妙法蓮華經文句 1.81

1.81

「大」者，《釋論》明「大」者，亦言多，亦言勝，器量尊重為天王等大人所敬故言大，升出九十五種道外故言勝，遍知內外經書故言多，又數至一萬二千故言多。今明有大道故、有大用故、有大知故，故言大。勝者，道勝、用勝、知勝，故言勝。多者，道多、用多、知多，故言多。道即性念處，大於一切智外道；用即共念處，勝神通外道；知即緣念處，多四韋陀外道也。約教釋大、多、勝者，大人所敬等，是三藏中釋耳。大者，大力羅漢所敬也；多者，遍知生滅即無生滅法也；勝者，勝三藏四門也，此通教釋也。又大者，體法大力羅漢所敬也；多者，恒沙佛法皆知也；勝者，勝二乘人，此別教釋也。又大者，諸大菩薩所敬也；多者，法界不可量法悉知也；勝者，勝諸菩薩也，此圓教釋也。

"Great": The *Commentary* (*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*) clarifies that "great" also means "many" and also means "superior." Because their capacity is respected and revered by great persons such as heavenly kings, they are called "great"; because they transcend outside the ninety-five paths, they are called "superior"; because they comprehensively know inner and outer sūtras and books, they are called "many"; furthermore, because their number reaches twelve thousand, they are called "many." Now we explain: because they have the great Path, have great function, and have great knowledge, they are called "great." "Superior" means their path is superior, their function is superior, and their knowledge is superior; hence they are called "superior." "Many" means their path is manifold, their function is manifold, and their knowledge is manifold; hence they are called "many." The Path is the mindfulness of intrinsic nature, which is greater than non-Buddhists who claim omniscience; function is the mindfulness of common characteristics, which surpasses non-Buddhists with supernormal powers; knowledge is the mindfulness of conditioned characteristics, which is more abundant than non-Buddhists of the four Vedas. Explaining great, manifold, and superior according to the teachings: being revered by great persons and so forth is merely the explanation in the Tripiṭaka teaching. "Great" means revered by arhats of great power; "manifold" means comprehensively knowing that arising and ceasing is identically non-arising and non-ceasing; "superior" means surpassing the four gates of the Tripiṭaka—this is the explanation of the shared teaching. Again, "great" means revered by arhats of great power who understand the nature of phenomena as empty; "manifold" means knowing all the Ganges sands of Buddha-dharmas; "superior" means surpassing the persons of the two vehicles—this is the explanation of the distinctive teaching. Again, "great" means revered by all great bodhisattvas; "manifold" means knowing all the immeasurable dharmas of the Dharma realm; "superior" means surpassing all bodhisattvas—this is the explanation of the perfect teaching.