，隨即進入二十九行火起。這二十九行先以二十二行說地上，再以三行半說穴中、二行半說空中，最後一行總結。地上的二十二行又先用十七行半寫所燒之類，再寫火由、火勢與被燒相。
這個次第很要緊。本文不是先寫一團抽象火焰，再把眾生投入其中；它先讓讀者看清被燒者原來怎樣生活。禽獸六行譬五鈍使，鬼神十行譬五利使。火起以前，慢已在俯視，瞋已在螫害，癡已在污穢上聚集，貪已在咀嚼踐踏，疑已在兩端鬥諍。
八鳥分配八憍：盛壯、性、富、自在、壽命、聰明、行善、色，各隨一鳥。鳥性凌高下視，把自舉輕他的姿態直接顯出。蚖蛇、蝮蠍、蜈蚣則把瞋的三種起法分開：無理而發、執理而發、由戲論而發。守宮、百足的兀然與狖、貍、鼷鼠的活動，又分出獨起與相應而起的癡。
到了屎尿、蜣蜋，譬喻不只說心中有癡，還說癡如何倒認所緣。境界本是無常、苦、無我、不淨，癡卻在其中計淨而染著，如蟲聚在穢物之上。所謂雜穢，至此同時出現在宅體與住眾：一面是居處充滿污穢，一面是住者不能如實知道自己正在黏著什麼。
四、同是貪，為何一邊吃肉，一邊啃骨？
狐狼與野干先分有力、無力之貪。有力者憑威勢奪取，無力者向人乞索粗弊之物。咀嚼是牽物向己，踐踏是不依道理；又可分作有用仍取、無用也取，或者少則咀嚼、多則踐踏。幾種解法都沒有離開同一個動作：拿到眼前仍不停手。
骨肉狼藉，先說五塵積聚而不知足；接著又開愛心貪與見心貪。愛心貪五塵之肉，見心貪道理之骨。於是，貪不只會追逐可享用之物，也會追逐可供自己執持的解釋。所得知見越多，骨頭越多，爭骨之狗也越多。
飢、羸、慞惶因此有兩面。多欲之人常不知足、求而不得、四處營覓，即使富有仍然貧乏；求見之人沒有正法之食，不能伏斷自己的見，又四處求解，也同樣飢瘦不安。另有一說，這三字直接表示貪人心中希求念望。本文讓一組形相承受不同解法，卻沒有把它們混成一件事。
疑使隨後出場。心在是非兩端來回，一下以為是，一下以為非；內在沒有決定，外面便發成鬥諍、咆哮與吠叫。禽獸一段至此作結：五鈍使不是五個停放在心中的名目，而是抬高、傷害、黏著、攫取、猶豫等不斷發生的動作。
五、鬼神有智有通，為何反而更加可怖？
鬼神被用來譬五利使，正因鬼神有通、有智，禽獸則無。這個分別指出：敏利不等於方向正確。見解能遍緣五陰、四諦，也能迅速形成一套說法；若起點是撥無與錯計，越能思辨，所造成的吞食與怖畏反而越大。
夜叉譬邪見。人肉表示善報與不雜煩惱的出世因果，毒蟲表示惡報與夾雜煩惱的世間因果；撥無善惡因果，就像把人肉、毒蟲一同吞食。孚乳產生表示同類因生同類果，藏護表示因中有果、必得不失。邪見吃飽，是見心成就；惡心更熾，是見心增廣；鬥諍之聲，則是內在見解已成，進而向外宣說無因無果之法。
鳩槃茶譬戒取。蹲踞土埵，可以從十善戒得生欲天讀，也可以從外道持戒得欲界定、未來定讀；離地一尺二尺，再開作色界定、無色處定。可是升得更高，不等於已經出離。往返、縱逸與嬉戲，正顯示有所升降、有所受用，仍在見蓋之中。
捉狗一段特別長，因為本文先錄撥無因果的一解，又另標觀解。前一解以捉足、腳加頸說撥無苦因、苦果；觀解則以狗為欲貪，以覺、觀為兩足，以數息、不淨觀、無常觀次第制心。又有不淨觀生禪定、一次制心與長時繫緣等不同讀法。若只留下狗被壓制的畫面，便會漏掉本文逐層辨別：被制伏的是什麼，憑什麼制伏，暫時不行與真正出離又有何差別。
六、鬼的形貌，如何把錯見顯在身上？
身見之鬼縱貫三世而計我，所以長；橫遍五陰而計我，所以大。裸、黑、瘦，分別顯示不修善、以惡自飾、缺少功德資養。它常住宅中，又把心中所計的我宣說出去，盼望藉此得到道果，所以大聲叫喊求食。
見取之鬼咽如針。喉嚨細、生命危，卻保執長壽；非想本來無常，卻計作涅槃。邊見則如牛頭兩角：依我見再起斷、常兩邊。計常破斷，計斷破常，前後迴轉，如頭髮蓬亂；兩邊互破，又如殘害兇險。
經文總結這些欲界煩惱時，寫飢急與窺看窗牖。邪見也會仰慕正理，也會試著向空理觀看；問題不是完全不看，而是隔窗而看，觀察中仍有滯著，不能通達無礙。這比單說無知更深一層：有時真正遮蔽人的，正是那個自以為已經看見的角度。
七、宅屬一人，失火之由究竟在誰？
宅屬一人，是因三界為佛示現教化之處，發心以來誓願度脫其中眾生。長者在宅能使諸子慎火；長者近出，諸子無知，火才生起。本文所說的近出，不是永去：如來捨應、赴他土之緣，又會不久應來；另從不再受生三界而仍來應化，也可說出而近。
火起四面，本文配作身、受、心、法等處生起四倒、五濁、八苦；熾是相續漸增，爆與裂可從命根斷、風刀解體讀，也可從悲痛呻吟、諸根破壞讀；摧折墮落是氣斷、骨離、筋絕，牆壁崩倒是四大解散。宅體先前每一處危朽，到這裡都轉成正在崩解的聲音。
被燒者的反應也不相同。有人把鬼神解作親屬，把揚聲解作哭泣；本論當下仍依上文，以鬼神表示五利使。計斷、計常者高聲宣稱自己的判斷已定；五鈍使與戒取者本來不計斷，忽見無常，只剩疑怖，又不知道如何出離。大叫與慞惶，一邊是錯誤的確定，一邊是沒有出路的不確定。
八、躲進孔穴、升到空中，為何仍未離火？
孔穴中的三行半說色界。四禪如孔穴，雖不如門外敞豁，仍能避開欲界猛焰；五利使眾生也能得定，如毘舍闍同住穴中。然而少福使人近惡遇苦，穴中雖無猛焰，仍有熱惱；四禪雖離欲界粗惡，仍有愛味細苦。
同樣得禪，所計各異，便會互相是非、彼此殘害。在禪中起見，不能生無漏定慧；著默然如飲血，著五支如吃肉。未來定斷欲界貪，所以野干先死；禪定之貪卻如大惡獸，反能吞下欲界之貪。捨粗入細，並不自然等於捨貪。
再往上兩行半說無色界。厭色界粗境而趣向無色，如毒蛇被火逼出孔穴；得無色定，便滅除下界攀緣，如被隨即取食。可是到了非想最高處，頭上仍然有火。
本文接著說非想也有八苦，實際逐一落字的是七項：異念生起是生，念念不住是老，心行擾動妨定是病，退定是死，求定不得是求不得，障礙現前是怨憎會，四陰之心是五盛陰。
從地上到穴中，再到空中，火的粗細與眾類的處境不斷變化；不變的是，只要仍有顛倒、愛味與諸見，換一個較高、較靜的居處，還不能叫作出宅。最後一行不再增列新譬，只以宅中毒害、火災、眾難非一收束：三十三行總譬至此，不以一場大火作奇觀，而以眾生始終不能自出作警策。
文句記之眼
湛然從家宅先補一個問題：若只依眼前依報，某些世界有成有壞，怎能直接說無始？祂答以眾生無始具有三界之因，惑種不亡；即使處所壞而復成，因果仍能相續〔T34n1719 0270b28–0270c04〕。祂又把高危收得很緊：「相續故高，無常故危。」〔T34n1719 0270c05〕這一鏡照把本論的長句壓回兩個著力處，但它是後釋的取義，不能倒作本論原句。
對八鳥八憍，湛然另與七慢比較，並先自限為大同而意稍別〔T34n1719 0270c11–0270c12〕。祂逐項比配以後又說：「此中直爾有此八事，故憍慢者未必全有。」〔T34n1719 0270c27〕因此，八鳥是八種可見的憍事，不表示每一位起慢者必須同時具足八項；這是鏡中防止把列數誤讀成人格清單的限制。
字物訓詁在鏡中很多，卻被明白安置為輔助。蚖、蝮、蜈蚣、守宮、狖、鼷，以及咀、搏、撮、摣、掣等，都有字書或俗說可供辨形；湛然同時提醒，蟲名、獸狀、鬼體、神形不是主科，只須略知其所以成譬〔T34n1719 0271a01–0271a25〕。祂甚至駁回蜈蚣制蛇的一則俗說，不因收入異聞便等於採用。
捉狗一段，湛然先確認撥無因果只是本論明列的一解，又反問：「徒謗無因果何能免果？」〔T34n1719 0271b08〕狗聲因撲而出，恰好反照撥無不能使果消失。祂再把前段稱為事釋、後段稱為觀解，指出兩層不可互相替換〔T34n1719 0271b12–0271b14〕；如此既保存多解，也不把不同入口揉成一套連續步驟。
窺看窗牖處，湛然把四向收作見惑不出四句，又說利鈍都有飢急之義，而經文此處暫從利使解。祂以隔窗觀看說見空而偏：空理本無偏正，過失在能計之心〔T34n1719 0271c17–0271c23〕。這是鏡層接長本論的邪觀與滯著，不是本論自列的另一套四句科目。
到了火勢，湛然才明說宅寬、舍狹，三界為宅、五陰為舍〔T34n1719 0272a11–0272a12〕；這一配釋只屬鏡層，不能匿名放回本論。對空中，祂也特別說所指不是虛空，而是以穴外空地譬無色；又由色界、無色界段都仍見毒蟲，展開瞋通三界而名同體異的判釋〔T34n1719 0272b13–0272b22〕。這些都是後釋把本論線索接長之處。
非想八苦最能看出兩層的界線。本論逐字只列七項；湛然在「非想亦有八苦」〔T34n1719 0272b25〕之後，明指出所缺為愛別離，並以失定時苦補說〔0272b25–0272b27〕。祂再分初四約定體細想、次二對修、五盛陰約定果，末以因果都依彼定而說收束〔0272b27–0272c02〕。因此，愛別離可以在鏡眼中署名補見，卻不能悄悄回填成本論已經列出的第八項。
嚴格鏡域沒有為偈數總科與長者、五百人兼三十子、最後總結另立專段。這不是前論無義，只表示鏡文沒有逐段複述。鏡照有補、有斥、有判，也有留白；守住這些差別，才能讓後釋照亮前說，而不替前說改寫。
What first appears in the verse is not fire, but a house long-standing, old, and suddenly decrepit: the bases of its pillars are rotted, its beams and ridgepoles lean, its walls have split, its earthen coating has fallen away, and birds, beasts, ghosts, and spirits race through it in every direction. Only when the flames actually rise does one discover that the fire has not suddenly ruined a sound home. The house was already fragile and dangerous, and the creatures dwelling there were already pursuing, devouring, and fighting one another.
The root treatise begins its explanation of these thirty-three lines from precisely this sequence. It first establishes the number of verse lines and their outline positions, then lets the elder, the substance of the house, its inhabitants, and the outbreak of fire appear in order. The parable is not a static chart of correspondences, but a house undergoing decay, filled with restless movement, and finally burning on every side.
I. If There Are Clearly Six Meanings, Why Are Only Four Chanted Directly?
The general parable originally has six meanings, yet the verse directly chants only four: the elder, the house, the five hundred people, and the outbreak of fire. Have the other two meanings been lost?
The root treatise answers that four meanings are chanted directly and two are included incidentally. The house already includes the single gateway, and the five hundred people already include the thirty children. The six meanings therefore need not be arranged as six separate passages in order for all six to be present. This judgment first establishes how the whole passage should be read: some meanings are borne directly by a sentence, while others are carried along according to their relation to what is stated.
The opening sentence concerns the elder. The scripture gives only one designation, yet from the elder's virtues the root treatise discerns a name and conduct honored throughout country and city, as well as eminence in inner and outer qualities, age, and virtue. It then gathers wisdom, the virtue of severance, compassion, and other virtues under the title Bhagavān. This does not abandon the one sentence to invent a biography. It explains that calling someone an elder already implies virtues and standing sufficient to command respect.
The next three lines and one sentence turn to the house. The first sentence reveals its breadth, and the following three lines unfold the house's condition before it burns. The elder requires only one sentence, whereas the house is displayed piece by piece, because the center of this parable quickly moves from the householder to the dangerous house in which living beings actually remain.
II. Why Can the House's Decay Apply Simultaneously to Realm, Body, and Mind?
“Long-standing” means beginningless; “old” means not made only now; “suddenly decrepit” means impermanent and debased. The three terms do not merely repeat that the house is old. The first says that no beginning can be traced, the second that it was not suddenly produced in the present, and the third that its present condition is already low and ruined.
When it reaches height and danger, pillar bases, beams and ridgepoles, foundations, walls, and earthen coating, the root treatise does not retain only one set of correspondences. Height and danger may be read through moment-to-moment continuity that nevertheless ends in impermanence, or through the form and desire realms still being unable to avoid falling. Pillar bases may be the life faculty that supports existence, or the two feet. Beams and ridgepoles may be consciousness, which governs the whole body, or the spine. Walls and earthen coating may be read through the four elements and skin, or through youthful complexion, aged complexion, hair and beard, sinews and bones—as a body changing from fresh and clean to withered, and from mutual support to disconnection.
These readings are not compressed into a single answer from which only one may be chosen. The house can function as a parable precisely because the same danger takes visible form in different places: the realms bear the danger of falling, life the danger of ending, the body the danger of decay, and the mind the danger of laborious engagement with its objects. Each time the root treatise changes its correspondence, it still remains close to how that component of the scriptural house supports, leans, or falls away.
Master Yin reads “encircled by obstructions and winding” through the thirty-six constituents mutually obstructing one another and the intestines twisting and turning; he explains pervasive filth through impurity, suffering, and impermanence. What the root treatise itself adopts here instead takes the six consciousnesses as the surrounding obstructions and the six faculties as winding: consciousness takes objects in reliance upon the faculties, through a difficult and circuitous relation; because the six objects stain the six faculties everywhere, filth pervades the whole. The first reading reveals the interior of the physical body; the second reveals the interactions of faculties, consciousnesses, and objects. At this point the house is no longer an external backdrop. The body and mind on which its inhabitants rely are themselves the structure of the dangerous house.
III. If the Fire Has Not Yet Appeared, Why Are the Birds and Beasts Already Devouring One Another?
The five hundred people occupy only half a line, after which the text immediately enters the twenty-nine lines on the outbreak of fire. Of these twenty-nine, twenty-two concern what is on the ground, three and a half what is in holes, two and a half what is in open space, and one final line concludes. The twenty-two lines on the ground first use seventeen and a half lines for the kinds of beings burned, then describe the cause of the fire, its force, and the condition of those burned.
This sequence matters. The passage does not first present an abstract blaze and then throw living beings into it. It first enables readers to see how those being burned already live. Six lines on birds and beasts symbolize the five dull agents; ten lines on ghosts and spirits symbolize the five sharp agents. Before the fire begins, conceit is already looking down, anger already stinging, delusion already gathering upon filth, greed already chewing and trampling, and doubt already fighting between two alternatives.
