妙法蓮華經玄義 1.4

1.4

Fortunate indeed was Guanding! In the past, at Jianye, I first heard the text of the sūtra; next, at Jiangling, I received the profound meaning; later, returning to Mount Tiantai, I again encountered the Twin Trees. Travelling back and forth between Jing and Yang, over a journey of nearly ten thousand li, patching and piecing together before and after, I barely heard it once through. Not only was what I had not heard truly unheard, but even what I had heard was not fully comprehended; turning it over, drilling into it and looking up, I found it ever harder and loftier. I still regret my shallow karmic conditions: unable to hear it a second or third time, having no place to seek counsel, like a calf yearning for milk. Furthermore, I reflected: if these words should be lost, it would be lamentable for future generations. The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] states that [one should follow] whether it be trees or stones, and this sūtra speaks of fields and villages; respectfully following the sacred scriptures, I have transcribed and transmitted them into the Profound Meaning and the Words, ten fascicles each. Sometimes citing the authentic words of sūtras and treatises to accord with this profound subtlety, sometimes noting the divergent explanations of various masters to verify that they are not perfect. May practitioners of later generations know that the gate of nectar lies herein.