法華經義記 3.5

3.5

"Originally from countless buddhas, / fully practicing the various paths": these two lines of verse below repeatedly summarize all buddhas' and Śākya's explanation and conclusion in two layers. The first line of verse summarizes all buddhas' explanation and conclusion of the two wisdoms, and the latter line of verse summarizes Śākya's explanation and conclusion of the two wisdoms. Regarding the first verse, "Originally from countless buddhas, / fully practicing the various paths": this half-line of verse summarizes all buddhas' second explanation of the two wisdoms. Why is this so? The Buddha formerly approached in person hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of countless buddhas, practicing to the utmost the measureless paths and dharmas of all buddhas. "Dharmas profound and subtle, / difficult to see and difficult to comprehend": this half-line of verse summarizes the third [layer] in the prose above concluding all buddhas' two wisdoms. This half-line then constitutes two meanings: "Dharmas profound and subtle", this single phrase summarizes the above conclusion of real wisdom, which said that he accomplished profound, unprecedented dharmas; "difficult to see and difficult to comprehend", this single phrase summarizes the above conclusion of expedient wisdom, which said that what is spoken in accordance with suitability has an purport difficult to understand. "Throughout measureless koṭis of kalpas": this one line of verse repeatedly summarizes Śākya's explanation and conclusion in two layers. This single line then constitutes two meanings: "Throughout measureless koṭis of kalpas, / having practiced these various paths", this half-line summarizes Śākya's explanation of the two wisdoms; but the prose briefly did not point out past causes; since it is present in the verse, reflecting the former it then constitutes the meaning of summarizing the explanation. "On the bodhimaṇḍa attaining the fruit": this following half-line properly summarizes Śākya's solitary conclusion of real wisdom above. The conclusion above stated that he accomplished all unprecedented dharmas, above merely speaking of real wisdom; here it points out the occasion of attaining real wisdom, which is simply when the Tathāgata sat beneath the Bodhi tree to attain buddhahood, the moment when the World-Honoured One's great awakening was luminous and clear, attaining this real wisdom; therefore it says 'On the bodhimaṇḍa attaining the fruit, / I have already fully known and seen it.'"