The eight birds correspond to eight forms of pride: strength of youth, lineage, wealth, mastery, longevity, intelligence, wholesome conduct, and appearance, each matched to one bird. Their nature of soaring high and looking down directly displays self-elevation and contempt for others. Black snakes, vipers and scorpions, and centipedes distinguish three ways anger arises: without reason, through attachment to what one regards as principle, and through conceptual proliferation. The motionless house lizards and many-legged creatures, together with the moving monkeys, wildcats, and mice, further distinguish delusion arising alone from delusion arising in association.
With excrement, urine, and dung beetles, the parable says not only that delusion is present in the mind, but how delusion inverts the object it grasps. Objects are impermanent, painful, without self, and impure, yet delusion construes purity in them and becomes attached, like insects gathering upon filth. Pervasive impurity thus appears simultaneously in the substance of the house and its inhabitants: the dwelling is filled with filth, while those within cannot know things as they are or recognize what they are clinging to.
IV. If Both Are Greed, Why Does One Side Eat Flesh and the Other Gnaw Bones?
Foxes and wolves are first distinguished from jackals as greed with strength and greed without strength. Those with strength seize by force; those without it beg others for coarse and inferior things. Chewing means drawing things toward oneself, while trampling means acting without principle. They may also be divided as taking what is useful and taking what is useless, or as chewing when little is obtained and trampling when much is obtained. The several explanations never leave the same action: even after gaining what is before them, they do not stop.
Bones and flesh scattered everywhere first express the accumulation of the five sensory objects without satisfaction. The text then distinguishes greed belonging to craving from greed belonging to views. The former craves the flesh of the five objects; the latter craves the bones of principles and explanations. Greed therefore pursues not only things that can be enjoyed, but also explanations one can grasp and possess. The more views are acquired, the more bones accumulate and the more dogs fight over them.
Hunger, emaciation, and panic consequently have two aspects. People of many desires are never satisfied, fail to obtain what they seek, and search everywhere. Even if wealthy, they remain impoverished. Those who seek views lack the food of right Dharma, cannot subdue and sever their own views, and search everywhere for explanations; they too are hungry, thin, and restless. Another explanation takes the three words simply as the hopes and longings within a greedy person's mind. The passage allows one cluster of images to bear distinct explanations without conflating them.
The agent of doubt then appears. The mind moves back and forth between right and wrong, at one moment supposing something right and at the next wrong. Lacking inner decision, it emerges outwardly as fighting, howling, and barking. The passage on birds and beasts concludes here. The five dull agents are not five labels stored in the mind, but continuously enacted movements of elevation, harm, adhesion, seizure, and hesitation.
V. Why Are Ghosts and Spirits More Frightening Even Though They Possess Knowledge and Powers?
Ghosts and spirits symbolize the five sharp agents precisely because ghosts and spirits possess powers and knowledge, while birds and beasts do not. The distinction shows that acuteness does not guarantee a correct direction. Views can range across the five aggregates and four truths and rapidly form a coherent account. If they begin from denial and false reckoning, the greater the power of reasoning, the greater the devouring and terror produced.
Yakṣas symbolize deviant views. Human flesh represents good recompense and supramundane cause and effect unmixed with affliction; poisonous insects represent bad recompense and mundane cause and effect mixed with affliction. Denying the cause and effect of good and evil resembles devouring human flesh and poisonous insects together. Incubating and nursing offspring means that causes of a kind produce results of that kind; hiding and guarding mean that the result is contained within the cause and will unfailingly be obtained. When deviant views have eaten their fill, the mind of views is established; when their evil mind blazes more fiercely, the mind of views expands; and the sound of fighting means that an inward view has been completed and is then proclaimed outwardly as a doctrine denying cause and effect.
Kumbhāṇḍas symbolize attachment to precepts. Squatting upon earthen mounds may be read as rebirth among the six desire-realm heavens through the ten wholesome precepts, or as outsiders attaining desire-realm concentration and future concentration through discipline. Rising one or two feet above the ground further opens into form-realm concentration and concentration in the formless spheres. Yet rising higher does not mean that one has escaped. Going and returning, roaming freely, and playing reveal ascent, descent, and enjoyment while one still remains under the covering of views.
The passage about seizing the dog is especially long because the root treatise first records one explanation that denies cause and effect and then separately marks a contemplative explanation. The former uses seizing the feet and pressing a foot upon the neck to explain denial of the causes and results of suffering. The contemplative explanation takes the dog as desire and greed, applied and sustained thought as its two feet, and the contemplations of counting breaths, impurity, and impermanence as successive ways of restraining the mind. There are also readings through the impurity contemplation producing concentration, restraining the mind once, and continuously binding it to an object. If only the image of a dog being subdued remains, the distinctions unfolded by the text are lost: what is restrained, by what it is restrained, and how temporary inactivity differs from genuine escape.
VI. How Do the Ghosts' Forms Make Wrong Views Visible on Their Bodies?
The ghost of the view of a body extends vertically through the three times while construing a self and is therefore tall; it extends horizontally across the five aggregates while construing a self and is therefore large. Naked, black, and thin respectively reveal failure to cultivate good, adornment through evil, and lack of nourishment by merit and virtue. It constantly dwells in the house, proclaims outwardly the self inwardly construed, and hopes thereby to obtain the fruit of the path; hence it cries loudly in search of food.
The ghost of attachment to views has a throat like a needle. Its throat is narrow and its life imperiled, yet it clings to longevity; neither-perception-nor-nonperception is impermanent, yet it reckons this state as nirvāṇa. Extreme views resemble the two horns on an ox head: upon the view of self arise the two extremes of annihilation and permanence. Reckoning permanence refutes annihilation; reckoning annihilation refutes permanence. They turn back and forth like disheveled hair, and their mutual refutation resembles cruel harm.
When the scripture summarizes these desire-realm afflictions, it speaks of desperate hunger and peering through windows. Deviant views may admire right principle and try to look toward the principle of emptiness. The problem is not that they never look, but that they look through a window: attachment remains in their contemplation, so they cannot penetrate freely. This goes deeper than simply saying ignorance. Sometimes what truly obscures a person is precisely the angle from which one believes one has already seen.
VII. The House Belongs to One Person—Who, Then, Is Responsible for the Fire?
The house belongs to one person because the three realms are the sphere in which the Buddha manifests and teaches; since first giving rise to resolve, he has vowed to deliver the living beings within them. While the elder is in the house, he can make the children cautious about fire. When he has recently left and the children are unaware, the fire begins. “Recently left” here does not mean gone forever: the Tathāgata relinquishes a responsive manifestation and goes where affinities in another land call him, yet soon responds here again. It may also mean that, after no longer taking birth in the three realms, he still returns in responsive manifestations—having left, yet remaining near.
When fire rises on four sides, the root treatise correlates this with inversions, the five turbidities, and the eight sufferings arising in relation to body, feeling, mind, and dharmas. “Blazing” means continuously increasing. Exploding and splitting may be read through the severance of the life faculty and the wind-blade dismembering the body, or through cries of pain and the destruction of the faculties. Breaking, collapsing, and falling mean breath ending, bones separating, and sinews snapping; the walls falling down means dissolution of the four elements. Every dangerous and decayed part of the house described earlier now becomes the sound of ongoing collapse.
Those being burned also respond differently. Some explain the ghosts and spirits as relatives and their loud cries as weeping. The root treatise itself instead continues to follow the preceding text and takes the ghosts and spirits as the five sharp agents. Those who reckon annihilation or permanence cry out that their judgment is certain. The five dull agents and those attached to precepts do not originally reckon annihilation, but when they suddenly see impermanence, only doubt and fear remain; they do not know how to leave. Loud certainty and panic are, respectively, wrong certainty and uncertainty without an exit.
VIII. Why Does Hiding in a Hole or Rising into Open Space Still Not Escape the Fire?
The three and a half lines concerning holes explain the form realm. The four meditative absorptions resemble holes: although they are not as open as the space outside the gateway, they can offer refuge from the fierce flames of the desire realm. Living beings governed by the sharp agents may likewise attain concentration, like piśācas dwelling in the holes. Yet scant merit brings proximity to evil and encounter with suffering. Although fierce flames are absent within the hole, painful heat remains; although the four absorptions leave behind the coarse evils of the desire realm, subtle suffering from attachment to their flavor remains.
Even when concentration is the same, differing constructions lead people to affirm and deny one another and inflict mutual harm. Giving rise to views within concentration prevents the arising of uncontaminated concentration and wisdom. Attachment to silence resembles drinking blood; attachment to the five factors resembles eating flesh. Because future concentration has subdued desire-realm greed, the jackals have already died; greed for meditative concentration, like the great evil beasts, can in turn devour desire-realm greed. Abandoning the coarse for the subtle does not naturally amount to abandoning greed.
The next two and a half lines ascend to the formless realm. Becoming disenchanted with coarse form-realm objects and turning toward the formless resembles poisonous snakes driven by the fire to leave their holes. Attaining formless concentration ends engagement with the lower realms, like being seized and eaten immediately upon emergence. Yet at the summit of neither-perception-nor-nonperception, fire still burns overhead.
The root treatise then says that neither-perception-nor-nonperception also has eight sufferings, while its actual word-by-word list contains seven: the arising of a different thought is birth; thoughts not abiding from moment to moment are old age; mental activity disturbing and obstructing concentration is illness; falling back from concentration is death; being unable to obtain concentration is not obtaining what is sought; the appearance of an obstruction is encounter with what is hated; and the mind composed of the four aggregates is the suffering of the five clinging aggregates.
From the ground to the holes and then open space, the coarseness of the fire and the circumstances of the inhabitants continually change. What remains unchanged is that a higher and quieter dwelling still cannot be called escape from the house so long as inversion, attachment to meditative experience, and views remain. The final line adds no new parable, but gathers the passage through poison, fire, and manifold dangers within the house. The thirty-three lines of the general parable conclude not by making a spectacle of a great blaze, but by warning that living beings remain unable to emerge by themselves.
Through the Eye of the Wenjuji
Zhanran first supplements a question about the house. If one considers only the present dependent environment, some worlds arise and decay; how, then, can the house be called beginningless? He answers that living beings beginninglessly possess the causes of the three realms and that the seeds of delusion are never lost. Even when a place is destroyed and later forms again, cause and result remain continuous〔T34n1719 0270b28–0270c04〕. He also gathers “high and dangerous” into the terse statement “Continuous, hence high; impermanent, hence dangerous”〔T34n1719 0270c05〕. This mirror condenses the root treatise's long account into two points of force, but it is the later explanation's reading and cannot be represented as the root treatise's own sentence.
Regarding the eight birds and eight forms of pride, Zhanran separately compares them with the seven types of conceit, first limiting the comparison by saying that they largely agree while their purport differs slightly〔T34n1719 0270c11–0270c12〕. After correlating them one by one, he adds “Here these eight circumstances simply exist as such, so a conceited person does not necessarily possess all of them”〔T34n1719 0270c27〕. The eight birds are therefore eight observable occasions for pride; they do not mean that every arrogant person must simultaneously possess all eight. This is the mirror's restriction against misreading an enumeration as a personality checklist.
The mirror contains extensive lexical explanations, yet explicitly places them in a supporting role. Black snakes, vipers, centipedes, house lizards, monkeys, and mice, together with chewing, striking, seizing, grasping, and pulling, are distinguished through character books and popular accounts. At the same time, Zhanran cautions that the names of insects, forms of beasts, bodies of ghosts, and shapes of spirits are not the main point; one need know only briefly how they function as parables〔T34n1719 0271a01–0271a25〕. He even rejects one popular account of centipedes subduing snakes, showing that recording an account does not entail adopting it.
In the passage about seizing the dog, Zhanran first confirms that denial of cause and effect is only one explicitly listed explanation and then asks in return “How can merely denying cause and effect exempt one from the result?”〔T34n1719 0271b08〕. The dog's cry arising when it is struck precisely reflects how denial cannot make the result disappear. He then calls the preceding passage an explanation in terms of events and the following one a contemplative explanation, showing that the two layers cannot replace one another〔T34n1719 0271b12–0271b14〕. In this way, several explanations remain without being blended into one sequence.
At peering through the windows, Zhanran gathers the four directions under the four alternatives that encompass the afflictions of views. He also says that both sharp and dull agents have the meaning of desperate hunger, although the scripture here is provisionally interpreted through the sharp agents. Looking through a window means seeing emptiness partially: the principle of emptiness itself is neither partial nor impartial; the error lies in the mind that construes it〔T34n1719 0271c17–0271c23〕. This mirror explanation extends the root treatise's deviant contemplation and attachment but is not another fourfold outline listed by the root treatise itself.
Only in discussing the force of the fire does Zhanran explicitly say that a house is broad and a dwelling narrow, the three realms being the house and the five aggregates the dwelling〔T34n1719 0272a11–0272a12〕. This correlation belongs only to the mirror layer and cannot be inserted anonymously into the root treatise. Regarding open space, he likewise specifies that it does not mean empty space but the open ground outside the holes, symbolizing the formless realm. Because poisonous insects remain in both the form-realm and formless-realm passages, he further unfolds the judgment that anger extends through the three realms while sharing a name but differing in substance〔T34n1719 0272b13–0272b22〕. These are points at which the later explanation extends clues in the root treatise.
The eight sufferings at neither-perception-nor-nonperception reveal the boundary between the two layers most clearly. The root treatise lists only seven word for word. After the phrase “neither-perception-nor-nonperception also has eight sufferings”〔T34n1719 0272b25〕, Zhanran expressly identifies the missing item as separation from what is loved and explains it as suffering when concentration is lost〔0272b25–0272b27〕. He then places the first four in relation to subtle thought within the substance of concentration, the next two in relation to cultivation, and the suffering of the five clinging aggregates in relation to the result of concentration, concluding that both cause and result are explained in relation to that concentration〔0272b27–0272c02〕. Separation from what is loved may thus be seen and attributed within the mirror, but cannot be silently backfilled as an eighth item already listed by the root treatise.
The strict mirror domain has no separate passage for the general verse outline and elder, the five hundred people with the thirty children included, or the final conclusion. This does not mean that the preceding treatise lacks these meanings, only that the mirror does not restate every passage. The mirror supplements, rejects, judges, and also leaves spaces. Preserving these differences enables the later explanation to illuminate the earlier teaching without rewriting it.
