法華經義記 8.11

8.11

"Those who read this sūtra": from here down there are twenty-one and a half lines, which is the fourth section in the Buddha's answer, broadly clarifying the marks of ease and happiness in attaining fruition. However, herein it directly clarifies the marks of ease and happiness in obtaining the three retributions; within the twenty-one and a half lines there are of themselves four sections: first, there is one line that first clarifies obtaining ease and happiness in the retribution of the present life. Second, from "Will not be born in poverty" down there are three and a half lines, which clarify obtaining ease and happiness in the retribution of the next life. Third, from "If in dreams" down, sixteen lines clarify obtaining ease and happiness in the retribution of subsequent lives. Fourth, one line summarily concludes the three explanations. Within the third, which is now based on the marks of retribution in subsequent lives within dreams, there are five kinds: first, one and a half lines first clarify hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma; second, clarifying seeing one's own body preaching the Dharma to others, also having one and a half lines; third, from "Also seeing all Buddhas" down, six and a half lines clarify receiving the Buddha's prediction and preaching the Dharma; fourth, from "Also seeing one's own body" down, one and a half lines clarify practicing the causes of the Buddha-fruition; fifth, "All Buddhas, their bodies golden, adorned with the hundred merit-marks," five lines of five-character verse, clarify obtaining the Buddha-fruition. However, within this fifth [subdivision] of obtaining the Buddha-fruition, there are two points: the first one line first cites the previous four dreams; second, the subsequent four lines directly clarify obtaining the Buddha-fruition. In the first citing of the four dreams, the first two lines up to "heard the Dharma" cite the first dream above. The three characters "preached to others" cite the second dream above. The line "Constantly having such good dreams" summarily cites the third and fourth dreams. The four lines down from "Also dreaming of becoming a king" are the second, directly clarifying obtaining the Buddha-fruition. The one line down from "If in the later evil age" is the fourth, summarily concluding the three retributions.