法華經義記 7.85

7.85

From 'First, abiding peacefully' onward is the second: setting forth the essential characteristics of the four practices of ease and bliss, which forms four sections. Furthermore, regarding the text of these four practices, the sentences and passages differ: in explaining the first two practices, each has three sections of explanation; in the latter two practices, each has two passages. For now, in clarifying that the first practice has three: first, from 'from here' down to the end of the twenty-three verses, it directly explains the essential characteristics of the first practice; second, 'If there is a monk' has four and a half verses, clarifying the characteristics of attaining the fruit of ease and bliss; third, 'Mañjuśrī, this bodhisattva' has one verse line and one sentence, concluding this first practice. Now, within the first, directly explaining the initial characteristics of the essence, the practice itself has two: first is the prose, and second is the verses. For now, within the prose there are two sections: first, there is about one line of text which first establishes two chapter headings based on practice; next, it clarifies the meaning of being able to propagate this sūtra in the evil age to come. From 'Mañjuśrī, how does a bodhisattva' downward is the second, directly explaining the two chapter headings, without explaining the meaning of being able to propagate. The two chapter headings are the chapter heading of the essence of practice and the chapter heading of skilful means. 'Abiding peacefully in the bodhisattva's sphere of practice' is the chapter heading of the essence of practice; this practice takes understanding the emptiness of nominal designation and substantial dharmas as its essence, and now the two emptinesses of nominal and substantial are the objective realm conditioned by the mind of understanding, hence it is called the sphere of practice. 'Sphere of intimacy' is the second chapter heading, which is the path of skilful means of the understanding of the two emptinesses. Next, 'is able to preach this sūtra for sentient beings' directly clarifies that when a beginning bodhisattva propagates this sūtra in the evil age after the Buddha's extinction, their understanding mind must abide peacefully in the two emptinesses of nominal and substantial and in the path of skilful means, treating enemies and kin equally, and exhorting both good and evil alike; then heavenly Māras and non-Buddhists will be unable to harm them, they will depart from danger and attain safety, and depart from suffering and attain bliss.