考據Apparatus
本單元是〈譬喻品〉偈頌中重頌總譬的一段。智者先總判一百六十五行偈，再從前一百行中分出開譬與合譬，於開譬六十五行半中取前三十三行頌總譬。本段依次解長者、家宅、五百人與火起；火起又依地上、穴中、空中及總結，分釋欲界、色界、無色界與三界眾難。所帖根經為〈譬喻品〉火宅偈自「譬如長者」至「眾難非一」，下一行已轉頌別譬。
一、科判定位
嚴格域為 T34n1718〔0074c04–0077a08〕，共四千一百二十五個可見字、三千二百七十七個漢字。卷題「妙法蓮華經文句卷第六上」首字在〔0074c04〕，題署「天台智者大師說」首字在〔0074c06〕；義科正文自「第二，偈，有一百六十五行，分為二：」〔0074c07〕起，止於「第四，一行，總結三界眾難非一，頌總譬竟。」〔0077a08〕。下一行「「是時宅主在門外立」下，有三十二行半偈，頌第二別譬。」〔0077a09〕已開下一單元。
本論先說「總頌六意，六意中止頌其四，兼得其二」〔0074c12〕：正頌長者、家宅、五百人、火起四意，家宅兼得一門，五百人兼得三十子。六意因此不是六段等幅重頌，而是四項正頌、兩項兼攝。
| 層級 | 本論所列 | 行錨 |
|---|---|---|
| 偈頌總數 | 前一百行頌上長行，後六十五行明通經方法 | 0074c07–0074c09 |
| 前一百行 | 六十五行半頌開譬，三十四行半頌合譬 | 0074c09–0074c11 |
| 開譬六十五行半 | 三十三行頌總譬，三十二行半頌別譬 | 0074c11–0074c12 |
| 總譬六意 | 正頌四意，家宅兼一門，五百人兼三十子 | 0074c12–0074c14 |
| 正頌四意 | 長者一句；家宅三行一句；五百人半行；火起二十九行 | 0074c14–0075a17 |
| 火起二十九行 | 地上二十二；穴中三行半；空中二行半；總結一行 | 0075a13–0075a17 |
| 欲界二十二行 | 所燒十七行半；火由一行半；火勢一行半；被燒相一行半 | 0075a18–0075a22 |
| 所燒十七行半 | 正明十六行；總結一行半 | 0075a23–0075a24 |
| 正明十六行 | 禽獸六行譬五鈍使；鬼神十行譬五利使 | 0075a24–0075a26 |
| 五鈍六行 | 五鈍五行半；結文半行 | 0075a26–0075a27 |
| 五利十行 | 總明半行；別明九行半 | 0075c08–0075c12 |
| 色界三行半 | 所燒一行；火由半行；火勢半行；被燒相二行 | 0076c05–0076c15 |
| 無色界二行半 | 所燒之類一行；所燒之相一行半 | 0076c24–0076c27 |
| 非想八苦 | 本論實列生、老、病、死、求不得、怨憎會、五盛陰七項 | 0077a01–0077a06 |
依本文轉折，可辨十三個讀義節點：
| 次第 | 行域 | 本論內容 |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | 0074c07–0074c18 | 偈頌總科、總譬六意及長者 |
| 二 | 0074c18–0075a10 | 家宅之廣、宅體及多組身心配釋 |
| 三 | 0075a11–0075a12 | 五百人兼三十子 |
| 四 | 0075a13–0075a27 | 火起二十九行總科，分欲、色、無色及總結 |
| 五 | 0075a27–0075c07 | 五鈍使：慢、瞋、癡、貪、疑 |
| 六 | 0075c08–0075c25 | 五利使總科及邪見 |
| 七 | 0075c25–0076a19 | 戒取及捉狗諸釋 |
| 八 | 0076a19–0076b11 | 身見、見取、邊見及欲界總結 |
| 九 | 0076b12–0076b20 | 失火之由與家主近出 |
| 十 | 0076b20–0076c05 | 火起之勢與被燒相 |
| 十一 | 0076c05–0076c24 | 穴中事：色界火起 |
| 十二 | 0076c24–0077a07 | 空中事：無色界火起與非想諸苦 |
| 十三 | 0077a07–0077a08 | 總結三界眾難 |
二、成立與傳本
本單元所在卷端只署「天台智者大師說」〔T34n1718 0074c06〕。全帙神逈序另記「灌頂法師私記」〔T34n1718 0001a23〕，並稱天寶戊子東陽朗和尚「方始條倫」〔T34n1718 0001b07〕。因此，本段義說歸智者，文字傳錄另有灌頂私記及唐代治定層；卷端未署灌頂，不補朝代、字號或另一說者。
本域的大正本正文另存四十一組校異、兩枚所傳夾註與兩個外字。這些異存可見現行文字的傳寫層次，卻不足復原天寶治定以前的完整次第；正文守現行大正本，甲本及大正原字只並錄其異。
三、所帖經文與所引
（一）根經嚴格域與本版回錨
本論所帖偈頌，在本倉封印本 canon/tiantai/fahua/treatise/03_piyu/03_piyu_source.md 第一百十九至一百六十二行完整保存。大正藏嚴格域如下：
| 項目 | 根經字面與行錨 |
|---|---|
| 起句 | 譬如長者，有一大宅，其宅久故，〔T09n0262 0013c19〕 |
| 末句 | 甚可怖畏，毒害火災，眾難非一。〔T09n0262 0014b04〕 |
| 下一科 | 是時宅主，在門外立，聞有人言：〔T09n0262 0014b05〕 |
| 行錨分母 | 起訖之間四十四個大正藏行錨；這是排版行數，不等於本論所判三十三偈行 |
（二）根經四十四行
| 次第 | loc | T09n0262 可見字流 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0013c19 | 譬如長者，有一大宅，其宅久故， |
| 2 | 0013c20 | 而復頓弊，堂舍高危，柱根摧朽， |
| 3 | 0013c21 | 梁棟傾斜，基陛隤毀，牆壁圮坼， |
| 4 | 0013c22 | 泥塗褫落，覆苫亂墜，椽梠差脫， |
| 5 | 0013c23 | 周障屈曲，雜穢充遍。有五百人， |
| 6 | 0013c24 | 止住其中。鵄梟雕鷲、烏鵲鳩鴿、 |
| 7 | 0013c25 | 蚖蛇蝮蠍、蜈蚣蚰蜒、守宮百足、 |
| 8 | 0013c26 | 狖貍鼷鼠，諸惡蟲輩，交橫馳走。 |
| 9 | 0013c27 | 屎尿臭處，不淨流溢，蜣蜋諸蟲， |
| 10 | 0013c28 | 而集其上。狐狼野干，咀嚼踐蹋， |
| 11 | 0013c29 | 䶩齧死屍、骨肉狼藉。由是群狗， |
| 12 | 0014a01 | 競來搏撮，飢羸慞惶，處處求食。 |
| 13 | 0014a02 | 鬪諍𪙁掣，嘊喍㘁吠，其舍恐怖， |
| 14 | 0014a03 | 變狀如是。處處皆有，魑魅魍魎、 |
| 15 | 0014a04 | 夜叉惡鬼，食噉人肉。毒蟲之屬， |
| 16 | 0014a05 | 諸惡禽獸，孚乳產生，各自藏護。 |
| 17 | 0014a06 | 夜叉競來，爭取食之，食之既飽， |
| 18 | 0014a07 | 惡心轉熾，鬪諍之聲，甚可怖畏。 |
| 19 | 0014a08 | 鳩槃荼鬼，蹲踞土埵，或時離地， |
| 20 | 0014a09 | 一尺二尺，往返遊行，縱逸嬉戲， |
| 21 | 0014a10 | 捉狗兩足，撲令失聲，以腳加頸， |
| 22 | 0014a11 | 怖狗自樂。復有諸鬼，其身長大， |
| 23 | 0014a12 | 裸形黑瘦，常住其中，發大惡聲， |
| 24 | 0014a13 | 叫呼求食。復有諸鬼，其咽如針。 |
| 25 | 0014a14 | 復有諸鬼，首如牛頭，或食人肉， |
| 26 | 0014a15 | 或復噉狗，頭髮蓬亂，殘害凶險， |
| 27 | 0014a16 | 飢渴所逼，叫喚馳走。夜叉餓鬼， |
| 28 | 0014a17 | 諸惡鳥獸，飢急四向，窺看窓牖。 |
| 29 | 0014a18 | 如是諸難，恐畏無量。是朽故宅， |
| 30 | 0014a19 | 屬于一人。其人近出，未久之間， |
| 31 | 0014a20 | 於後舍宅，欻然火起，四面一時， |
| 32 | 0014a21 | 其炎俱熾。棟梁椽柱，爆聲震裂， |
| 33 | 0014a22 | 摧折墮落，牆壁崩倒。諸鬼神等， |
| 34 | 0014a23 | 揚聲大叫。雕鷲諸鳥、鳩槃荼等， |
| 35 | 0014a24 | 周章惶怖，不能自出。惡獸毒蟲， |
| 36 | 0014a25 | 藏竄孔穴。毘舍闍鬼，亦住其中， |
| 37 | 0014a26 | 薄福德故，為火所逼，共相殘害， |
| 38 | 0014a27 | 飲血噉肉。野干之屬，竝已前死， |
| 39 | 0014a28 | 諸大惡獸，競來食噉，臭烟熢㶿， |
| 40 | 0014a29 | 四面充塞。蜈蚣蚰蜒、毒蛇之類， |
| 41 | 0014b01 | 為火所燒，爭走出穴，鳩槃荼鬼、 |
| 42 | 0014b02 | 隨取而食。又諸餓鬼，頭上火燃， |
| 43 | 0014b03 | 飢渴熱惱，周章悶走。其宅如是， |
| 44 | 0014b04 | 甚可怖畏，毒害火災，眾難非一。 |
（三）根經與本論的分段對位
| 本論科位 | 根經範圍 | 對位 |
|---|---|---|
| 長者、家宅、五百人 | 0013c19–0013c24 | 長者一句後接宅體與五百人；細科由本論開出 |
| 欲界所燒之類 | 0013c24–0014a17 | 鳥獸、蟲、狗、鬼神次第連列 |
| 火由、火勢、被燒相 | 0014a18–0014a24 | 先說宅屬一人、近出，再說欻然火起及眾類惶怖 |
| 穴中事 | 0014a24–0014a29 | 惡獸毒蟲、孔穴、毘舍闍與大惡獸 |
| 空中事 | 0014a29–0014b03 | 蟲蛇出穴、鳩槃荼取食、餓鬼頭燃 |
| 總結 | 0014b03–0014b04 | 其宅如是、眾難非一；下一行轉宅主在門外 |
根經四十四行內沒有隨文夾註，另有四個外字：
| loc | 字 | 字庫標識 |
|---|---|---|
| 0013c29 | 䶩 | CB00604；組字為齒與齊 |
| 0014a02 | 𪙁 | CB00601；組字為齒與查 |
| 0014a02 | 㘁 | CB00079；組字為口與睪 |
| 0014a28 | 㶿 | CB00197；組字為火與孛 |
（四）本論帖經與今本字面差
| T34n1718 所帖或解詞 | T09n0262 今本 | 異同 |
|---|---|---|
從「鴟梟」下〔T34n1718 0075a13〕 | 鵄梟雕鷲〔T09n0262 0013c24〕 | 鴟、鵄異字 |
「牆壁圮圻」〔T34n1718 0075a02〕 | 牆壁圮坼〔T09n0262 0013c21〕 | 圻、坼異字 |
如「椽梠荖脫」〔T34n1718 0075a05〕 | 椽梠差脫〔T09n0262 0013c22〕 | 荖、差異字 |
其有齊畔如「䶩囓」也〔T34n1718 0075b21〕 | 䶩齧死屍〔T09n0262 0013c29〕 | 囓、齧及句法不同 |
「鬪諍摣掣」〔T34n1718 0075c04〕 | 鬪諍𪙁掣〔T09n0262 0014a02〕 | 摣、𪙁異字 |
「啀喍嘷吠」〔T34n1718 0075c06〕 | 嘊喍㘁吠〔T09n0262 0014a02〕 | 啀、嘊及嘷、㘁異字 |
「鳩槃茶」下〔T34n1718 0075c25〕 | 鳩槃荼鬼〔T09n0262 0014a08〕 | 茶、荼異字；本論另有大、甲異讀 |
「於後宅舍」下〔T34n1718 0076b20〕 | 於後舍宅〔T09n0262 0014a20〕 | 宅舍、舍宅次序不同 |
如「頭上火然」〔T34n1718 0077a01〕 | 頭上火燃〔T09n0262 0014b02〕 | 然、燃異字 |
（五）《文殊師利問經》八憍
本論說「八鳥譬八慢，《文殊問經》明八憍，今用配八鳥。」〔T34n1718 0075a29〕，所列次序為盛壯、性、富、自在、壽命、聰明、行善、色，依次配鴟、梟、雕、鷲、烏、鵲、鳩、鴿〔0075b01–0075b03〕。
今本《文殊師利問經》作：
| T14n0468 今本逐字 | loc |
|---|---|
斷憍慢聲者，憍者，色憍、盛壯憍、富憍、自在憍、 | 0500b26 |
姓憍、行善憍、壽命憍、聰明憍，此謂八憍。 | 0500b27 |
| 比較點 | T34n1718 | T14n0468 |
|---|---|---|
| 題名 | 《文殊問經》 | 《文殊師利問經》 |
| 字形 | 性憍 | 姓憍 |
| 次序 | 盛壯、性、富、自在、壽命、聰明、行善、色 | 色、盛壯、富、自在、姓、行善、壽命、聰明 |
| 八鳥配當 | 逐項配八鳥 | 今本兩行只列八憍，沒有八鳥配當 |
（六）〈壽量品〉「數現涅槃」
本論說「〈壽量品〉云「數現涅槃」，即是出宅意也。」〔T34n1718 0076b20〕。今本 T09n0262 沒有「數現涅槃」連文，可對讀者如下：
| T09n0262 今本逐字 | loc |
|---|---|
是故如來雖不實滅，而言滅度。 | 0043a05 |
為度眾生故，方便現涅槃， | 0043b16 |
而實不滅度，常住此說法。 | 0043b17 |
『常在此不滅，以方便力故，現有滅不滅。』 | 0043b25 |
本論所傳撮語與今本平行各守其字面，不把今本平行補成疏引原句。
（七）《文句記》引《俱舍》七慢
《文句記》以八憍比《俱舍》七慢，先自限為「大同」而「意稍別」〔T34n1719 0270c11–0270c12〕。所傳與今本如下：
| T34n1719 所傳 | T29n1558 今本相近字面 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|
於他勝謂己勝〔0270c13〕 | 於勝謂勝名慢過慢。〔0101a17〕 | 有他字及名目句法差 |
於他勝謂己等〔0270c15–0270c16〕 | 於等於勝如其次第謂勝謂等總名過慢。〔0101a16–0101a17〕 | 鏡文作縮句 |
於有德中謂己有德〔0270c17–0270c18〕 | 於無德中謂己有德名為邪慢。〔0101a20–0101a21〕 | 有、無字面相反 |
未得謂得〔0270c19〕 | 於未證得殊勝德中謂已證得名增上慢。〔0101a18〕 | 鏡文作縮句 |
於他等謂己等，於等而輕〔0270c21–0270c22〕 | 於劣於等如其次第謂己為勝、謂己為等，令心高舉總說為慢。〔0101a14–0101a16〕 | 句法不同 |
於多分勝謂己少劣〔0270c23〕 | 於多分勝謂己少劣名為卑慢。〔0101a19〕 | 核心八字相合，今本續出名目 |
色不如他亦謂己等〔0270c25〕 | 今本七慢段無此連續字串 | 鏡文以色貌舉例 |
今本總列為「且慢隨眠差別有七，一慢、二過慢、三慢過慢、四我慢、五增上慢、六卑慢、七邪慢。」〔T29n1558 0101a12–0101a13〕。八憍與七慢不是固定的一對一同表。
《文句記》另引同類因頌：
| T34n1719 所傳 | T29n1558 今本 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|
同類因相似，自部地前生〔0271a27–0271a28〕 | 同類因相似，自部地前生，〔0031a20〕 | 核心逐字相合，今本偈後續另文 |
（八）《文句記》其他顯名所引
| T34n1719 所傳 | 今本見證 | 限度 |
|---|---|---|
具如《止觀》第五記引《阿含》本劫本見末劫末見〔0271c06–0271c07〕 | T46n1912 作 言本劫本見等者。長阿含十三云。〔0315a06–0315a07〕，又作 本劫本見一十八。末劫末見四十四。合六十二。〔0315a08–0315a09〕 | 只作源指 |
| 同上《阿含》 | T01n0001 作 諸有沙門、婆羅門於本劫本見、末劫末見，種種無數〔0089c23〕，續說盡入六十二見〔0089c24–0089c26〕 | 鏡文未逐引全文 |
《經》「四向」者〔0271c17〕 | T09n0262 作 諸惡鳥獸，飢急四向，窺看窓牖。〔0014a17〕 | 核心字面相合 |
鏡文顯名的古字書及文獻，均以《文句記》所傳字面為據：
| 顯名來源 | 鏡中所傳 | 行錨 |
|---|---|---|
| 《漢書》 | 玄蚖蝮者。 | 0271a02–0271a03 |
| 《爾雅》 | 虺長三寸大如指 | 0271a03 |
| 《玉篇》 | 狖、鼷、魍魎、孚等多條 | 0271a08–0271a24 |
| 《說文》 | 「狸」字《說文》從豸。 | 0271a09 |
| 《說文》 | 「鼷」者，《說文》云：「小鼠。」 | 0271a10 |
| 《釋名》 | 「摣」者，《釋名》云：「叉也。」 | 0271a17 |
| 《通俗文》 | 山澤之怪謂之魑也、卵化曰孚 | 0271a20–0271a24 |
| 《西京賦》 | 山神虎形曰魑，宅神豬頭人形曰魅。 | 0271a21–0271a22 |
| 《廣雅》 | 孚亦生也。 | 0271a24 |
這些古典來源在本段沒有另一部大正藏見證可供逐字同定，故只繫《文句記》所傳，不另造出處。
四、文句記釋要〔鏡〕
《法華文句記》的嚴格鏡域起於「「有一大宅」者，有人云：且指一方三界，故云一。」〔T34n1719 0270b26〕，止於「若因若果皆約彼定，故得言之。」〔0272c01–0272c02〕；同一行後一新段「「不處第一空座」者，第一義空為智理合」〔0272c02〕已轉頌別譬。偈數總科與長者、五百人兼三十子、末一行總結，在此嚴格鏡域沒有專段重述。
| 本論節點 | 《文句記》鏡釋 |
|---|---|
| 宅之久故 | 設依報近成與三界無始之問，以「眾生無始具三界因，惑種不亡故云無始」〔0270c01〕回答，末取正報釋較便〔0270c04〕 |
| 高危、梁棟 | 相續故高，無常故危。〔0270c05〕；意識統御一身，如梁棟立屋〔0270c05–0270c06〕 |
| 多組宅體配釋 | 頭殿腹堂判作觀心，色堂欲舍判作因緣，命根以下亦歸觀心〔0270c07–0270c09〕 |
| 八憍七慢 | 先說憍、慢能所別，再逐項與《俱舍》比較，並限「大同」而「意稍別」〔0270c10–0270c12〕 |
| 名物字訓 | 自蚖、蜈蚣、守宮至魑魅魍魎、孚乳、鳩槃茶，徵引古字書而輔釋〔0271a01–0271b01〕 |
| 貪與捉狗 | 判愛心貪、見心貪為寄鈍使對辨〔0271a12–0271a16〕；捉狗段分事釋與觀解〔0271b12–0271b14〕 |
