法華玄義釋籤 16.3

16.3

四正解中二：先重敘法喻意，次正解。初文三：初更敘經論意，次「然經文」下釋疑，三「夫喻」下明體不同。初文又二：初敘經論意，次「當知」下明法喻意。次釋疑中文不立疑，直釋而已，即是釋伏疑也。有伏疑云：兩處優曇並可以喻此權實，經「一切」之言遍攝眾機，又「時一現耳」足表最後，何不以為喻，而用蓮華耶？然經文兩處明優曇華者，「如優曇鉢華時一現耳」，又「譬如優曇華一切皆愛樂」，今但云「時一現耳」。且從一文結語，古今釋云：此似蓮華，故以為喻。是故正應須用蓮華，蓮華中有全分喻故。三明用喻意中二：初敘涅槃通論八喻，次明經論分喻非極。言「涅槃八喻」者，凡諸經論取喻不同，有分有遍，如《大經》云，喻有八種，謂順喻、逆喻、現喻、非喻、先喻、後喻、先後喻、遍喻。分喻者具如經說，故第五云「面貌端正如盛滿月，白象鮮潔猶如雪山」，滿月不可即同於面，雪山不可即是白象，不可以喻喻真解脫，為眾生故故作是喻。今亦如是不可以喻喻於妙法，為眾生故以喻蓮華。

Fourth, in the correct explanation, there are two parts: first, re-describing the intent of the doctrine and metaphor, and second, the correct explanation. The first part has three: first, further describing the intent of the sūtras and treatises; second, from "However, the sūtra text..." downward, resolving doubts; and third, from "Metaphors..." downward, clarifying that their essences are different. The first part also has two: first, describing the intent of the sūtras and treatises, and second, from "One should know..." downward, clarifying the intent of doctrine and metaphor. Next, in resolving doubts, the text does not set up a doubt, but simply explains it, which is to resolve an implicit doubt. There is an implicit doubt that says: The udumbara in two places can both serve as a metaphor for this provisional and real; the sūtra's word "all" broadly embraces all capacities, and "appearing only once in a great while" is sufficient to represent the final [teaching]; why not take it as the metaphor, rather than using the lotus? However, regarding the sūtra text's explanation of the udumbara flower in two places—"like the udumbara flower appearing only once in a great while" and "like the udumbara flower which all love and rejoice in"—here it only says "appearing only once in a great while." Following the concluding words of one passage, past and present commentators say: this resembles the lotus, therefore it is taken as a metaphor. For this reason, one should properly use the lotus, because within the lotus there is a complete metaphor. Third, in clarifying the purpose of using metaphors, there are two parts: first, describing the general discussion of eight metaphors in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, and second, clarifying that the partial metaphors of sūtras and treatises are not ultimate. As for the "eight metaphors of the Nirvāṇa": when various sūtras and treatises draw metaphors differently, there are partial ones and comprehensive ones. As the Great Sūtra states, there are eight kinds of metaphors: direct metaphors, inverse metaphors, present metaphors, non-metaphors, prior metaphors, posterior metaphors, prior-and-posterior metaphors, and comprehensive metaphors. Partial metaphors are fully as stated in the sūtra; thus the fifth fascicle says: "His countenance was upright and handsome, like the full moon; his white elephant was fresh and pure, like a snow mountain." The full moon cannot be immediately identified with the face, nor can the snow mountain be immediately identified with the white elephant; one cannot use a metaphor to illustrate true liberation, yet for the sake of sentient beings, such metaphors are made. Here it is also like this: one cannot use a metaphor to illustrate the Wonderful Dharma, yet for the sake of sentient beings, the lotus is used as a metaphor.