法華經義記 5.31

5.31

從「汝舍利弗我此法印」又前判云正譬說開三顯一化中根人中本有兩段，第一是舍利弗請，其中自有三段，已訖也。第二是如來答，亦有三段，第一是譬說緣起，其中有二：初呵、後許也。第二正譬說開三顯一，其中有二：即是長行與偈，亦已訖也。中根之人既解同歸之理、先三後一之意，故自此下盡品有六十五行偈，是第三即㢡勸中根人受行。然獎勸之意祗明弘經益物、自行化他，種同歸之因、感圓極妙果也。菩薩萬行乃備、眾德皆修，若的明要者不出自行化他，自行則如說修行，化他則弘經益物兼除老病，菩薩之謂也。但慕果之心易生，行因之意難立，是故此中單勸慕果。既願行因，貧福自顯，此意已具如前述，不復細解。又解所以不勸慕果者，與〈授記品〉相近，故不勸慕果也。此中祗以弘經益人以為行因，亦有兩段。兩段之者，第一一行偈先出所弘之經，第二從「在所遊方」下有六十四行偈，正示其弘經益物之方也。今第一言「我法印」者，即是所弘之經，印者故如此人名字印此函書送與所與之人，莫與所不與之人。然《法華經》猶如函書，但經中所明因果，猶如書中所表之事也。如來言教題此經名字猶如印也。弘經菩薩如送書人也。法印深意其義如此。

From "You, Śāriputra, this Dharma seal of mine": furthermore, as previously determined, within the transformation of persons of medium capacity by directly teaching through parables to open the three and reveal the one, there were originally two sections. The first was Śāriputra's request, which itself had three sections and is already finished. The second is the Tathāgata's reply, which also has three sections: the first was the origin of the teaching through parables, within which there were two parts: first the rebuke, and then the permission. The second was directly teaching through parables to open the three and reveal the one, within which there were two parts: namely the prose and the verses, which are also already finished. Since persons of medium capacity have already understood the principle of returning to the same [destination] and the intent of the three first and the one later, from here to the end of the chapter there are sixty-five lines of verse, which are the third [section], namely encouraging and exhorting persons of medium capacity to accept and practice it. Now, the intent of encouragement and exhortation is merely to clarify propagating the sūtra to benefit beings, practicing oneself and transforming others, planting the cause of returning to the same [destination], and evoking the consummate and ultimate wondrous fruition. The myriad practices of the bodhisattva are complete and all virtues are cultivated; if one is to clarify the essentials, they do not go beyond practicing oneself and transforming others: practicing oneself is cultivating practice in accordance with the teaching, while transforming others is propagating the sūtra to benefit beings while also removing old age and disease; this is what is meant by a bodhisattva. However, the mind that yearns for the fruition arises easily, while the resolve to practice the cause is difficult to establish; therefore, here one is solely exhorted to yearn for the fruition. Once one vows to practice the cause, poverty and fortune are naturally revealed; this intent has already been fully described above and will not be explained in detail again. Another explanation for why yearning for the fruition is not exhorted is that it is close to the "Chapter on the Bestowal of Predictions," and therefore yearning for the fruition is not exhorted. Here, merely taking the propagation of the sūtra to benefit people as practicing the cause also has two sections. As for these two sections: first, one line of verse first sets forth the sūtra that is to be propagated; second, the sixty-four lines of verse from "Wherever you travel" onward directly show the method of propagating the sūtra to benefit beings. Now, the first [part], stating "my Dharma seal," is the sūtra that is to be propagated; a "seal" is like a person's name stamping this letter in a box to be delivered to the intended recipient and not given to an unintended recipient. The Lotus Sūtra is like the letter in the box, while the cause and effect clarified in the sūtra are like the matters expressed within the letter. The Tathāgata's spoken teaching inscribing the title of this sūtra is like the seal. The bodhisattva who propagates the sūtra is like the courier who delivers the letter. Such is the profound meaning of the Dharma seal.