| 身見、見取、邊見 | 以三世、五陰疏通豎橫，以非果計果疏通見取，以根本我及二角疏通斷常〔0271b19–0271c03〕 |
| 窺看窓牖 | 看不正者，由隔窓牖，故見空而偏〔0271c19〕，並說空理無偏正，偏由計者〔0271c20–0271c23〕 |
| 宅屬一人、近出 | 由化主統攝三界及眾生說歸長者〔0271c24–0271c27〕，又以〈壽量〉助成近義〔0272a06–0272a08〕 |
| 火勢與宅舍 | 分勢分、威勢二義〔0272a09–0272a11〕；宅寬舍狹，三界為宅，五陰為舍〔0272a11–0272a12〕只屬鏡釋 |
| 親屬哭泣舊說 | 指為古人通三界之釋，並明說不用，因其只攝欲界人中南洲禮度〔0272a20–0272a23〕 |
| 色界、無色界 | 疏通禪中見惑、默然、伏名斷及煙焰〔0272a24–0272b11〕；又明「空中」不是虛空〔0272b13–0272b16〕 |
| 瞋通三界 | 由三界文中皆見蜈蚣等得出結論，又說同名而體異〔0272b16–0272b22〕 |
| 非想八苦 | 明說本文列七，缺愛別離，補作失定時苦〔0272b25–0272b27〕，再分七項所繫〔0272b27–0272c02〕 |
五、諸家異釋
本論在嚴格域以亦云、一云、又云、印師云、今云、世人云、或云及諸部解義等標記，保存十八項異說、傳說或當處取捨：
| 次第 | 標記 | 本論逐字 | loc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 亦云 | 亦云頭殿、腹堂、背為舍，念念相續無常為「高危」。 | 0074c22 |
| 2 | 一云 | 一云，色界為「堂」，欲界為「舍」，不免墮落名「高危」，命根支持如「柱」，過去行業為「基陛」也。 | 0074c23 |
| 3 | 亦云 | 亦云，兩足為「柱根」，三相所遷名「摧朽」也。 | 0074c25 |
| 4 | 亦云 | 亦云脊骨為「梁棟」，𦝣為「基陛」，衰老之時為「頹毀」。 | 0074c27 |
| 5 | 一云 | 一云，四大為「牆壁」，皮膚為「泥塗」，四威儀不正為「亂墜」，五識不聰不相主境為「差脫」。 | 0074c29 |
| 6 | 亦云 | 亦云，「牆壁圮圻」如皮膚皴朽，壯色鮮淨如初泥塗，老色枯悴如後褫落，髮髭朽老則皆脫落如「覆苫亂墜」，筋骨老弱支節不援如「椽梠荖脫」。 | 0075a02 |
| 7 | 印師云 | 印師云：「三十六物更相隔障故云周障，猪腸盤迴故云屈曲，非但無常所遷，亦有不淨苦等，故云雜穢充遍也。」 | 0075a05 |
| 8 | 今云 | 今云，「周障」是六識，「屈曲」是六根，六識緣六根取境，艱關故言「屈曲」，六塵遍染六根故言「雜穢充遍」。 | 0075a08 |
| 9 | 世人云 | 世人云，赤頸者是蜈蚣，不赤者是蚰蜒。 | 0075b08 |
| 10 | 亦云 | 亦云，貪心取境有用不用，有用而取如「咀嚼」，不用而取如「踐踏」，又少則咀嚼，多則踐踏也。 | 0075b22 |
| 11 | 一云 | 一云，即是貪人希求念望也。 | 0075c03 |
| 12 | 一云 | 一云，謗無苦因如捉狗足，撥無苦果如脚加頸，集本得果如狗之聲，利見撥言無集無得苦之理，令其失聲也。 | 0076a04 |
| 13 | 又云 | 又云，作不淨觀如撲狗，能生禪定如被撲失聲也。 | 0076a12 |
| 14 | 又云 | 又云，一往制心如向地撲；常繫在緣，如脚加頸令不得起也； | 0076a16 |
| 15 | 又云 | 又云，從得無生已，不生三界故名「出」，不久應來故言「近」。 | 0076b18 |
| 16 | 又云 | 又云，受苦悲痛呻吟聲名為「爆」，諸根破壞為「裂」，氣斷骨離筋絕，為「摧折墮落」，四大解散為「牆壁崩倒」也。 | 0076b24 |
| 17 | 或云 | 或云，親屬為「鬼神」，哭泣為「揚聲」，今例上利使以譬神鬼。 | 0076b27 |
| 18 | 諸部解義 | 諸部解義瞋通三界，即此文也。 | 0076c06 |
第七項是印師說，第八項以今云另取六識、六根、六塵之釋。第十七項先錄親屬哭泣之說，隨即改取前文五利使以解鬼神。第十八項只稱諸部解義，沒有部名。本論另有「觀解者」〔0076a07〕與「若爾瞋通三界也」〔0076c28〕，雖不在十八個明示標記中，仍分別屬觀解與當處推論。
《文句記》鏡域又錄一方三界、他人利鈍章門、蜈蚣制蛇、守宮與蝘蜒、古人哭泣通三界等說。湛然明斥蜈蚣制蛇之語有損〔T34n1719 0271a05–0271a06〕，也明說不用哭泣通三界的舊釋〔0272a22〕；有錄不等於取用。
六、術語
| 詞語 | 本論義位 |
|---|---|
| 長者 | 頌上位號，兼得名行、歎德；內合婆伽婆與智斷慈悲萬德〔0074c14–0074c18〕 |
| 久、故、頓弊 | 三界無始；非今所造；無常卑鄙〔0074c21–0074c22〕 |
| 家宅 | 先說宅廣，再廣出宅體；堂、舍、柱、基陛、梁棟等有多組身、界、業、命配釋 |
| 周障、屈曲、雜穢充遍 | 印師以三十六物、猪腸、不淨苦解；本論今云另以六識、六根、六塵解 |
| 五百人、三十子 | 三乘根性為五道所攝，五百人一句兼得三十子；兩個數目不是同一群量 |
| 五鈍使 | 慢、瞋、癡、貪、疑；各有細分，半行結文不另成一使 |
| 八鳥、八憍 | 盛壯、性、富、自在、壽命、聰明、行善、色，依次配鴟、梟、雕、鷲、烏、鵲、鳩、鴿 |
| 三種瞋 | 非理生瞋、執理瞋、戲論瞋，依次以蚖、蝮蠍、蜈蚣為譬 |
| 癡二種 | 獨起與相應起，分別以守宮百足及狖狸鼷鼠等為譬 |
| 貪二種 | 有力以威勢取，無力從他乞索麁弊；另有愛心貪、見心貪的另一組二分 |
| 疑 | 猶豫二邊，鬪諍而未決是非，摣與掣表暫取兩邊 |
| 五利使 | 邪見、戒取、身見、見取、邊見，次序依本論列序 |
| 邪見 | 撥無善惡及世、出世因果，以夜叉食人肉、毒蟲等作譬 |
| 戒取 | 取有漏善、十善戒、外道禪定為勝；捉狗段兼有事釋、觀解及多支又云 |
| 身見 | 豎入三世計我名長，橫遍五陰計我名大 |
| 見取 | 非想無常而計為涅槃，以咽如針為譬 |
| 邊見 | 斷、常二邊，如牛頭二角；兩支互相破斥 |
| 失火之由 | 三界為佛化應處，家主近出另存赴他土與得無生後不生三界兩解 |
| 四面、一時、熾 | 四面為處所，身、受、心、法等起四倒、五濁、八苦；一時為同起；熾為相續漸增 |
| 色界孔穴 | 四禪之定如孔穴；所燒、火由、火勢、被燒相四科各自分明 |
| 無色界空中 | 厭色界定而趣無色，毒蛇等出穴為所燒之類 |
| 非想八苦 | 本論名八苦而實落七項；愛別離只見《文句記》補釋 |
本域沒有五時八教、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的完整字串。這項零見只限定本域字面，不否定本論已明說的三界、五濁、五鈍五利、因緣或觀心等義。
七、譬喻・互讀・承衍
火宅偈先讓破敗建築成為眾生身心的可見形狀。高危、摧朽、傾斜、頹毀、褫落、差脫不是同義堆疊；本論把命根、業、四大、皮膚、威儀、五識等分別貼回宅舍構件，又保留不同古說，使一座宅同時顯出無常、不淨與身心互相牽制的多面。
鳥獸、蟲與鬼神把煩惱的作用轉成動作。陵高下視顯慢，吸毒、螫觸、戲論顯三瞋，交橫馳走顯諸使相緣而速起，咀嚼、踐踏、搏撮、求食顯貪取不知止足。到了鬼神段，邪見、戒取、身見、見取、邊見又各有食噉、蹲踞、長大、咽細、牛角等形象。譬喻與法義逐科相合，卻不把鬼獸名物本身改作煩惱名稱。
與本倉〈譬喻品〉根經互讀，本單元只消釋火宅偈的頌總譬；羊車、鹿車、牛車及等賜大車都在本域以前的長行或其後的別譬、法合中：
| 根經場景 | T09n0262 今本逐字與行錨 | 本域關係 |
|---|---|---|
| 長者諸子 | 長者諸子，若十、二十，或至三十，在此宅中。〔0012b18〕 | 本論只說五百人句兼得三十子 |
| 三車 | 如此種種羊車、鹿車、牛車，今在門外，可以遊戲。〔0012c09〕 | 不在本域所帖四十四行 |
| 索車 | 諸子等各白父言：『父先所許玩好之具，羊車、鹿車、牛車，願時賜與。』〔0012c16〕 | 三名逐項保留 |
| 大車 | 爾時長者各賜諸子等一大車〔0012c18〕 | 各賜與一大車同時成立 |
| 白牛 | 駕以白牛，膚色充潔，形體姝好，有大筋力〔0012c22〕 | 今本沒有大白牛車連文 |
| 七寶大車 | 我有如是七寶大車，其數無量〔0012c27〕 | 七寶與羊鹿牛不是同一分類 |
| 三乘配車 | 是名聲聞乘，如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅〔0013b20〕；是名辟支佛乘，如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅〔0013b23〕；如彼諸子為求牛車、出於火宅。〔0013b28〕 | 根經在另一段明配，不倒入本域作偈中自說 |
| 眾生皆子 | 是諸眾生皆是我子，等與大乘〔0013c06〕 | 法合之子不可倒作五百人全即三十子 |
與《法華玄義》互讀，火宅所顯的開權顯實可回到教相層理解；與《摩訶止觀》互讀，只取本論自己已明標的觀解、數息、不淨、無常等穩定接點，不把他部門目倒入本段。《法華玄贊》同釋〈譬喻品〉，可作慈恩一鏡的互讀見證，不以一疏裁另一疏。
本段承衍至下一單元時，宅主已在門外，三十二行半偈開始頌別譬；長者如何驚入、告喻、許車、等賜，須依後段自身科文展開。本段只把宅、火及宅中眾難建立完成。
八、校本定位
（一）嚴格域四十一組校異
正文以大正本為底。四十一組中，三十三組有數字或大正校錨，八組是星號校並以相應號回指；十二組甲本空讀，均明列為甲本缺。
| 次第 | loc | 錨型 | 【大】或現行字 | 【甲】或大正原字 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0074c08 | 數字 0074004 | 有【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 2 | 0075a02 | 大正校 0075a0201 | 圮【CB】 | 𡉏【大】 |
| 3 | 0075a06 | 數字 0075001 | 腸【大】 | 腹【甲】 |
| 4 | 0075a10 | 數字 0075002 | 遍【大】 | 滿【甲】 |
| 5 | 0075a13 | 數字 0075003 | 行【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 6 | 0075a17 | 數字 0075004 | 界【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 7 | 0075a19 | 數字 0075005 | 有【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 8 | 0075a20 | 數字 0075006 | 半【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 9 | 0075a21 | 數字 0075007 | 一【大】 | 二【甲】 |
| 10 | 0075a21 | 數字 0075008 | 後【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 11 | 0075a22 | 數字 0075009 | 四【大】 | 四後【甲】 |
| 12 | 0075a28 | 數字 0075010 | 譬【大】 | 舉【甲】 |
| 13 | 0075b01 | 數字 0075011 | 憍如【大】 | 如憍【甲】 |
| 14 | 0075b04 | 數字 0075012 | 淫【大】 | 婬【甲】 |
| 15 | 0075b07 | 數字 0075013 | 蠍【大】 | 竭【甲】 |
| 16 | 0075b09 | 大正校 0075b0901 | 蜒【CB】 | 蜓【大】 |
| 17 | 0075b10 | 數字 0075014 | 起【大】 | 起有【甲】 |
| 18 | 0075b11 | 數字 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 19 | 0075b16 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 20 | 0075b22 | 數字 0075016 | 而【大】 | 故【甲】 |
| 21 | 0075c08 | 數字 0075017 | 使【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 22 | 0075c11 | 數字 0075018 | 蟲【大】 | 禽【甲】 |
| 23 | 0075c15 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 24 | 0075c16 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 25 | 0075c19 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 26 | 0075c22 | 數字 0075019 | 熾盛」者【大】 | 轉熾者【甲】 |
| 27 | 0075c25 | 數字 0075020 | 茶【大】 | 荼【甲】 |
| 28 | 0075c26 | 星號回指 0075020 | 茶【大】 | 荼【甲】 |
| 29 | 0075c26 | 數字 0075021 | 勝【大】 | 肢【甲】 |
| 30 | 0075c27 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 31 | 0075c29 | 數字 0075022 | 定【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 32 | 0076a01 | 星號回指 0075022 | 定【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 33 | 0076a08 | 數字 0076001 | 如【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 34 | 0076a10 | 數字 0076002 | 是【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 35 | 0076a13 | 數字 0076003 | 失【大】 | 出【甲】 |
| 36 | 0076b01 | 數字 0076004 | 為我【大】 | 我為【甲】 |
| 37 | 0076b04 | 數字 0076005 | 時【大】 | 復【甲】 |
| 38 | 0076b09 | 數字 0076006 | 窺【大】 | 甲本缺 |
| 39 | 0076b21 | 數字 0076007 | 宅舍【大】 | 舍宅【甲】 |
| 40 | 0076c05 | 星號回指 0075015 | 蟲【大】 | 虫【甲】 |
| 41 | 0077a07 | 數字 0077001 | 猶【大】 | 由【甲】 |
六次蟲、虫的星號重現都回指同一基本校項；鳩槃茶、荼及定字的星號校亦各回指基本校項，並非另有互不相干的底本註。
（二）所傳夾註
嚴格域有兩枚 <note place="inline">，讀者形均作〔云云〕：
| loc | 讀者形逐字 |
|---|---|
| 0075a09–0075a10 | 六塵遍染六根故言「雜穢充遍」。因緣、觀心兩番釋〔云云〕。 |
| 0075b04–0075b05 | 自忿為恚、忿他為瞋，自惑為愚、惑他為癡〔云云〕。 |
夾註留在所屬句內，不與正文抹平成連文。
（三）外字、目錄與頁錨
本域有兩個外字：𦝣〔0074c28〕為 CB03554，䶩〔0075b21〕為 CB00604。兩字在原典讀者層均已解作 Unicode 字形，仍各守其字，不換近形。
全帙目錄題有兩形：〈序品〉不冠釋字，其餘二十七品作釋某品；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，本域在〔T34 0074c04〕與〔T34 0075c08〕標示頁面或段落轉換；考據引文則另以引句首字前最近的大正藏行標定位，頁錨不能替代逐句精錨。
This unit is the portion of the “Parable” chapter’s verses that recapitulates the general parable. Zhizhe first classifies all 165 verse-lines, then divides the first one hundred into opening and applying the parable, and takes the first thirty-three of the sixty-five and a half opening-parable lines as the verse on the general parable. The passage explains in order the elder, the house, the five hundred people, and the outbreak of fire; the fire is further divided into events on the ground, in the holes, and in the air, followed by a conclusion, thereby explaining the desire realm, form realm, formless realm, and the many dangers of the three realms. The attached root scripture is the burning-house verse in the “Parable” chapter from 「譬如長者」 tr. “Suppose there were an elder” through 「眾難非一」 tr. “the many dangers were not of one kind”; the next line has already turned to the verse on the specific parable.
