妙法蓮華經文句 1.13

1.13

天台智者分文為三：初品為序；〈方便品〉訖〈分別功德〉十九行偈，凡十五品半，名正；從偈後盡經，凡十一品半，名流通。又一時分為二：從序至〈安樂行〉十四品，約迹開權顯實；從〈踊出〉訖經十四品，約本開權顯實。本迹各序、正、流通。初品為序，〈方便〉訖〈授學無學人記品〉為正，〈法師〉訖〈安樂行〉為流通。〈踊出〉訖「彌勒已問斯事佛今答之」半品，名序；從「佛告阿逸多」下，訖〈分別功德品〉偈，名為正；此後盡經為流通。今記從前三段消文也。

The Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai divided the text into three: the first chapter is the preface; from the Expedient Means Chapter to the nineteen lines of verse in the Discrimination of Merits Chapter, totaling fifteen and a half chapters, is named the main teaching; from after the verse to the end of the sūtra, totaling eleven and a half chapters, is named the transmission. Moreover, he also divided it into two: the fourteen chapters from the preface to the Peaceful Practices Chapter open the expedient and reveal the real based on traces; the fourteen chapters from the Emerging from the Earth Chapter to the end of the sūtra open the expedient and reveal the real based on the origin. Both origin and traces have their own preface, main teaching, and transmission. For the traces, the first chapter is the preface; from 'Expedient Means' to the 'Prediction of Trainees and Adepts Chapter' is the main teaching; from the 'Teacher of the Dharma' to 'Peaceful Practices' is the transmission. For the origin, from 'Emerging from the Earth' up to 'Maitreya has already asked of this matter, and the Buddha now will answer it'—half a chapter—is named the preface; from 'The Buddha told Ajita' downward to the verses of the 'Discrimination of Merits Chapter' is named the main teaching; from then to the end of the sūtra is the transmission. The present record explicates the text according to the former threefold division.