[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經玄義](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716) › 8.111 # 妙法蓮華經玄義 8.111 妙法蓮華經玄義 8.111 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.111](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.111) 若以佛教為門者，教略為四（云云）。若於一教，以四句詮理，即是四門，四四合為十六門。若以行為門者，稟教修觀，因思得入，即以行為門。藉教發真，則以教為門。若初聞教，如快馬見鞭影即入正路者，不須修觀。若初修觀，如夜見電光即得見道者，不更須教。並是往昔善根習熟，今於教門得通，名為信行；於觀門得通，名法行。若聞不即悟，應須修觀；於觀悟者，轉成法行。若修觀不悟，更須聽法；聽法得悟，轉名信行。教即為觀門，觀即為教門。聞教而觀，觀教而聞，教觀相資，則通入成門。教觀合論，則有三十二門，此語其大數耳。細尋於門，實有無量。五百身因，三十二不二門，善財遊法界，值無量知識，說無量教門，無量觀行。如喜見城，千二百門，實相法城，豈唯一轍？經云：「說種種法門，宣示於佛道。」 > If one takes the Buddha's teachings as the gates, the teachings are briefly four, and so forth. If within a single teaching one explains the principle through four propositions, these are the four gates; four times four together make sixteen gates. If one takes practice as the gate, receiving the teaching and cultivating contemplation, entering through reflection, then one takes practice as the gate. If one relies on the teaching to give rise to the real, one takes teaching as the gate. If upon first hearing the teaching, like a swift horse that enters the correct road upon seeing the shadow of the whip, one does not need to cultivate contemplation. If upon first cultivating contemplation, like seeing a flash of lightning at night one immediately attains vision of the path, one does not further need teaching. These are both cases where past good roots have been thoroughly practiced, so that now one gains passage through the teaching-gate, which is called the practice of faith; gaining passage through the contemplation-gate is called the practice of Dharma. If hearing \[the teaching\] does not bring immediate awakening, one must cultivate contemplation; awakening through contemplation turns one into a practitioner of Dharma. If cultivating contemplation does not bring awakening, one must further listen to the Dharma; gaining awakening through listening to the Dharma turns one into a practitioner of faith. Teaching thus serves as the gate to contemplation, and contemplation serves as the gate to teaching. Hearing the teaching one contemplates, and contemplating the teaching one hears; teaching and contemplation mutually assisting, they provide passage and constitute a gate. Discussing teaching and contemplation together, there are thirty-two gates; this speaks only of their major number. If one investigates the gates in detail, there are truly immeasurable \[gates\]. The five hundred causes of the body, the thirty-two non-dual gates, Sudhana roaming the dharma realm encountering immeasurable spiritual friends who expound immeasurable teaching-gates and immeasurable practices of contemplation—like the City of Pleasant Vision with its one thousand two hundred gates, how could the Dharma-city of the real mark have only a single track? A sūtra says: 'Expounding manifold dharma-gates, he reveals and shows the buddha-path.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.110](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.110) - [Next: 8.112](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.112) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716~en-mt.8.111) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.111](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.8.111) · Pramāṇa