I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
The strict domain is T34n1718〔0074c04–0077a08〕, comprising 4,125 visible characters and 3,277 Han characters. The first character of the fascicle title 「妙法蓮華經文句卷第六上」 tr. “Words and Phrases of the Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma, Fascicle Six, Upper” is at〔0074c04〕, and the first character of the attribution 「天台智者大師說」 tr. “spoken by the Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai” is at〔0074c06〕. The doctrinal outline begins with 「第二，偈，有一百六十五行，分為二：」 tr. “Second, the verse has 165 lines, divided into two”〔0074c07〕 and ends with 「第四，一行，總結三界眾難非一，頌總譬竟。」 tr. “Fourth, one line generally concludes that the many dangers of the three realms are not of one kind; the verse on the general parable ends”〔0077a08〕. The next line, 「「是時宅主在門外立」下，有三十二行半偈，頌第二別譬。」 tr. “Below ‘At that time the master of the house stood outside the gate,’ thirty-two and a half verse-lines recapitulate the second, specific parable”〔0077a09〕, opens the next unit.
The root treatise first says 「總頌六意，六意中止頌其四，兼得其二」 tr. “The general verse recapitulates six meanings; of the six, it directly recapitulates only four and incidentally includes two”〔0074c12〕: it directly recapitulates the four meanings of the elder, the house, the five hundred people, and the outbreak of fire; the house incidentally includes the one gate, and the five hundred people incidentally include the thirty children. Thus, the six meanings are not six equally extended recapitulations, but four directly recapitulated items and two incidentally included items.
| Level | Enumeration in the Root Treatise | Line Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Total verse | The first 100 lines recapitulate the preceding prose; the latter 65 explain the method for transmitting the scripture | 0074c07–0074c09 |
| First 100 lines | 65½ recapitulate the opening parable; 34½ recapitulate its application | 0074c09–0074c11 |
| Opening parable, 65½ lines | 33 recapitulate the general parable; 32½ recapitulate the specific parable | 0074c11–0074c12 |
| Six meanings of the general parable | Four are directly recapitulated; the house incidentally includes the one gate; the five hundred people incidentally include the thirty children | 0074c12–0074c14 |
| Four directly recapitulated meanings | Elder, one phrase; house, three lines and one phrase; five hundred people, half a line; outbreak of fire, 29 lines | 0074c14–0075a17 |
| Outbreak of fire, 29 lines | On the ground, 22; in the holes, 3½; in the air, 2½; conclusion, 1 | 0075a13–0075a17 |
| Desire realm, 22 lines | What is burned, 17½; cause of the fire, 1½; force of the fire, 1½; appearance of being burned, 1½ | 0075a18–0075a22 |
| What is burned, 17½ lines | Direct explanation, 16; general conclusion, 1½ | 0075a23–0075a24 |
| Direct explanation, 16 lines | Birds and beasts, 6 lines, illustrate the five dull agents; ghosts and spirits, 10 lines, illustrate the five sharp agents | 0075a24–0075a26 |
| Five dull agents, 6 lines | The five dull agents, 5½; concluding text, ½ | 0075a26–0075a27 |
| Five sharp agents, 10 lines | General explanation, ½; specific explanation, 9½ | 0075c08–0075c12 |
| Form realm, 3½ lines | What is burned, 1; cause of the fire, ½; force of the fire, ½; appearance of being burned, 2 | 0076c05–0076c15 |
| Formless realm, 2½ lines | Kinds of what is burned, 1; appearance of what is burned, 1½ | 0076c24–0076c27 |
| Eight sufferings at neither-perception-nor-nonperception | The root treatise actually lists seven: birth, old age, illness, death, not obtaining what one seeks, meeting what one hates, and the five flourishing aggregates | 0077a01–0077a06 |
Thirteen interpretive nodes can be distinguished from the transitions in the text:
| No. | Domain | Content in the Root Treatise |
|---|---|---|
| I | 0074c07–0074c18 | General outline of the verse, six meanings of the general parable, and the elder |
| II | 0074c18–0075a10 | Extent of the house, its constitution, and multiple correspondences to body and mind |
| III | 0075a11–0075a12 | The five hundred people incidentally include the thirty children |
| IV | 0075a13–0075a27 | General outline of the 29 lines on the outbreak of fire, divided among desire, form, and formless realms and the conclusion |
| V | 0075a27–0075c07 | Five dull agents: conceit, anger, delusion, greed, and doubt |
| VI | 0075c08–0075c25 | General outline of the five sharp agents and deviant views |
| VII | 0075c25–0076a19 | Attachment to precepts and the several explanations of seizing the dogs |
| VIII | 0076a19–0076b11 | View of a body, attachment to views, extreme views, and conclusion of the desire realm |
| IX | 0076b12–0076b20 | Cause of the fire and the master's recent departure |
| X | 0076b20–0076c05 | Force of the fire and appearance of being burned |
| XI | 0076c05–0076c24 | Events in the holes: the fire in the form realm |
| XII | 0076c24–0077a07 | Events in the air: the fire in the formless realm and the sufferings of neither-perception-nor-nonperception |
| XIII | 0077a07–0077a08 | General conclusion on the many dangers of the three realms |
II. Formation and Transmission
At the head of the fascicle containing this unit, the only attribution is 「天台智者大師說」 tr. “spoken by the Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai”〔T34n1718 0074c06〕. Shenjiong’s preface to the full work separately records 「灌頂法師私記」 tr. “privately recorded by Dharma Master Guanding”〔T34n1718 0001a23〕 and says that in the wuxu year of the Tianbao era, the monk Lang of Dongyang 「方始條倫」 tr. “first put it into ordered arrangement”〔T34n1718 0001b07〕. The doctrinal exposition of this passage is therefore attributed to Zhizhe, while its textual transmission also includes Guanding’s private record and a Tang redactional layer. Because the fascicle head does not name Guanding, no dynasty, style name, or additional speaker is supplied there.
Within this domain, the Taishō text also preserves forty-one variant groups, two transmitted inline notes, and two rare characters. These differences reveal layers in the transmission of the present wording but are insufficient to recover the complete sequence before the Tianbao redaction. The body follows the present Taishō text; readings from witness A and the original Taishō graphs are recorded only as variants alongside it.
III. Sutra Passages Explained and Works Cited
1. Strict Root-Scripture Domain and Repository Re-Anchor
The verses attached by the root treatise are preserved in full at lines 119–162 of this repository’s sealed source canon/tiantai/fahua/treatise/03_piyu/03_piyu_source.md. The strict Taishō domain is:
| Item | Root-Scripture Wording and Line Anchor |
|---|---|
| Opening | 譬如長者，有一大宅，其宅久故， tr. “Suppose there were an elder who had a great house; that house was old and decayed”〔T09n0262 0013c19〕 |
| Closing | 甚可怖畏，毒害火災，眾難非一。 tr. “It was exceedingly frightening and dreadful; poison, harm, fire, and disaster—the many dangers were not of one kind”〔T09n0262 0014b04〕 |
| Next division | 是時宅主，在門外立，聞有人言： tr. “At that time the master of the house stood outside the gate and heard someone say”〔T09n0262 0014b05〕 |
| Anchor denominator | Forty-four Taishō line anchors lie between the beginning and end; these are typographic lines, not the thirty-three verse-lines classified by the root treatise |
2. The Forty-Four Root-Scripture Lines
| No. | loc | Visible T09n0262 Text |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0013c19 | 譬如長者，有一大宅，其宅久故， tr. “Suppose there were an elder who had a great house; that house was old and decayed” |
| 2 | 0013c20 | 而復頓弊，堂舍高危，柱根摧朽， tr. “and moreover suddenly worn down. Its halls and rooms were lofty and precarious; the bases of its pillars were crumbling and rotten” |
| 3 | 0013c21 | 梁棟傾斜，基陛隤毀，牆壁圮坼， tr. “its beams and ridgepoles leaned askew; its foundations and steps had collapsed; its walls were broken and split” |
| 4 | 0013c22 | 泥塗褫落，覆苫亂墜，椽梠差脫， tr. “the plaster had peeled away; the roof thatch fell in disorder; rafters and eaves were displaced and detached” |
| 5 | 0013c23 | 周障屈曲，雜穢充遍。有五百人， tr. “Surrounded by barriers and winding passages, it was filled everywhere with assorted filth. Five hundred people” |
| 6 | 0013c24 | 止住其中。鵄梟雕鷲、烏鵲鳩鴿、 tr. “dwelt within it. Kites, owls, eagles, vultures, crows, magpies, turtledoves, and pigeons” |
| 7 | 0013c25 | 蚖蛇蝮蠍、蜈蚣蚰蜒、守宮百足、 tr. “venomous snakes, vipers, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, geckos, and hundred-legged creatures” |
| 8 | 0013c26 | 狖貍鼷鼠，諸惡蟲輩，交橫馳走。 tr. “langurs, wildcats, and mice—all the evil creatures raced about, crossing one another” |
| 9 | 0013c27 | 屎尿臭處，不淨流溢，蜣蜋諸蟲， tr. “In places stinking of excrement and urine, impurity flowed and overflowed; dung beetles and other insects” |
| 10 | 0013c28 | 而集其上。狐狼野干，咀嚼踐蹋， tr. “gathered upon it. Foxes, wolves, and jackals chewed and trampled” |
| 11 | 0013c29 | 䶩齧死屍、骨肉狼藉。由是群狗， tr. “gnawing and biting corpses, with bones and flesh strewn about. Because of this, packs of dogs” |
| 12 | 0014a01 | 競來搏撮，飢羸慞惶，處處求食。 tr. “rushed in competing to seize them; hungry, emaciated, and frantic, they searched everywhere for food” |
| 13 | 0014a02 | 鬪諍𪙁掣，嘊喍㘁吠，其舍恐怖， tr. “They fought, tore, snarled, and barked. The house was terrifying” |
| 14 | 0014a03 | 變狀如是。處處皆有，魑魅魍魎、 tr. “with transformations such as these. Everywhere there were mountain sprites, demons, and apparitions” |
| 15 | 0014a04 | 夜叉惡鬼，食噉人肉。毒蟲之屬， tr. “yakṣas and evil ghosts that devoured human flesh. Venomous creatures” |
| 16 | 0014a05 | 諸惡禽獸，孚乳產生，各自藏護。 tr. “and evil birds and beasts hatched, nursed, and gave birth, each hiding and protecting its young” |
| 17 | 0014a06 | 夜叉競來，爭取食之，食之既飽， tr. “Yakṣas competed to come, contending to seize and eat them. Once they had eaten their fill” |
| 18 | 0014a07 | 惡心轉熾，鬪諍之聲，甚可怖畏。 tr. “their evil minds grew fiercer; the sounds of their fighting were exceedingly frightening and dreadful” |
| 19 | 0014a08 | 鳩槃荼鬼，蹲踞土埵，或時離地， tr. “Kumbhāṇḍa ghosts squatted upon mounds of earth, sometimes rising above the ground” |
| 20 | 0014a09 | 一尺二尺，往返遊行，縱逸嬉戲， tr. “one or two feet, wandering back and forth, unrestrained in their sport” |
| 21 | 0014a10 | 捉狗兩足，撲令失聲，以腳加頸， tr. “They seized the dogs by both legs and dashed them down until they lost their voices, then pressed their feet upon the dogs’ necks” |
| 22 | 0014a11 | 怖狗自樂。復有諸鬼，其身長大， tr. “delighting in terrifying them. There were also ghosts whose bodies were tall and large” |
| 23 | 0014a12 | 裸形黑瘦，常住其中，發大惡聲， tr. “naked, black, and gaunt. They constantly dwelt within, making great evil cries” |
| 24 | 0014a13 | 叫呼求食。復有諸鬼，其咽如針。 tr. “shouting as they sought food. There were also ghosts whose throats were like needles” |
| 25 | 0014a14 | 復有諸鬼，首如牛頭，或食人肉， tr. “There were also ghosts whose heads were like the heads of oxen; some ate human flesh” |
| 26 | 0014a15 | 或復噉狗，頭髮蓬亂，殘害凶險， tr. “and others devoured dogs. Their hair was tangled and disheveled; cruel, harmful, savage, and dangerous” |
| 27 | 0014a16 | 飢渴所逼，叫喚馳走。夜叉餓鬼， tr. “pressed by hunger and thirst, they shouted and raced about. Yakṣas and hungry ghosts” |
