妙法蓮華經玄義 5.49

5.49

Fifth, discussing the crude and the subtle through the various stages: The small grass merely escapes the four lower destinies, neither moving nor emerging [from saṃsāra]. Although the medium grass moves and emerges, its wisdom does not plumb the source, and its grace does not reach other beings. Although the superior grass can universally aid others, its annihilation of form is clumsy. Although the small tree is skillful, its effort is equal only to within the realms; therefore, all these stages are crude. The great tree deals with the real: together they take the middle way as their object, all shatter fundamental ignorance, and together possess function beyond the realms; therefore, this stage is subtle. Yet because the distinctive teaching proceeds from provisional gateways along winding and roundabout paths, clumsy in what it relies upon, its stages are also crude. The perfect teaching is the direct gate; therefore, it is subtle. Furthermore, the bodhisattvas of the tripiṭaka do not sever afflictions at all. Compared with the five grades of the perfect teaching, they have points of equality and points of inferiority: they are equal in that neither has severed afflictions; but while the five grades have a perfect understanding of the eternally abiding, the others have not heard of the eternally abiding at all, and are therefore inferior. As for the buddha stage of the tripiṭaka, view and thought are completely severed; compared with the stage of purification of the six sense faculties, it has points of equality and points of inferiority: in eliminating the fourfold entanglements they are equal here; but in subduing fundamental ignorance, the tripiṭaka [buddha] is inferior. If even the buddha is inferior, the two vehicles can be known. One should know that the three grasses are lush and tangled, their growth and function shallow and brief; therefore, their stages are all crude. If the stage of dry wisdom and the stage of nature [in the shared teaching] are compared with the stage of the five grades, they have points of equality and points of inferiority, by analogy with the preceding (and so forth). If from the eight persons to the sixth stage view and thought are exhausted, the seventh stage cultivates provisional means, up to the buddha where habit-energies are completely severed—when compared with the stage of semblance understanding in the perfect teaching, they have points of equality and points of inferiority, which should be understood by analogy with the preceding. One should know that the stage of the small tree does not yet have the capacity to brush the clouds and spread luxuriantly; therefore, it is entirely crude. If the ten faiths of the distinctive teaching are compared with the stage of the five grades, they have points of equality and points of inferiority: they are equal in that neither has yet severed afflictions; but while the ten faiths proceed successively, the five grades have perfect understanding, so the latter is superior. The ten abidances of the distinctive teaching sever the general view and thought, the ten practices shatter [the delusions of] dust and sand, and the ten dedications subdue fundamental ignorance; these are merely equal, superior, or inferior when compared with the ten faiths of the perfect school (and so forth). If entering the stages shatters fundamental ignorance, it is merely equal to the first abidance of the perfect school. Why? If the ten stages shatter fundamental ignorance through ten grades, the ten abidances of the perfect school also shatter fundamental ignorance through ten grades. Even if the ten stages are expanded into thirty grades, they are merely equal to the thirty grades of the ten abidances of the perfect school. If we discuss it by concession: if the perfect school does not expand the ten abidances, but takes the thirty minds together as thirty grades to equal the thirty grades of the ten stages of the distinctive school, then the ten stages are equal to the ten dedications of the perfect school. If we discuss it by deprivation: the buddha stage of the distinctive school is equal to the first practice of the perfect school; if we discuss it by concession: the buddha stage of the distinctive school is equal to the first stage of the perfect school. Therefore one knows that the distinctive teaching provisionally designates its buddha as high; yet spoken in comparison to the real, its buddha is still low. It is like an unsettled frontier where official appointments are given high ranks; but when determining titles and evaluating merits, the offices assigned are low. Although the provisional explanation of the distinctive teaching is high, it is crude; although the real explanation of the perfect teaching is low, it is subtle—this analogy makes it understandable. When our cause is taken as your effect, the stages of the distinctive [teaching] are crude. One should know that although a great tree has a massive girth, it must rely on the earth to gradually grow. Thus one knows that from first to last the stages of the perfect [teaching] are all real expositions. Real subduing and real severing are both called subtle (and so forth). The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "For example, there is a tree called Supratiṣṭhita. Having been in the ground for a hundred years, the moment it sprouts it grows a hundred fathoms tall, overshadowing the crowns of all other trees." This illustrates the stages of the perfect [teaching].