[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法華經義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715) › 2.23 # 法華經義記 2.23 法華經義記 2.23 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2.23) 「諸善男子如過去無量」，自此下是第三出曾見之事廣引事同。此中亦有兩段者，第一「諸善男子」竟「欲知此光所為因緣」，廣明曾見事，顯已見事同於此曾見事。第二從「時有菩薩名曰妙光」以下，亦廣明曾見事，顯當見事應同此曾見事也。故第一段名為已見事與曾見事同，第二段名為當見事與曾見事應同也。又就此兩段之中，前明已見事同中自有七種，後明當見事應同中自有四也。已見事與曾見事同雖有七種，而分文不成七段，宜分為三，或分為四者，今不用之後者，第一先明過遠最初一佛有二事同；第二將欲取最後一佛更有五事同，故先明比次一萬九千九百九十九佛亦同有二事；第三其最後佛以下，取最後佛明更有五事同。然好解之事前列諸佛悉具五同，其最後佛亦有七善及三乘教同，但文句平等出耳！然分文雖三，終成七同三，言最初佛二事同、最後佛有五事同，合七事同。七事同者，第一「演說正法」以下明七善義同，第二明三乘教同，第三明今佛與昔佛在俗有王子義同，第四明王子出家義同，第五明現瑞相於此土義同也，第六明現瑞於他土同，第七明疑眾同也。今先明第一段初佛中有三：初明劫數時節，第二明通別二號，「演說正法」以下，第三正明二事同。初明七善中有二，「演說正法」一句是總明七善，第二別明七善中，初善、中善、後善，此三種合為一善，名為時節善。初善者，序說即是初善也；正說即是中善也；流通說即是後善也。教能生人善故言善，此是緣中說果也。「其義深遠」，此是第二善，此是理善也。望之杳然目之為深、行因久到詺之為遠，此則是言下之理妙也。「其語巧妙」，此第三善，此即是理上言巧。「純一無雜」是第四善，下四善通於理教也。文理真正，故言「無雜」也。「具足」者，是第五善，文理無不圓，即是諸惡莫作、諸善奉行，故言具足。「清白」者，此是第六善，文理映徹，目之為清，此理無染，目之為白也。「梵行之相」者，此是第七善，梵名涅槃；行者是涅槃家因也，此即是道諦也；相即是標相也。猶如見烟知火，見鶴知池，執攬此經知有梵行之因果，此經則為因果作相，故言梵行之相也。 > From "Good sons, as in the past, immeasurable..." onward is the third \[section\], which sets forth what was previously seen and extensively adduces parallels of events. Within this there are also two passages: the first, from "Good sons" up to "wished to know the causes and conditions of this light," extensively clarifies what was previously seen and shows that what has already been seen is identical to this which was previously seen. The second, from "At that time there was a bodhisattva named Varaprabha" onward, also extensively clarifies what was previously seen and shows that what will be seen should be identical to this which was previously seen. Therefore, the first passage is named "the identity of what has already been seen with what was previously seen," and the second passage is named "what will be seen should be identical to what was previously seen." Furthermore, within these two passages, the former, which clarifies the identity of what has already been seen, itself contains seven kinds; the latter, which clarifies that what will be seen should be identical, itself contains four. Although the identity of what has already been seen with what was previously seen has seven kinds, dividing the text into seven passages would not work; it should be divided into three, or divided into four. The latter \[fourfold division\] is not adopted here. First, it clarifies that the very first Buddha in the remote past had two events in common; second, intending to take the final Buddha as having five further events in common, it first clarifies that the intermediate 19,999 Buddhas in succession likewise shared the two events; third, from "his final Buddha" onward, it takes the final Buddha and clarifies that he had five further events in common. However, for a proper understanding of the matter, all the preceding Buddhas fully possessed the five points of identity, and the final Buddha also had the identities of the seven excellences and the teaching of the three vehicles; it is merely that the textual phrasing presents them evenly! Although the division of the text is threefold, in the end it amounts to seven points of identity: stating that the first Buddha had two events in common and the final Buddha had five events in common combines to make seven events in common. As for the seven events in common: first, from "expounded the true Dharma" onward clarifies the identity of the meaning of the seven excellences; second clarifies the identity of the teaching of the three vehicles; third clarifies the identity of the meaning that the present Buddha and the past Buddha, while in secular life, had royal sons; fourth clarifies the identity of the meaning of the royal sons going forth; fifth clarifies the identity of the meaning of manifesting auspicious omens in this land; sixth clarifies the identity of manifesting auspicious omens in other lands; seventh clarifies the identity of the assembly of doubters. Now, first clarifying the first Buddha in the first passage, there are three points: first clarifies the kalpas and time periods; second clarifies the common and particular epithets; from "expounded the true Dharma" onward is third, directly clarifying the two events in common. In the initial clarification of the seven excellences, there are two points: the single phrase "expounded the true Dharma" generally clarifies the seven excellences; second, in individually clarifying the seven excellences, good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end—these three kinds are combined into one excellence, called "excellence of the time periods." "Good in the beginning": the introductory exposition is good in the beginning; the principal exposition is good in the middle; the exposition of dissemination is good in the end. Because the teaching is able to generate goodness in people, it is called "good"; this is speaking of the fruit in terms of conditions. "Its meaning is deep and far-reaching": this is the second excellence, which is the excellence of principle. Looking toward it, it is obscure and profound, so it is called "deep"; when cultivating the cause, it takes a long time to reach, so it is called "far-reaching"; this is the wondrousness of the principle underlying the words. "Its phrasing is skilful": this is the third excellence, which is the skillfulness of the phrasing upon the principle. "Pure and unmixed" is the fourth excellence; the following four excellences pertain commonly to principle and teaching. The phrasing and principle are upright and genuine, hence it says "unmixed." "Complete": this is the fifth excellence; neither phrasing nor principle is not consummate, which is "do no evil, practice all goods," hence it says "complete." "Clean and white": this is the sixth excellence; phrasing and principle shine through clearly, which is termed "clean"; this principle is undefiled, which is termed "white." "The characteristics of the pure practice (brahmacarya)": this is the seventh excellence; "pure" (brahma) is nirvāṇa; "practice" (carya) is the cause of nirvāṇa, which is the truth of the path; "characteristics" (lakṣaṇa) are the signs and marks. Just as seeing smoke one knows fire, and seeing a crane one knows a pool, grasping and taking up this sūtra one knows there are the cause and effect of the pure practice; this sūtra serves as the characteristic for cause and effect, hence it is said to be "the characteristics of the pure practice." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2.22) - [Next: 2.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2.24) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715~en-mt.2.23) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1715.2.23) · Pramāṇa