| 28 | 0014a17 | 諸惡鳥獸，飢急四向，窺看窓牖。 tr. “and all the evil birds and beasts, frantic with hunger, peered in four directions through the windows” |
| 29 | 0014a18 | 如是諸難，恐畏無量。是朽故宅， tr. “Such were the many dangers; its terrors were immeasurable. This old, decayed house” |
| 30 | 0014a19 | 屬于一人。其人近出，未久之間， tr. “belonged to one man. That man had recently gone out and had not been away long” |
| 31 | 0014a20 | 於後舍宅，欻然火起，四面一時， tr. “when afterward, within the house, fire suddenly broke out on all four sides at once” |
| 32 | 0014a21 | 其炎俱熾。棟梁椽柱，爆聲震裂， tr. “and its flames all blazed. The ridgepoles, beams, rafters, and pillars burst with cracking sounds” |
| 33 | 0014a22 | 摧折墮落，牆壁崩倒。諸鬼神等， tr. “splintered and fell; the walls collapsed. All the ghosts and spirits” |
| 34 | 0014a23 | 揚聲大叫。雕鷲諸鳥、鳩槃荼等， tr. “raised their voices in loud cries. Eagles, vultures, other birds, kumbhāṇḍas, and the rest” |
| 35 | 0014a24 | 周章惶怖，不能自出。惡獸毒蟲， tr. “were confused and terrified, unable to escape by themselves. Evil beasts and venomous creatures” |
| 36 | 0014a25 | 藏竄孔穴。毘舍闍鬼，亦住其中， tr. “hid and fled into holes. Piśāca ghosts also dwelt within” |
| 37 | 0014a26 | 薄福德故，為火所逼，共相殘害， tr. “Because their merit was meager, the fire pressed upon them, and they harmed one another” |
| 38 | 0014a27 | 飲血噉肉。野干之屬，竝已前死， tr. “drinking blood and devouring flesh. The jackals and their kind had already died before this” |
| 39 | 0014a28 | 諸大惡獸，競來食噉，臭烟熢㶿， tr. “and the great evil beasts competed to come and devour them. Foul smoke billowed” |
| 40 | 0014a29 | 四面充塞。蜈蚣蚰蜒、毒蛇之類， tr. “filling and blocking all four sides. Centipedes, millipedes, venomous snakes, and their kind” |
| 41 | 0014b01 | 為火所燒，爭走出穴，鳩槃荼鬼、 tr. “burned by the fire, raced in contention from the holes; kumbhāṇḍa ghosts” |
| 42 | 0014b02 | 隨取而食。又諸餓鬼，頭上火燃， tr. “seized and ate them as they came. The hungry ghosts also had fire burning upon their heads” |
| 43 | 0014b03 | 飢渴熱惱，周章悶走。其宅如是， tr. “tormented by hunger, thirst, and heat, they rushed about in bewildered anguish. The house was thus” |
| 44 | 0014b04 | 甚可怖畏，毒害火災，眾難非一。 tr. “exceedingly frightening and dreadful; poison, harm, fire, and disaster—the many dangers were not of one kind” |
3. Alignment of Root Scripture and Root Treatise
| Root-Treatise Division | Root-Scripture Domain | Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Elder, house, five hundred people | 0013c19–0013c24 | The single phrase on the elder is followed by the house and the five hundred people; the root treatise opens the finer divisions |
| Kinds burned in the desire realm | 0013c24–0014a17 | Birds, beasts, creatures, dogs, ghosts, and spirits are listed in sequence |
| Cause, force, and appearance of the fire | 0014a18–0014a24 | The text first says that the house belongs to one man who has recently gone out, then states that fire suddenly breaks out and the many beings are terrified |
| Events in the holes | 0014a24–0014a29 | Evil beasts and venomous creatures, the holes, piśācas, and great evil beasts |
| Events in the air | 0014a29–0014b03 | Creatures and snakes leave the holes, kumbhāṇḍas seize and eat them, and hungry ghosts have fire upon their heads |
| Conclusion | 0014b03–0014b04 | The house is thus and the many dangers are not of one kind; the next line turns to the master standing outside the gate |
The forty-four root-scripture lines contain no inline notes. They contain four rare characters:
| loc | Character | CBETA Character-Database ID |
|---|---|---|
| 0013c29 | 䶩 | CB00604; composed of tooth and even |
| 0014a02 | 𪙁 | CB00601; composed of tooth and investigate |
| 0014a02 | 㘁 | CB00079; composed of mouth and examine |
| 0014a28 | 㶿 | CB00197; composed of fire and luxuriant |
4. Wording Differences between the Root Treatise’s Attached Text and the Present Scripture
| T34n1718 Attachment or Explanatory Term | Present T09n0262 Text | Difference |
|---|---|---|
從「鴟梟」下 tr. “from ‘kites and owls’ onward”〔T34n1718 0075a13〕 | 鵄梟雕鷲 tr. “kites, owls, eagles, and vultures”〔T09n0262 0013c24〕 | 鴟 and 鵄 are variant graphs |
「牆壁圮圻」 tr. “the walls were broken and cracked”〔T34n1718 0075a02〕 | 牆壁圮坼 tr. “the walls were broken and split”〔T09n0262 0013c21〕 | 圻 and 坼 differ |
如「椽梠荖脫」 tr. “like ‘rafters and eaves were aged and detached’”〔T34n1718 0075a05〕 | 椽梠差脫 tr. “rafters and eaves were displaced and detached”〔T09n0262 0013c22〕 | 荖 and 差 differ |
其有齊畔如「䶩囓」也 tr. “when there is a boundary of equal division, it is like ‘gnawing and biting’”〔T34n1718 0075b21〕 | 䶩齧死屍 tr. “gnawing and biting corpses”〔T09n0262 0013c29〕 | 囓 and 齧, as well as the syntax, differ |
「鬪諍摣掣」 tr. “fighting, clutching, and pulling”〔T34n1718 0075c04〕 | 鬪諍𪙁掣 tr. “fighting, tearing, and pulling”〔T09n0262 0014a02〕 | 摣 and 𪙁 differ |
「啀喍嘷吠」 tr. “snarling, howling, and barking”〔T34n1718 0075c06〕 | 嘊喍㘁吠 tr. “snarling and barking”〔T09n0262 0014a02〕 | 啀 and 嘊, and 嘷 and 㘁, differ |
「鳩槃茶」下 tr. “below ‘kumbhāṇḍa’”〔T34n1718 0075c25〕 | 鳩槃荼鬼 tr. “kumbhāṇḍa ghosts”〔T09n0262 0014a08〕 | 茶 and 荼 differ; the root treatise also has Taishō and witness-A variants |
「於後宅舍」下 tr. “below ‘afterward, in the house’”〔T34n1718 0076b20〕 | 於後舍宅 tr. “afterward, within the house”〔T09n0262 0014a20〕 | The order of 宅舍 and 舍宅 differs |
如「頭上火然」 tr. “like ‘fire ablaze upon their heads’”〔T34n1718 0077a01〕 | 頭上火燃 tr. “fire burning upon their heads”〔T09n0262 0014b02〕 | 然 and 燃 differ |
5. The Eight Forms of Arrogance in the Sutra of Mañjuśrī’s Questions
The root treatise says 「八鳥譬八慢，《文殊問經》明八憍，今用配八鳥。」 tr. “The eight birds illustrate eight forms of conceit; the Sutra of Mañjuśrī’s Questions explains eight forms of arrogance, which are now used to correspond to the eight birds”〔T34n1718 0075a29〕. Its sequence is vigor of youth, lineage, wealth, mastery, longevity, intelligence, good conduct, and physical appearance; these correspond in order to the kite, owl, eagle, vulture, crow, magpie, turtledove, and pigeon〔0075b01–0075b03〕.
The present Sutra of Mañjuśrī’s Questions reads:
| Verbatim Present T14n0468 Text | loc |
|---|---|
斷憍慢聲者，憍者，色憍、盛壯憍、富憍、自在憍、 tr. “As for severing the sounds of arrogance and conceit: arrogance comprises arrogance in physical appearance, vigor of youth, wealth, and mastery” | 0500b26 |
姓憍、行善憍、壽命憍、聰明憍，此謂八憍。 tr. “arrogance in lineage, good conduct, longevity, and intelligence; these are called the eight forms of arrogance” | 0500b27 |
| Point of Comparison | T34n1718 | T14n0468 |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Sutra of Mañjuśrī’s Questions | Sutra of Mañjuśrī’s Questions |
| Written form | 性憍 tr. “arrogance in disposition/lineage” | 姓憍 tr. “arrogance in lineage” |
| Sequence | Vigor of youth, lineage, wealth, mastery, longevity, intelligence, good conduct, physical appearance | Physical appearance, vigor of youth, wealth, mastery, lineage, good conduct, longevity, intelligence |
| Correspondence to eight birds | Each item is assigned to one of the eight birds | The two lines in the present text list only the eight forms of arrogance and contain no correspondence to the eight birds |
6. 「數現涅槃」 tr. “Repeatedly Manifesting Nirvāṇa” in the “Lifespan” Chapter
The root treatise says 「〈壽量品〉云「數現涅槃」，即是出宅意也。」 tr. “The ‘Lifespan’ chapter says, ‘repeatedly manifesting nirvāṇa’; this is precisely the meaning of leaving the house”〔T34n1718 0076b20〕. The continuous phrase 「數現涅槃」 tr. “repeatedly manifesting nirvāṇa” does not occur in the present T09n0262; the following passages may be read alongside it:
| Verbatim Present T09n0262 Text | loc |
|---|---|
是故如來雖不實滅，而言滅度。 tr. “Therefore, although the Tathāgata does not truly become extinct, he speaks of extinction” | 0043a05 |
為度眾生故，方便現涅槃， tr. “In order to deliver living beings, he skillfully manifests nirvāṇa” | 0043b16 |
而實不滅度，常住此說法。 tr. “yet in truth does not become extinct, but constantly abides here teaching the Dharma” | 0043b17 |
『常在此不滅，以方便力故，現有滅不滅。』 tr. “‘I am always here, not extinct; through the power of skillful means, I manifest extinction and nonextinction’” | 0043b25 |
The summary phrase transmitted by the root treatise and the present parallel each retain their own wording; the present parallel is not substituted as the original sentence quoted by the commentary.
7. The Seven Forms of Conceit from the Abhidharmakośa Cited by the Wenjuji
The Wenjuji compares the eight forms of arrogance to the seven forms of conceit in the Abhidharmakośa, first limiting the comparison by saying that they are 「大同」 tr. “broadly alike” but that their 「意稍別」 tr. “intent differs slightly”〔T34n1719 0270c11–0270c12〕. Its transmitted wording and the present text are:
| Text Transmitted in T34n1719 | Similar Wording in Present T29n1558 | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
於他勝謂己勝 tr. “Regarding another who is superior, one considers oneself superior”〔0270c13〕 | 於勝謂勝名慢過慢。 tr. “Regarding one who is superior, to consider oneself superior is called conceit beyond conceit”〔0101a17〕 | The mirror has the graph for “another” and differs in the syntax of the category name |
於他勝謂己等 tr. “Regarding another who is superior, one considers oneself equal”〔0270c15–0270c16〕 | 於等於勝如其次第謂勝謂等總名過慢。 tr. “Regarding an equal or a superior, respectively considering oneself superior or equal is collectively called conceit beyond”〔0101a16–0101a17〕 | The mirror gives an abbreviated sentence |
於有德中謂己有德 tr. “Among those possessing qualities, one considers oneself to possess qualities”〔0270c17–0270c18〕 | 於無德中謂己有德名為邪慢。 tr. “When one has no qualities yet considers oneself to possess qualities, this is called deviant conceit”〔0101a20–0101a21〕 | The wording for possessing and not possessing is opposite |
未得謂得 tr. “Considering attained what one has not attained”〔0270c19〕 | 於未證得殊勝德中謂已證得名增上慢。 tr. “Regarding excellent qualities not yet realized, considering them already realized is called overweening conceit”〔0101a18〕 | The mirror gives an abbreviated sentence |
於他等謂己等，於等而輕 tr. “Regarding another who is equal, one considers oneself equal and, toward an equal, is dismissive”〔0270c21–0270c22〕 | 於劣於等如其次第謂己為勝、謂己為等，令心高舉總說為慢。 tr. “Regarding an inferior or an equal, respectively considering oneself superior or equal raises the mind; this is collectively called conceit”〔0101a14–0101a16〕 | The syntax differs |
於多分勝謂己少劣 tr. “Regarding one superior in many respects, one considers oneself only slightly inferior”〔0270c23〕 | 於多分勝謂己少劣名為卑慢。 tr. “Regarding one superior in many respects, considering oneself only slightly inferior is called inferior conceit”〔0101a19〕 | The core eight graphs agree; the present text continues with the category name |
色不如他亦謂己等 tr. “Though one’s appearance does not equal another’s, one still considers oneself equal”〔0270c25〕 | No continuous matching string occurs in the seven-conceit passage of the present text | The mirror uses physical appearance as its example |
The present text gives the complete enumeration as 「且慢隨眠差別有七，一慢、二過慢、三慢過慢、四我慢、五增上慢、六卑慢、七邪慢。」 tr. “The latent tendency of conceit has seven distinctions: first conceit, second conceit beyond, third conceit beyond conceit, fourth self-conceit, fifth overweening conceit, sixth inferior conceit, and seventh deviant conceit”〔T29n1558 0101a12–0101a13〕. The eight forms of arrogance and the seven forms of conceit do not form a fixed one-to-one table.
