妙法蓮華經玄義 1.18

1.18

釋此五章，有通、有別。通是同義，別是異義。如此五章，遍解眾經，故言同也。釋名名異，乃至判教教異，故言別也。例眾經之初，皆安五事，則同義也。如是詮異，我聞人異，一時感應異，佛住處所異，若干人聽眾異，則別義也。又通者，共義；別者，各義。如此通、別，專在一部。通則七番共解，別則五重各說。例如利鈍，須廣略二門也。眾教通別，今所不論；一經通別，今當辨。

In explaining these five chapters, there is the general and the specific. 'General' is the meaning of identity; 'specific' is the meaning of difference. As these five chapters comprehensively explain all sūtras, they are called identical. Explaining the title has different titles, and up to classifying the teachings has different teachings, so they are called different. For example, the beginnings of all sūtras invariably establish the five matters, which is the meaning of identity. Yet the exposition of 'thus' is different, the person of 'I have heard' is different, the stimulus and response of 'at one time' is different, the dwelling place of the Buddha is different, and the audience of however many people is different; these are the meanings of difference. Furthermore, 'general' means the shared meaning; 'specific' means the individual meaning. Such general and specific apply exclusively to this single work. Generally, there are seven cycles of shared explanation; specifically, there are five folds of individual exposition. Just as with sharp and dull faculties, the two gateways of the broad and the brief are needed. The general and specific across the various teachings are not discussed now; the general and specific of this one sūtra shall now be discerned.