法華經義記 7.61

7.61

此品明受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫五種法師之德，故言法師品也。十二品經開三顯一以明因義，自有四段：第一略說開三顯一動執生疑，第二懷疑故致請，第三廣明開三顯一斷疑生信，三段已竟自此以下有四品經，是第四名別流通因義。前又解言：第一第二各開為二，第三第四各開為三。就此第四段中三段者，第一〈法師品〉、〈見寶塔品〉此二品經明受持此經者勳深、流通者報重，則明勳深報重，命覓通經之人。第二持品時眾既聞勳深報重，則能通經者受命通也。第三〈安樂行品〉攝退墮之人。何者？但時眾有小行菩薩亦欲信習流通，見持品末明諸大菩薩於此惡世通經，有擯黜之過、身命之危，則言我等既未及大士，何能於此惡世流通此經？相與退沒。為此義故有第三〈安樂行品〉，明四種安樂之行，攝退墮之人。若欲於惡世中流通經者，當修四安樂行，則免危得安、離苦得樂。又就此三段中第三各開為二，中間第二受命中文有五別，第一命覓通經人中有二者，即兩品為二，第一〈法師品〉明釋迦自覓通經之人，第二〈見寶塔品〉明多寶如來助釋迦命覓通經人。又就釋迦自命覓通經人中有二：第一從初竟「我今獲大利」偈已來，據勳深報重正命覓通經人；第二從「藥王今告汝」下訖品，舉通經軌則命覓通經人也。

This chapter clarifies the virtues of the five kinds of Dharma masters—those who receptively uphold, read, recite, explain, and copy [the sūtra]—hence it is called the “Dharma Master Chapter”. The twelve chapters of the sūtra that open the three and reveal the One to clarify the meaning of the cause naturally have four sections: the first briefly speaks of opening the three and revealing the One, stirring attachments and generating doubts; the second, because doubts are harboured, leads to requests; the third broadly clarifies opening the three and revealing the One, severing doubts and generating faith. These three sections having concluded, from here below there are four chapters of the sūtra, which form the fourth [section], termed the specific propagation of the meaning of the cause. As previously explained: the first and second [sections] are each opened into two, and the third and fourth are each opened into three. In this fourth section, the three subsections are: first, the two chapters “Dharma Master Chapter” and “Apparition of the Jewelled Stūpa Chapter”, which clarify that those who receptively uphold this sūtra have profound merit, and those who propagate it receive weighty retribution, thereby clarifying that because the merit is profound and the retribution is weighty, [the Buddha] commands and seeks people to propagate the sūtra. Second, the “Devadatta / Upholding Chapter” (Chapter 12/13), where the assembly at that time, having heard of the profound merit and weighty retribution, those who are able to propagate the sūtra receive the command to propagate it. Third, the “Peaceful Practices Chapter”, which gathers in those who regress and fall away. Why so? Because among the assembly at that time there were bodhisattvas of lesser practice who also wished to have faith in, practice, and propagate [it], but seeing at the end of the “Upholding Chapter” that the great bodhisattvas propagating the sūtra in this evil age face the fault of expulsion and the danger to life and limb, they said: “Since we have not yet equalled the Great Beings, how could we propagate this sūtra in this evil age?” and they jointly regressed and sank. For this reason there is the third, the “Peaceful Practices Chapter”, which clarifies the four kinds of peaceful practice to gather in those who regress and fall away. If one wishes to propagate the sūtra in an evil age, one should cultivate the four peaceful practices; then one will escape danger and attain peace, leave suffering and attain bliss. Furthermore, in these three subsections, the third is each opened into two, and within the middle second—receiving the command—the text has five distinctions. In the first—commanding and seeking people to propagate the sūtra—there are two [parts], namely the two chapters forming two [parts]: first, the “Dharma Master Chapter” clarifies that Śākya himself seeks people to propagate the sūtra; second, the “Apparition of the Jewelled Stūpa Chapter” clarifies that Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata assists Śākya in commanding and seeking people to propagate the sūtra. Moreover, in Śākya's himself commanding and seeking people to propagate the sūtra, there are two [parts]: first, from the beginning up to the verse “I have now obtained great benefit”, based on the profound merit and weighty retribution, he directly commands and seeks people to propagate the sūtra; second, from “I now tell you, Bhaiṣajyarāja” down to the end of the chapter, he raises the rules for propagating the sūtra to command and seek people to propagate the sūtra.