法華經義記 2.42

2.42

「佛未出家時」此下十六行半，頌上長行中第三段有五事同。就中有五：初半偈頌上第一有子同，次半偈頌第二王子出家同，次四行偈頌第三現此間瑞相同，次十行偈頌第四現他方瑞相同，次一行半頌第五疑眾同也。今云「佛未出家時所生八王子」，此半偈頌上第一有子同，上言最後佛未出家時有八王子也。「見大聖出家」，此半偈頌上第二王子出家同，上言悉捨王位亦隨出家也。「時佛說大乘」，此下有四行偈，頌上第三現此間瑞相同。本有六段今皆頌之，此四行之中，初一行頌說《無量義經》同也。次一行頌入定同也。次半行頌雨華同也。有人解言：「下諸天龍鬼神猶屬雨華。」今一家所習不爾，此花本非諸天所雨，直是如來神力雨花，亦是如來神力動地，然地動既非地神所作，所雨之花寧關諸天所降耶？今言「諸天龍鬼神供養人中尊」，此半偈超頌第五四眾歡喜同也。次半偈追頌第四地動同也。「佛放眉間光」，此半偈頌第六放光同也。「此光照東方萬八千佛土」，此下十行偈頌上第四現瑞相於他土同。上言「如今所見是諸佛土」，唯有兩句，文句雖少義含六種。今此十行偈宜分為二，第一半行先頌瑞相所由，所由是光明；第二九行半正頌瑞相，不頌第六，唯頌前五種瑞相也。第一半行頌見六道眾生也。次有三行頌見諸佛，次有一行頌聞諸佛說法，次有一行頌見二乘人修行也，次有四行頌見菩薩大乘人修行也。今言「示一切眾生生死業報處」，此半行頌見他方六道眾生也。「又見諸佛土」，此下三行偈頌見他土諸佛。就此三行偈中則有四義：初一行先敘見他土嚴具之相，長行所無，此中義出也。第二言「及見諸天人」，此下一行明見他方四眾供養他方佛，此亦是長行所無，偈中義出也。第三從「又見諸如來自然成佛道」，有半行偈，正頌上見他方諸佛。第四「身色如金山」下半行譽佛譬，此亦上長行所無也。「如淨瑠璃中」下一偈，頌上見他方諸佛說法，自有二，上半行開譬，下半合譬也。「一一諸佛土」，此下一行偈，頌見他方二乘人修行也。「或有諸比丘」，此下有四偈，頌見他方大乘菩薩修行，比丘是出家菩薩，菩薩要行不過六度，此中即明六度。初一偈先明精進與戒二波羅密，次有一行即明檀、忍二種也，行施即是檀波羅密，忍辱此則是忍波羅密，次一偈即是禪波羅密，次一偈即是波若波羅密也。

"Before the Buddha left home"—the sixteen and a half verses from here on versify the five points of correspondence in the third section of the prose above. Within this there are five: the first half-verse versifies the first point above, the correspondence of having sons; the next half-verse versifies the second point, the correspondence of the princes leaving home; the next four verses versify the third point, the correspondence of manifesting auspicious signs in this [world]; the next ten verses versify the fourth point, the correspondence of manifesting auspicious signs in other directions; the next verse and a half versifies the fifth point, the correspondence of the doubting assembly. Now, the statement "Before the Buddha left home, the eight princes he fathered" is the half-verse that versifies the first point above, having sons—the statement above that the final buddha, before leaving home, had eight princes. "Seeing the Great Sage leave home" is the half-verse that versifies the second point above, the princes leaving home—the statement above that they all renounced the royal throne and likewise followed him in leaving home. "At that time the Buddha expounded the Great Vehicle"—the four verses from here on versify the third point above, manifesting auspicious signs in this [world]. Originally there were six sections, and all are now versified. Among these four verses, the first verse versifies the correspondence of expounding the *Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings*. The next verse versifies the correspondence of entering samādhi. The next half-verse versifies the correspondence of the rain of flowers. Some interpret this by saying: "The heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, and spirits below still belong to the rain of flowers." Now, what our lineage teaches is not so: these flowers originally were not rained down by the gods; it was purely through the Tathāgata's supernatural power that flowers were rained down, and likewise it was through the Tathāgata's supernatural power that the earth quaked. Since the earth's quaking was not done by the earth deities, how could the flowers that were rained down have anything to do with being cast down by the gods? Now, the statement "The devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits / made offerings to the Honoured One Among Humans" is a half-verse that leaps ahead to versify the fifth point, the joy of the fourfold assembly. The next half-verse looks back to versify the fourth point, the earth quaking. "The Buddha emitted a light from between his brows" is the half-verse that versifies the sixth point, the correspondence of emitting light. "This light illuminated the eastern direction, eighteen thousand buddha-lands"—the ten verses from here on versify the fourth point above, the correspondence of manifesting auspicious signs in other lands. The statement above, "just as are now seen all these buddha-lands," had only two phrases, and though the phrasing was brief, its meaning contained six kinds. Now these ten verses should be divided into two: the first half-verse first versifies the source of the auspicious signs, the source being the radiant light; the second nine and a half verses properly versify the auspicious signs—not versifying the sixth, but only versifying the first five kinds of auspicious signs. The first half-verse versifies seeing the sentient beings of the six destinies. Next, three verses versify seeing the buddhas. Next, one verse versifies hearing the buddhas expound the Dharma. Next, one verse versifies seeing the practice of persons of the two vehicles. Next, four verses versify seeing the practice of bodhisattvas, persons of the Great Vehicle. Now, the statement "showing where all sentient beings receive the karmic retributions of birth and death" is the half-verse versifying the sight of sentient beings of the six destinies in other directions. "Again seeing all the buddha-lands"—the three verses from here on versify seeing the buddhas of other lands. Within these three verses there are four points of meaning: the first verse first describes seeing the marks of the adornments of other lands, which was absent in the prose, its meaning being brought out here. Second, the statement "and seeing all the devas and humans"—the one verse from here on explains seeing the fourfold assemblies in other directions making offerings to the buddhas in other directions; this also was absent in the prose, its meaning being brought out in the verse. Third, from "Again seeing all the Tathāgatas naturally realize the Buddha path," there is a half-verse properly versifying seeing the buddhas in other directions. Fourth, from "Their physical color like a golden mountain," the half-verse below is a simile praising the buddhas; this also was absent in the prose above. From "Just as within pure lapis lazuli," the one verse below versifies seeing the buddhas in other directions expounding the Dharma; it naturally has two parts: the first half-verse introduces the simile, and the second half applies the simile. "In each and every buddha-land"—the one verse from here on versifies seeing the practice of persons of the two vehicles in other directions. "Or there are monks"—the four verses from here on versify seeing the practice of Mahāyāna bodhisattvas in other directions; "monks" refers to renunciant bodhisattvas. The essential practices of a bodhisattva do not exceed the six perfections, and here the six perfections are explained. The first verse first explains the two pāramitās of vigor and morality. The next verse explains the two kinds of giving and patience: practicing giving is the dāna-pāramitā, and forbearance is the kṣānti-pāramitā. The next verse is the dhyāna-pāramitā. The next verse is the prajñā-pāramitā.