法華玄義釋籤 2.8

2.8

If considered in terms of the secret [teaching], it horizontally covers everyone, being pervasive at all times; if discussing the vertical in terms of the horizontal, concealment and manifestation depend on the faculties. The Buddha's fundamental intention lay in the great, so following the fundamental it was placed first; however, due to a portion of gradual faculties, the sage's compassion was prevented from flowing smoothly: previously he specialized in the great, and next he specialized again in the small. Now, although in the same assembly, the great and small are still separated; it is merely that the small is rebuked by the great in order to form curd, and this serves as the sequence. Hence we know that for those who initial received [the teachings], they still mutually did not know each other; thus there are these various similes whose intentions differ. 'The reflection approaching the ten thousand waters' is a simile for the manifestation of bodies being different; 'following the vessels whether square or round' is a simile for showing lands being different; 'following the waves in motion and stillness' is a simile for the preaching of the Dharma being different. From 'showing one Buddha land' to 'not shared' matches the similes. From 'hence seeing that there are' onward, it clarifies that the faculties and views differ, corresponding to the three previous characteristics: first, seeing it as pure like the Brahmā King, and seeing it as defiled like Śāriputra. Opening those three characteristics, it generally quotes sūtra passages, and in addition clarifies the reprimand of the small in terms of the six sense faculties. 'Seeing that there are pure and defiled' corresponds to the previous manifestation of lands, which is the eye faculty. One should also add seeing the excellence and inferiority of the physical forms; since seeing the land has already been raised, the body must match the land, so the text is not made redundant. 'Hearing that there are praises and censures' is the ear faculty. 'Smelling that there is campaka' is the nose faculty. 'Flowers clinging to the body' is the body faculty. 'Wisdom having variety' is the mind faculty. It only lacks the tongue faculty, as praise and censure encompass it. If speaking of the body, one should say: like Mount Sumeru, which is the gigantic body; sitting initially at the Buddha-tree, which is the slender body. Within each sense faculty, there is one praise and one censure, which can be seen by examining them. Moreover, the Buddha praising Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti is praise; the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas being rebuked is censure. Such examples are so numerous that they cannot all be recorded. In accordance with the purity of one's mind, the Buddha land is pure; those who enter this room do not smell other fragrances; for those whose residual defilements are exhausted, flowers do not cling. The śrāvaka has variety, while his unobstructed wisdom does not have variety—this is precisely the intention of praise and censure. Worldly people, when classifying the Laṅkāvatāra, either identify it with the Avataṃsaka or identify it with the Lotus Sūtra; as fully recorded in the Zhiguan, it has already cited passages from the Laṅkāvatāra in two places and classified it under vaipulya, because the text of that sūtra fully possesses the four teachings and contains reprimands. Here the intention of the preaching is missing; it should say that vaipulya fundamentally rebukes the small and criticizes the biased, while the perfect has no interruption. It also lacks the reason for the preaching; it should say that it is truly because the small had not yet completely turned, causing the five hundred to hear the great and become reprimanded.