The Wenjuji also cites the verse on a homogeneous cause:
| Text Transmitted in T34n1719 | Present T29n1558 Text | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
同類因相似，自部地前生 tr. “A homogeneous cause is similar, arising earlier in its own class and level”〔0271a27–0271a28〕 | 同類因相似，自部地前生， tr. “A homogeneous cause is similar, arising earlier in its own class and level”〔0031a20〕 | The core wording agrees verbatim; the present verse continues with further text |
8. Other Explicitly Named Citations in the Wenjuji
| Text Transmitted in T34n1719 | Present Witness | Limit |
|---|---|---|
具如《止觀》第五記引《阿含》本劫本見末劫末見 tr. “For the full account, see the fifth commentary on the Mohe Zhiguan, which cites from the Āgama views concerning the beginning of the past eon and views concerning the end of the future eon”〔0271c06–0271c07〕 | T46n1912 reads 言本劫本見等者。長阿含十三云。 tr. “As for ‘views concerning the beginning of the past eon’ and the rest, fascicle thirteen of the Dīrgha Āgama says”〔0315a06–0315a07〕 and also 本劫本見一十八。末劫末見四十四。合六十二。 tr. “There are eighteen views concerning the beginning of the past eon and forty-four views concerning the end of the future eon, together making sixty-two”〔0315a08–0315a09〕 | Source direction only |
| The same Āgama reference | T01n0001 reads 諸有沙門、婆羅門於本劫本見、末劫末見，種種無數 tr. “Various śramaṇas and brahmans hold countless kinds of views concerning the beginning of the past eon and views concerning the end of the future eon”〔0089c23〕 and continues by saying that they are all included in the sixty-two views〔0089c24–0089c26〕 | The mirror does not quote the complete passage verbatim |
《經》「四向」者 tr. “As for ‘in four directions’ in the scripture”〔0271c17〕 | T09n0262 reads 諸惡鳥獸，飢急四向，窺看窓牖。 tr. “All the evil birds and beasts, frantic with hunger, peered in four directions through the windows”〔0014a17〕 | The core wording agrees |
The ancient lexicons and literary works explicitly named in the mirror are recorded according to the wording transmitted by the Wenjuji:
| Named Source | Wording Transmitted in the Mirror | Line Anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Book of Han | 玄蚖蝮者。 tr. “The black venomous snake and viper” | 0271a02–0271a03 |
| Erya | 虺長三寸大如指 tr. “The viper is three inches long and as thick as a finger” | 0271a03 |
| Yupian | Multiple entries on the langur, mouse, apparitions, hatching, and other terms | 0271a08–0271a24 |
| Shuowen | 「狸」字《說文》從豸。 tr. “The graph ‘wildcat,’ according to the Shuowen, has the animal radical” | 0271a09 |
| Shuowen | 「鼷」 tr. “‘mouse’”; the transmitted text continues 者，《說文》云：「小鼠。」 tr. “as for it, the Shuowen says, ‘a small mouse’” | 0271a10 |
| Shiming | 「摣」 tr. “‘to clutch’”; the transmitted text continues 者，《釋名》云：「叉也。」 tr. “as for it, the Shiming says, ‘to fork’” | 0271a17 |
| Popular Expressions | 山澤之怪謂之魑也 tr. “Monsters of mountains and marshes are called mountain sprites,” and 卵化曰孚 tr. “transformation from an egg is called hatching” | 0271a20–0271a24 |
| Rhapsody on the Western Capital | 山神虎形曰魑，宅神豬頭人形曰魅。 tr. “A mountain spirit in tiger form is called a mountain sprite; a household spirit with a pig’s head and human body is called a demon” | 0271a21–0271a22 |
| Guangya | 孚亦生也。 tr. “Hatching also means birth” | 0271a24 |
No second Taishō witness in this passage permits verbatim confirmation of these classical sources. They are therefore tied only to the wording transmitted by the Wenjuji, without inventing separate source locations.
IV. Essential Explanations from the Wenjuji [the Mirror]
The strict mirror domain of the Fahua Wenjuji begins with 「「有一大宅」者，有人云：且指一方三界，故云一。」 tr. “As for ‘there was one great house,’ someone says: it designates the three realms of one region, and therefore says ‘one’”〔T34n1719 0270b26〕 and ends with 「若因若果皆約彼定，故得言之。」 tr. “Whether cause or result, all is stated in relation to that concentration; therefore it can be said”〔0272c01–0272c02〕. A new paragraph later on the same line, 「「不處第一空座」者，第一義空為智理合」 tr. “As for ‘not occupying the foremost seat of emptiness,’ emptiness in the highest meaning is the correspondence of wisdom and principle”〔0272c02〕, has already turned to the verse on the specific parable. This strict mirror domain contains no separate restatement of the general verse count, the elder, the five hundred people incidentally including the thirty children, or the final one-line conclusion.
| Root-Treatise Node | Mirror Explanation in the Wenjuji |
|---|---|
| The house’s age and decay | It poses the question of the recent formation of the dependent environment and the beginninglessness of the three realms, answering with 「眾生無始具三界因，惑種不亡故云無始」 tr. “Living beings beginninglessly possess the causes of the three realms; because the seeds of delusion do not perish, it is called beginningless”〔0270c01〕, and finally prefers the explanation through the primary retribution〔0270c04〕 |
| Lofty and precarious; beams and ridgepoles | 相續故高，無常故危。 tr. “Because it continues, it is lofty; because it is impermanent, it is precarious”〔0270c05〕; consciousness governs the whole body as beams and ridgepoles hold up a house〔0270c05–0270c06〕 |
| Multiple correspondences for the constitution of the house | The head as palace and abdomen as hall are classified as contemplation of mind; form as hall and desire as room are classified as causes and conditions; the life faculty and subsequent items are also assigned to contemplation of mind〔0270c07–0270c09〕 |
| Eight forms of arrogance and seven forms of conceit | It first distinguishes arrogance and conceit by object and subject, then compares each item with the Abhidharmakośa, limiting them as 「大同」 tr. “broadly alike” but 「意稍別」 tr. “slightly different in intent”〔0270c10–0270c12〕 |
| Names and glosses | From venomous snakes, centipedes, and geckos through mountain sprites, demons, apparitions, hatching and nursing, and kumbhāṇḍas, ancient lexicons are cited to assist the explanation〔0271a01–0271b01〕 |
| Greed and seizing the dogs | It classifies craving in the mind of attachment and craving in the mind of views as an incidental contrast within the dull agents〔0271a12–0271a16〕; the passage on seizing the dogs divides an explanation in terms of events from a contemplative explanation〔0271b12–0271b14〕 |
| View of a body, attachment to views, and extreme views | The three times and five aggregates clarify vertical and horizontal extension; taking what is not a result as a result clarifies attachment to views; the root self and two horns clarify annihilationism and eternalism〔0271b19–0271c03〕 |
| Peering through the windows | 看不正者，由隔窓牖，故見空而偏 tr. “Seeing is not correct because it is obstructed by the windows; therefore emptiness is seen one-sidedly”〔0271c19〕; it further says that the principle of emptiness is neither one-sided nor correct, and that one-sidedness comes from the one who conceptualizes it〔0271c20–0271c23〕 |
| The house belongs to one man; his recent departure | Because the master of transformation encompasses the three realms and living beings, the explanation returns to the elder〔0271c24–0271c27〕; the “Lifespan” chapter further supports the meaning of “recent”〔0272a06–0272a08〕 |
| Force of the fire and house versus room | It distinguishes the fire’s share of force from its imposing force〔0272a09–0272a11〕; 宅寬舍狹，三界為宅，五陰為舍 tr. “The house is broad and the room narrow: the three realms are the house, and the five aggregates are the room”〔0272a11–0272a12〕 belongs only to the mirror explanation |
| Older explanation of relatives weeping | It identifies this as an ancient explanation spanning the three realms and explicitly says it is not used, because it includes only the human rites of the southern continent within the desire realm〔0272a20–0272a23〕 |
| Form realm and formless realm | It clarifies views within meditation, silence, suppression called severance, smoke, and flame〔0272a24–0272b11〕, and further explains that 「空中」 tr. “in the air” does not mean empty space〔0272b13–0272b16〕 |
| Anger spans the three realms | It derives the conclusion from the occurrence of centipedes and related creatures in the passages on all three realms, then says that their names are the same while their substances differ〔0272b16–0272b22〕 |
| Eight sufferings at neither-perception-nor-nonperception | It explicitly says that this text lists seven, lacking separation from what one loves, and supplies the suffering of losing the concentration〔0272b25–0272b27〕; it then distinguishes what each of the seven stated items is tied to〔0272b27–0272c02〕 |
V. Explanations of Various Masters
Within the strict domain, the root treatise uses markers such as “it is also said,” “one explanation says,” “it is further said,” “Master Yin says,” “now it is said,” “people say,” “some say,” and “the various schools explain the meaning” to preserve eighteen alternative explanations, transmitted reports, or local choices:
| No. | Marker | Verbatim Root-Treatise Text | loc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 亦云 tr. “it is also said” | 亦云頭殿、腹堂、背為舍，念念相續無常為「高危」。 tr. “It is also said: the head is the palace, the abdomen the hall, and the back the room; moment-to-moment continuity and impermanence are ‘lofty and precarious’” | 0074c22 |
| 2 | 一云，色界為「堂」 tr. “One explanation says: the form realm is the ‘hall’”; ，欲界為「舍」 tr. “the desire realm is the ‘room’”; ，不免墮落名「高危」 tr. “not escaping a fall is called ‘lofty and precarious’”; ，命根支持如「柱」 tr. “the life faculty’s support is like the ‘pillars’”; ，過去行業為「基陛」也。 tr. “past actions are the ‘foundation and steps’” | 0074c23 | |
| 3 | 亦云，兩足為「柱根」 tr. “It is also said: the two feet are the ‘bases of the pillars’”; ，三相所遷名「摧朽」也。 tr. “being moved by the three marks is called ‘crumbling and rotten’” | 0074c25 | |
| 4 | 亦云脊骨為「梁棟」 tr. “It is also said: the spine is the ‘beams and ridgepoles’”; ，𦝣為「基陛」 tr. “the waist is the ‘foundation and steps’”; ，衰老之時為「頹毀」。 tr. “the time of decline and old age is ‘collapse’” | 0074c27 | |
| 5 | 一云，四大為「牆壁」 tr. “One explanation says: the four elements are the ‘walls’”; ，皮膚為「泥塗」 tr. “the skin is the ‘plaster’”; ，四威儀不正為「亂墜」 tr. “incorrectness in the four modes of deportment is ‘falling in disorder’”; ，五識不聰不相主境為「差脫」。 tr. “the five consciousnesses’ dullness and failure to govern their objects is ‘displaced and detached’” | 0074c29 | |
| 6 | 亦云，「牆壁圮圻」 tr. “It is also said: ‘walls broken and cracked’”; 如皮膚皴朽，壯色鮮淨如初泥塗，老色枯悴如後褫落，髮髭朽老則皆脫落如「覆苫亂墜」 tr. “is like weathered, decaying skin; the fresh, clean complexion of youth is like newly applied plaster, while the withered complexion of age is like its later peeling; when hair and beard decay with age, they all fall out like ‘roof thatch falling in disorder’”; ，筋骨老弱支節不援如「椽梠荖脫」。 tr. “when sinews and bones weaken with age and the limbs no longer support one another, it is like ‘rafters and eaves aged and detached’” | 0075a02 | |
| 7 | 印師云 tr. “Master Yin says” | 印師云：「三十六物更相隔障故云周障，猪腸盤迴故云屈曲，非但無常所遷，亦有不淨苦等，故云雜穢充遍也。」 tr. “Master Yin says: ‘Because the thirty-six components obstruct one another, the text says surrounded by barriers; because the pig intestine coils around, it says winding; they are not only moved by impermanence but also contain impurity, suffering, and the rest, and therefore it says filled everywhere with assorted filth’” | 0075a05 |
| 8 | 今云，「周障」 tr. “Now it is said: ‘surrounded by barriers’”; 是六識，「屈曲」 tr. “is the six consciousnesses, and ‘winding’”; 是六根，六識緣六根取境，艱關故言「屈曲」 tr. “is the six faculties; because the six consciousnesses condition the six faculties and apprehend objects with difficulty, it says ‘winding’”; ，六塵遍染六根故言「雜穢充遍」。 tr. “because the six objects pervasively stain the six faculties, it says ‘filled everywhere with assorted filth’” | 0075a08 | |
| 9 | 世人云 tr. “people say” | 世人云，赤頸者是蜈蚣，不赤者是蚰蜒。 tr. “People say that the one with a red neck is the centipede and the one without a red neck is the millipede” | 0075b08 |
| 10 | 亦云，貪心取境有用不用，有用而取如「咀嚼」 tr. “It is also said: when the greedy mind apprehends objects, some are used and some are not; taking what is used is like ‘chewing’”; ，不用而取如「踐踏」，又少則咀嚼，多則踐踏也。 tr. “taking what is not used is like ‘trampling’; again, when there is little it is chewing, and when there is much it is trampling” | 0075b22 | |
| 11 | 一云 tr. “one explanation says” | 一云，即是貪人希求念望也。 tr. “One explanation says: it is precisely the greedy person’s hoping, seeking, thinking, and longing” | 0075c03 |
| 12 | 一云 tr. “one explanation says” | 一云，謗無苦因如捉狗足，撥無苦果如脚加頸，集本得果如狗之聲，利見撥言無集無得苦之理，令其失聲也。 tr. “One explanation says: denying the cause of suffering is like seizing the dogs’ legs; rejecting the result of suffering is like pressing a foot upon their necks. Accumulation is originally what attains a result, like the dogs’ voices; the sharp view rejects it, saying that there is no accumulation and no principle by which suffering is attained, thereby making the dogs lose their voices” | 0076a04 |
| 13 | 又云 tr. “it is further said” | 又云，作不淨觀如撲狗，能生禪定如被撲失聲也。 tr. “It is further said: practicing the contemplation of impurity is like dashing down the dogs; its ability to produce meditative concentration is like their losing their voices when dashed down” | 0076a12 |
| 14 | 又云 tr. “it is further said” | 又云，一往制心如向地撲；常繫在緣，如脚加頸令不得起也； tr. “It is further said: initially restraining the mind is like dashing it toward the ground; constantly binding it to the object is like placing a foot upon its neck so that it cannot rise” | 0076a16 |
| 15 | 又云，從得無生已，不生三界故名「出」 tr. “It is further said: once one has attained nonarising, not being born in the three realms is called ‘departure’”; ，不久應來故言「近」。 tr. “because one should return before long, it says ‘recent’” | 0076b18 | |
| 16 | 又云，受苦悲痛呻吟聲名為「爆」 tr. “It is further said: sounds of groaning in grief and pain while undergoing suffering are called ‘bursting’”; ，諸根破壞為「裂」 tr. “destruction of the faculties is ‘splitting’”; ，氣斷骨離筋絕，為「摧折墮落」 tr. “the breath ceasing, bones separating, and sinews parting are ‘splintering and falling’”; ，四大解散為「牆壁崩倒」也。 tr. “dissolution of the four elements is ‘the walls collapsing’” | 0076b24 | |
| 17 | 或云，親屬為「鬼神」 tr. “Some say: relatives are the ‘ghosts and spirits’”; ，哭泣為「揚聲」，今例上利使以譬神鬼。 tr. “weeping is ‘raising their voices’; now, following the preceding sharp agents, ghosts and spirits are used as their illustration” | 0076b27 | |
| 18 | 諸部解義 tr. “the various schools explain the meaning” | 諸部解義瞋通三界，即此文也。 tr. “When the various schools explain that anger spans the three realms, this is precisely the passage” | 0076c06 |
Item 7 is Master Yin’s explanation; item 8 separately adopts an explanation through the six consciousnesses, six faculties, and six objects under the marker “now it is said.” Item 17 first records the explanation of relatives weeping, then immediately instead takes the five sharp agents above to explain the ghosts and spirits. Item 18 names only “the various schools’ explanation of the meaning,” without naming a school. The root treatise also has 「觀解者」 tr. “as for the contemplative explanation”〔0076a07〕 and 「若爾瞋通三界也」 tr. “if so, anger spans the three realms”〔0076c28〕; although outside the eighteen explicit markers, these belong respectively to contemplative explanation and a local inference.
The mirror domain of the Wenjuji additionally records explanations of the three realms of one region, another author’s headings for sharp and dull agents, centipedes restraining snakes, geckos and skinks, and an ancient account of weeping that spans the three realms. Zhanran explicitly rejects the harmful statement about centipedes restraining snakes〔T34n1719 0271a05–0271a06〕 and also explicitly says not to use the older explanation of weeping throughout the three realms〔0272a22〕. Recording an explanation is not the same as adopting it.
