妙法蓮華經玄義 1.221

1.221

此有兩義：一、當分，二、跨節。當分者，如三藏佛赴種種緣，說種種教，緣異故教別，主一故教通。依此教行，有能契、所契，種種名理，理無種種。經言：「即脫纓珞，著弊垢衣。語言勤作，勿復餘去，并加汝價，及塗足油。」此則身口行理齊分而說，不得作餘解也。通、別、圓等，教、行、理，當分亦爾。斯義易解，而理難融（云云）。二、跨節者，何處別有四教主，各各身，各各口，各各說？秪隱其無量功德莊嚴之身，現為丈六紫金輝；不說甘恬、常樂之味，說於鹹酢、無常、辛辣；棄王者服飾，執持糞器，名為方便。若開方便門，示真實相，即向身是圓常之身，向法是圓法。向行、向理，皆即真實。如此通是一音之教，而小大差別。能契有長短，所契唯一。極種種名、名一究竟；唯一究竟，應於眾名。作如此論教、行、理通別者，相則難解，理則易明（云云）。

This has two meanings: first, according to the separate division; second, spanning across the divisions. "According to the separate division": for instance, the buddha of the tripiṭaka teaching adapts to various conditions and expounds various teachings; because the conditions differ the teachings are specific, but because the master is one the teachings are general. Practicing in accordance with this teaching, there are that which realizes and that which is realized, and various named principles, but principle has no variety. The sūtra states: "He then took off his necklaces and put on ragged, dirty clothes. He said to him: 'Work diligently, do not go elsewhere; I will increase your wages and provide oil for your feet.'" This is expounded strictly within that level's body, speech, practice, and principle, and one must not make any other interpretation. For the shared, distinctive, and perfect teachings, their doctrine, practice, and principle according to their separate divisions are also like this. This meaning is easy to understand, but the principle is difficult to harmonize (and so forth). Second, "spanning across the divisions": where is there separately four masters of the teachings, each with their own body, each with their own mouth, each with their own preaching? He merely conceals his body adorned with immeasurable merit and appears as a sixteen-foot purple-golden radiant form; instead of expounding the flavors of sweet tranquility, permanence, and bliss, he expounds salty, sour, impermanent, and pungent flavors; discarding royal clothing, he holds a dung vessel: these are called expedient means. If one opens the gate of expedient means and reveals the true mark, then the previous body is precisely the perfect and eternal body, the previous Dharma is the perfect Dharma, and the previous practice and previous principle are both precisely the real. In this way, all are the teaching of a single voice, yet the small and the great differ. That which realizes has long and short [spans], but that which is realized is only one. Reaching the limit of various names, the names are of one ultimate; the single ultimate corresponds to all names. When one discusses the general and specific of doctrine, practice, and principle in this way, the marks are difficult to understand, but the principle is easy to clarify (and so forth).