法華經義記 1.12

1.12

今果對昔果亦各有三義。今果有三義者：一明今日果體長，即對昔日果體短。第二義言今日果義廣，即對昔日果義狹。第三義言今日果用勝，即對昔日果用劣也。所以言今日果體長者，但昔言果止言壽命八十七百阿僧祇，今日明果壽命長遠復倍為數，是故下經文言壽命無數劫久修業所得，取五百那由他阿僧祇三千大千國土墨點取為喻，言壽命復過於此，但昔日無有如此之壽。然羅漢、辟支不無邊際智所延之壽，然終自無有長遠之期，是故以今日長遠之果對昔日短促之壽，昔麁今妙其義如此。第二言廣狹相對，但昔無為果不足，只有斷分段生死無為而已，今日斷兩種生死故，無為為具足也。昔日有為果體有功德智慧，然功德未圓、智慧未備，唯照有量聖諦不照無量聖諦，亦可唯照三因三果不照一因一果也。唯有盡無生智為體義狹。功德未圓者，但慈悲三界內眾生不及三界外眾生，故稱未圓也。今日明有為果智照八諦，復照一因一果功德，為論慈悲於內外眾生，故功德智慧圓而且備。然今廣故妙、昔狹故麁。第三明果用勝劣相對者，然此果更無別用，祇是殊形萬象神通益物，下文言神通力如是於阿僧祇劫常在靈鷲山及餘諸住處，非唯止在靈鷲益物，亦復分身十方度人，見形者三毒滅，聞聲者四倒除。但昔日之果不無小小說法，然不足是語，是故以今日神通無方益物之用勝，對昔日之用劣，昔劣今勝，劣者為麁、勝者稱妙，二名相待其意如此。

The present fruition, contrasted with the past fruition, likewise each has three meanings. The three meanings of the present fruition are: first, explaining that the substance of the present fruition is long, which contrasts with the substance of the past fruition being short; second, that the scope of the present fruition is broad, which contrasts with the scope of the past fruition being narrow; third, that the function of the present fruition is superior, which contrasts with the function of the past fruition being inferior. Why is it said that the substance of the present fruition is long? In the past, when speaking of fruition, lifespan was said to be merely eighty [years] or seven hundred asaṃkhyeyas. Today, in clarifying fruition, the lifespan is vast and distant, multiplied many times over. Therefore, the text of the sūtra below states that the lifespan is obtained through deeds cultivated over countless kalpas, taking the metaphor of ink-dots across five hundred nayuta asaṃkhyeyas of three-thousand-great-thousand realms, and saying that the lifespan surpasses even this. In the past, there was no such lifespan. While arhats and pratyekabuddhas are not without life extended by the knowledge of the limit [of life], in the end they themselves do not have a vastly distant duration. Therefore, contrasting the vastly distant fruition of today with the short and fleeting lifespan of the past, the past is coarse and the present is sublime; such is its meaning. Second, regarding the contrast between broad and narrow: in the past, the unconditioned fruition was deficient, consisting only in the unconditioned state of cutting off fragmentary saṃsāra. Today, because both kinds of saṃsāra are cut off, the unconditioned state is complete. The substance of the conditioned fruition in the past possessed merit and wisdom, yet its merit was not full and its wisdom was not complete: it illuminated only the quantifiable noble truths, not the unquantifiable noble truths; alternatively, it illuminated only the three causes and three fruitions, not the One Cause and One Fruition. Consisting only of the knowledge of exhaustion and the knowledge of non-arising as its substance, its meaning was narrow. As for merit not being full: benevolence and compassion extended only to sentient beings within the three realms, not reaching sentient beings beyond the three realms; hence it was called incomplete. Today, in clarifying the conditioned fruition, wisdom illuminates the eight truths and further illuminates the One Cause and One Fruition; in terms of merit, benevolence and compassion extend to sentient beings both within and beyond [the three realms]; thus merit and wisdom are both full and complete. Thus, the present is broad and therefore sublime, while the past was narrow and therefore coarse. Third, in clarifying the contrast between superior and inferior function of fruition: this fruition has no other distinct function; it is merely employing various forms, myriad manifestations, and supernatural powers to benefit beings. As the text below states: 'Such are my supernatural powers; throughout asaṃkhyeya kalpas I constantly dwell on the Vulture Peak and in other abodes.' Not only does he dwell on the Vulture Peak to benefit beings, but he also divides his body throughout the ten directions to deliver people: those who see his form have the three poisons extinguished, and those who hear his voice have the four inverted views eliminated. While the fruition of the past was not without minor expositions of the Dharma, it was insufficient for such a description. Therefore, contrasting the superior function of today's boundless supernatural powers that benefit beings with the inferior function of the past: the past is inferior and the present is superior; the inferior is coarse and the superior is sublime. Such is the meaning of the mutual relativity of the two designations.