VI. Terminology
| Term | Doctrinal Position in the Root Treatise |
|---|---|
| Elder | Recapitulates the preceding status and title, incidentally including name, conduct, and praise of qualities; inwardly corresponds to Bhagavān and the myriad qualities of wisdom, severance, loving-kindness, and compassion〔0074c14–0074c18〕 |
| Old, decayed, suddenly worn down | The three realms are beginningless; they were not made now; impermanent and debased〔0074c21–0074c22〕 |
| House | First its breadth is stated, then its constitution is extensively explained; hall, room, pillars, foundation and steps, beams and ridgepoles, and the rest receive multiple correspondences to body, realms, action, and life |
| Surrounded by barriers, winding, filled everywhere with assorted filth | Master Yin explains them through the thirty-six components, pig intestines, impurity, and suffering; under “now it is said,” the root treatise separately explains them through the six consciousnesses, six faculties, and six objects |
| Five hundred people and thirty children | Capacities for the three vehicles are encompassed by the five destinies; the phrase “five hundred people” incidentally includes the thirty children, but the two numbers do not measure the same group |
| Five dull agents | Conceit, anger, delusion, greed, and doubt; each has finer divisions, while the concluding half-line does not form another agent |
| Eight birds and eight forms of arrogance | Vigor of youth, lineage, wealth, mastery, longevity, intelligence, good conduct, and physical appearance correspond in order to the kite, owl, eagle, vulture, crow, magpie, turtledove, and pigeon |
| Three kinds of anger | Anger arising without reason, anger attached to a reason, and disputatious anger, illustrated respectively by the venomous snake, viper and scorpion, and centipede |
| Two kinds of delusion | Independently arisen and associatively arisen, illustrated respectively by geckos and hundred-legged creatures, and by langurs, wildcats, mice, and the rest |
| Two kinds of greed | Those with power take by force, while those without power beg coarse and inferior things from others; another twofold division distinguishes greed in the mind of attachment and greed in the mind of views |
| Doubt | Vacillating between two sides and fighting without deciding right and wrong; clutching and pulling represent provisionally taking each side |
| Five sharp agents | Deviant views, attachment to precepts, view of a body, attachment to views, and extreme views, in the sequence listed by the root treatise |
| Deviant views | Rejecting good and evil and worldly and world-transcending cause and result, illustrated by yakṣas eating human flesh, venomous creatures, and the rest |
| Attachment to precepts | Taking contaminated good, the ten good precepts, and non-Buddhist meditative concentrations as supreme; the passage on seizing the dogs includes an explanation in terms of events, a contemplative explanation, and several further explanations |
| View of a body | Vertically entering the three times and conceiving a self is called tall; horizontally pervading the five aggregates and conceiving a self is called large |
| Attachment to views | Taking impermanent neither-perception-nor-nonperception as nirvāṇa, illustrated by a throat like a needle |
| Extreme views | The two extremes of annihilationism and eternalism, like the two horns of an ox’s head; the two branches refute one another |
| Cause of the fire | The three realms are where the Buddha responds through transformation; the master’s recent departure additionally preserves two explanations, going to another land and, after attaining nonarising, no longer being born in the three realms |
| Four sides, at once, blazing | The four sides are locations; body, feeling, mind, dharmas, and the rest give rise to the four inversions, five turbidities, and eight sufferings; “at once” means arising together; “blazing” means continuing and gradually intensifying |
| Holes in the form realm | The concentrations of the four meditations are like holes; what is burned, the cause of the fire, its force, and the appearance of being burned each form a distinct division |
| Air in the formless realm | Rejecting form-realm concentration and proceeding toward the formless; venomous snakes and the rest leaving the holes are the kinds burned |
| Eight sufferings at neither-perception-nor-nonperception | The root treatise names eight sufferings but actually gives seven items; separation from what one loves appears only in the supplementary explanation of the Wenjuji |
Seven later shorthand expressions do not occur as complete continuous strings in 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 zero-occurrence finding is limited to the wording of this domain and does not negate its explicit teachings on the three realms, five turbidities, five dull and five sharp agents, causes and conditions, or contemplation of mind.
VII. Similes · Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
The burning-house verse first makes a ruined building the visible form of living beings’ bodies and minds. Lofty and precarious, crumbling and rotten, leaning askew, collapsed, peeled away, and displaced and detached are not a pile of synonyms. The root treatise separately attaches the life faculty, actions, four elements, skin, deportment, five consciousnesses, and the rest to parts of the house, while preserving divergent ancient explanations, so that one house displays impermanence, impurity, and the many ways body and mind constrain one another.
Birds, beasts, creatures, ghosts, and spirits turn the operation of afflictions into actions. Looking down from on high displays conceit; sucking poison, stinging on contact, and disputation display the three kinds of anger; racing crosswise among one another displays the agents conditioning one another and arising rapidly; chewing, trampling, seizing, and seeking food display greedy appropriation without satiety. In the ghosts-and-spirits passage, deviant views, attachment to precepts, view of a body, attachment to views, and extreme views each receive images of eating, squatting, tallness, narrow throats, ox horns, and the rest. Simile and Dharma meaning correspond division by division, but the names of the ghosts and beasts themselves are not changed into names for afflictions.
Cross-reading the sealed root text of the “Parable” chapter in this repository shows that this unit explains only the general parable within the burning-house verse. The goat cart, deer cart, ox cart, and equal gift of the great cart all occur in prose before this domain or in the subsequent specific parable and application:
| Root-Scripture Scene | Verbatim Present T09n0262 Text and Line Anchor | Relationship to This Domain |
|---|---|---|
| The elder’s children | 長者諸子，若十、二十，或至三十，在此宅中。 tr. “The elder’s children—ten or twenty, perhaps as many as thirty—were in this house”〔0012b18〕 | The root treatise says only that the phrase “five hundred people” incidentally includes the thirty children |
| Three carts | 如此種種羊車、鹿車、牛車，今在門外，可以遊戲。 tr. “Such goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts are now outside the gate for you to play with”〔0012c09〕 | Outside the forty-four lines attached in this domain |
| Asking for the carts | 諸子等各白父言：『父先所許玩好之具，羊車、鹿車、牛車，願時賜與。』 tr. “The children each said to their father: ‘Father, please now give us the playthings you promised before—the goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts’”〔0012c16〕 | The three names are each preserved |
| Great cart | 爾時長者各賜諸子等一大車 tr. “At that time the elder gave each of the children one great cart”〔0012c18〕 | Giving each and one great cart are simultaneously established |
| White ox | 駕以白牛，膚色充潔，形體姝好，有大筋力 tr. “It was yoked to a white ox, pure in complexion, beautiful in form, and possessing great muscular strength”〔0012c22〕 | The continuous expression “great white-ox cart” does not occur in the present text |
| Seven-jeweled great carts | 我有如是七寶大車，其數無量 tr. “I have immeasurable numbers of such great carts adorned with the seven jewels”〔0012c27〕 | The seven jewels and the goat, deer, and ox are not one classification |
| Three vehicles corresponding to the carts | 是名聲聞乘，如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅 tr. “This is called the Śrāvaka Vehicle, like the children who left the burning house seeking the goat cart”〔0013b20〕; 是名辟支佛乘，如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅 tr. “This is called the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, like the children who left the burning house seeking the deer cart”〔0013b23〕; 如彼諸子為求牛車、出於火宅。 tr. “like the children who left the burning house seeking the ox cart”〔0013b28〕 | The root scripture explicitly makes the correspondences in another passage; they are not inserted into this domain as though stated in its verse |
| Living beings are all children | 是諸眾生皆是我子，等與大乘 tr. “These living beings are all my children; I equally give them the Great Vehicle”〔0013c06〕 | The children in the application cannot be retrojected to make all five hundred people identical with the thirty children |
When cross-read with the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the burning house’s opening the provisional to reveal the real may be understood at the level of teaching classification. Cross-reading Great Calming and Contemplation is limited to stable points expressly marked by the root treatise itself, such as contemplative explanation, breath counting, impurity, and impermanence; the headings of another work are not inserted into this passage. The Fahua Xuanzan also explains the “Parable” chapter and may serve as a Ci’en mirror for cross-reading, without using one commentary to adjudicate another.
As this passage carries forward into the next unit, the master of the house is already outside the gate, and thirty-two and a half verse-lines begin to recapitulate the specific parable. How the elder enters in alarm, warns and instructs, promises the carts, and gives equally must unfold according to the divisions of that subsequent passage itself. This unit establishes only the house, the fire, and the many dangers within the house.
VIII. Placement of the Editions
1. Forty-One Variant Groups in the Strict Domain
The body follows the Taishō text. Of the forty-one groups, thirty-three have numbered or Taishō collation anchors, and eight are asterisk collations referring back to their corresponding numbers. Twelve empty readings in witness A are all explicitly listed as “absent in witness A.”
| No. | loc | Anchor Type | Taishō or Present Reading | Witness A or Original Taishō Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0074c08 | Number 0074004 | 有【大】 tr. “there are [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 2 | 0075a02 | Taishō collation 0075a0201 | 圮【CB】 tr. “broken [CBETA corrected text]” | 𡉏【大】 tr. “collapsed [Taishō]” |
| 3 | 0075a06 | Number 0075001 | 腸【大】 tr. “intestine [Taishō]” | 腹【甲】 tr. “abdomen [witness A]” |
| 4 | 0075a10 | Number 0075002 | 遍【大】 tr. “pervade [Taishō]” | 滿【甲】 tr. “fill [witness A]” |
| 5 | 0075a13 | Number 0075003 | 行【大】 tr. “line [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 6 | 0075a17 | Number 0075004 | 界【大】 tr. “realm [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 7 | 0075a19 | Number 0075005 | 有【大】 tr. “there are [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 8 | 0075a20 | Number 0075006 | 半【大】 tr. “half [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 9 | 0075a21 | Number 0075007 | 一【大】 tr. “one [Taishō]” | 二【甲】 tr. “two [witness A]” |
| 10 | 0075a21 | Number 0075008 | 後【大】 tr. “after [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 11 | 0075a22 | Number 0075009 | 四【大】 tr. “four [Taishō]” | 四後【甲】 tr. “after four [witness A]” |
| 12 | 0075a28 | Number 0075010 | 譬【大】 tr. “illustrates [Taishō]” | 舉【甲】 tr. “raises [witness A]” |
| 13 | 0075b01 | Number 0075011 | 憍如【大】 tr. “arrogance is like [Taishō]” | 如憍【甲】 tr. “like arrogance [witness A]” |
| 14 | 0075b04 | Number 0075012 | 淫【大】 tr. “lust [Taishō]” | 婬【甲】 tr. “lust [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 15 | 0075b07 | Number 0075013 | 蠍【大】 tr. “scorpion [Taishō]” | 竭【甲】 tr. “exhaust [witness A]” |
| 16 | 0075b09 | Taishō collation 0075b0901 | 蜒【CB】 tr. “millipede, second graph [CBETA corrected text]” | 蜓【大】 tr. “dragonfly/variant graph [Taishō]” |
| 17 | 0075b10 | Number 0075014 | 起【大】 tr. “arisen [Taishō]” | 起有【甲】 tr. “arisen and existent [witness A]” |
| 18 | 0075b11 | Number 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 19 | 0075b16 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 20 | 0075b22 | Number 0075016 | 而【大】 tr. “and [Taishō]” | 故【甲】 tr. “therefore [witness A]” |
| 21 | 0075c08 | Number 0075017 | 使【大】 tr. “agent [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 22 | 0075c11 | Number 0075018 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 禽【甲】 tr. “bird [witness A]” |
| 23 | 0075c15 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 24 | 0075c16 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 25 | 0075c19 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 26 | 0075c22 | Number 0075019 | 熾盛」者【大】 tr. “‘intensely blazing,’ as for [Taishō]” | 轉熾者【甲】 tr. “growing fiercer, as for [witness A]” |
| 27 | 0075c25 | Number 0075020 | 茶【大】 tr. “tea, final graph in kumbhāṇḍa [Taishō]” | 荼【甲】 tr. “bitter herb, final graph in kumbhāṇḍa [witness A]” |
| 28 | 0075c26 | Asterisk reference 0075020 | 茶【大】 tr. “tea, final graph in kumbhāṇḍa [Taishō]” | 荼【甲】 tr. “bitter herb, final graph in kumbhāṇḍa [witness A]” |
| 29 | 0075c26 | Number 0075021 | 勝【大】 tr. “supreme [Taishō]” | 肢【甲】 tr. “limb [witness A]” |
| 30 | 0075c27 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 31 | 0075c29 | Number 0075022 | 定【大】 tr. “concentration [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 32 | 0076a01 | Asterisk reference 0075022 | 定【大】 tr. “concentration [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 33 | 0076a08 | Number 0076001 | 如【大】 tr. “like [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 34 | 0076a10 | Number 0076002 | 是【大】 tr. “is [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 35 | 0076a13 | Number 0076003 | 失【大】 tr. “lose [Taishō]” | 出【甲】 tr. “leave [witness A]” |
| 36 | 0076b01 | Number 0076004 | 為我【大】 tr. “taking as self [Taishō]” | 我為【甲】 tr. “self as [witness A]” |
| 37 | 0076b04 | Number 0076005 | 時【大】 tr. “time [Taishō]” | 復【甲】 tr. “again [witness A]” |
| 38 | 0076b09 | Number 0076006 | 窺【大】 tr. “peer [Taishō]” | 甲本缺 tr. “absent in witness A” |
| 39 | 0076b21 | Number 0076007 | 宅舍【大】 tr. “house and room [Taishō]” | 舍宅【甲】 tr. “room and house [witness A]” |
| 40 | 0076c05 | Asterisk reference 0075015 | 蟲【大】 tr. “creature [Taishō]” | 虫【甲】 tr. “creature [witness A, variant graph]” |
| 41 | 0077a07 | Number 0077001 | 猶【大】 tr. “still [Taishō]” | 由【甲】 tr. “from [witness A]” |
All six asterisk recurrences of 蟲／虫 tr. “creature/creature” refer back to the same basic collation item. The asterisk collations for 鳩槃茶／鳩槃荼 tr. “kumbhāṇḍa/kumbhāṇḍa” and 定 tr. “concentration” likewise each refer back to a basic item; they are not independent notes from unrelated witnesses.
2. Transmitted Inline Notes
The strict domain has two <note place="inline"> elements, both rendered for readers as〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]”:
| loc | Verbatim Reader Form |
|---|---|
| 0075a09–0075a10 | 六塵遍染六根故言「雜穢充遍」。因緣、觀心兩番釋〔云云〕。 tr. “Because the six objects pervasively stain the six faculties, the text says ‘filled everywhere with assorted filth.’ There are the two explanations through causes and conditions and contemplation of mind [and so forth]” |
| 0075b04–0075b05 | 自忿為恚、忿他為瞋，自惑為愚、惑他為癡〔云云〕。 tr. “Anger at oneself is indignation, and anger at others is anger; delusion in oneself is foolishness, and deluding others is delusion [and so forth]” |
The inline notes remain within the sentences to which they belong and are not flattened into the continuous body text.
3. Rare Characters, Contents, and Page Anchors
This domain contains two rare characters: 𦝣〔0074c28〕 is CB03554, and 䶩〔0075b21〕 is CB00604. Both have been resolved as Unicode characters in the original-text reader layer; each graph is preserved and not replaced with a look-alike.
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 original-text reader uses one page transition and precise inline anchors at paragraph openings; within this domain,〔T34 0074c04〕 and〔T34 0075c08〕 mark a page or paragraph transition. Apparatus quotations instead use the nearest Taishō line marker before the first graph of the quoted phrase; a page anchor cannot replace a phrase-level precision anchor.