妙法蓮華經文句 10.42

10.42

「法師」義，如上說。「功德」者，前謂初品之初功德，今五品之上，謂六根清淨，內外莊嚴五根清淨名外莊嚴；意根清淨名內莊嚴。又從地獄已上至佛而還，一切色像悉身中現者，名內莊嚴；從地獄已上佛已還，一切色像以普現三昧而外化者，名外莊嚴。身根既爾，餘五根亦然。讀誦既爾，四種亦然。初品既爾，四品加然。相似既爾，分真倍然。行者聞說此功德利喜不自勝，勤求無厭信進倍增，明識大乘有大勢力決無疑網，似解之初初，過二乘之極極百千萬倍，指始顯終懸解究竟第一義諦不可思議。此品所明備斯四意，故言「法師功德品」也。六根功德者，光宅云：「三業合十善，一善具十為百，自行、化他、隨喜、讚歎合四百，約五種法師為二千，三品分之即六千功德，此土三根用弱奪言八百，三根用強與言千二，與奪合論還是六千也。」有人明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。諸師偏釋未會今經，亦不合諸教。《大品》云「色淨故般若淨，般若淨故色淨，色淨五根淨，般若淨意根淨」，若六根等，云何判上中下、強弱用耶？若一強一不強，一淨一不淨，一上品餘非上品（云云）。《正法華》整足具六千功德，不論上中下（云云）。《法華論》云「凡人以經力故得勝根用，雖未入初地，以父母所生肉眼，見大千內外也。」《大經》云「如來一根則能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」，今經六根清淨與《大品》同；以是功德莊嚴六根，與《正法華》同，鼻見色聞聲覺知與《涅槃》同，肉眼有天眼慧法佛眼等用與《論》同，文義如此，不可以偏見抑正經。今當說之，光宅數整足根不依文，今按三業安樂行即有十善，一善有十即百善，一善中有十如即千善，就化他為二千，約如來室、如來衣、如來座，即成六千，五種法師悉具六根清淨，一一根皆有一千功德也。

The meaning of "dharma teacher" is as explained above. As for "merits", previously [the merits of the five grades] referred to the initial merits of the first grade; now, above the five grades, it refers to the purification of the six sense faculties and inner and outer adornments: the purification of the five sense faculties is called outer adornment; the purification of the mental faculty is called inner adornment. Furthermore, from the hells up to the Buddha and back down, when all forms and images manifest within the body, this is called inner adornment; from the hells up to the Buddha and back down, when one uses the samādhi of universal manifestation to convert externally with all forms and images, this is called outer adornment. As this is so for the physical body faculty, so it is for the remaining five faculties. As this is so for reading and reciting, so it is for the [other] four kinds [of teachers]. As this is so for the first grade, so it is increasingly for the [other] four grades. As this is so for the stage of resemblance, so it is doubly so for the division of reality. When practitioners hear of these benefits of merit, they are overjoyed beyond measure; they seek diligently without satiety, their faith and vigor redouble, they clearly recognize that the Mahāyāna possesses great power and are definitively free from the net of doubt; the very beginning of resembling understanding surpasses the ultimate limits of the two vehicles hundreds of thousands of ten thousand times, pointing to the beginning to reveal the end, intuitively understanding the ultimate, inconceivable paramārtha-satya. What this chapter clarifies is complete with these four intentions, and is thus called the "Chapter on the Merits of the Dharma Teacher". Regarding the merits of the six faculties, Guangzhai says: "The three karmas combined with the ten good deeds make ten; one good deed possessing ten makes one hundred; one's own practice, converting others, rejoicing in accord, and praising together make four hundred; multiplied by the five kinds of dharma teachers, this makes two thousand; dividing them among the three grades gives six thousand merits. The function of three faculties in this realm is weak, so by deprivation they are spoken of as eight hundred; the function of three faculties is strong, so by endowment they are spoken of as twelve hundred; combining endowment and deprivation in discussion, it is still six thousand." Another authority clarifies the numbers identically with Guangzhai: the lower grade has eight hundred, the middle grade one thousand, and the upper grade twelve hundred. The biased explanations of these various masters have not accorded with the present sūtra, nor do they agree with the various teachings. The Pañcaviṃśati states: "Because form is pure, prajñā is pure; because prajñā is pure, form is pure; when form is pure, the five faculties are pure; when prajñā is pure, the mental faculty is pure." If the six faculties are equal, how could one determine higher, middle, and lower, or stronger and weaker functions? If one were strong and another not strong, one pure and another not pure, one would be superior and the rest not superior (and so forth). The Zheng fahua completely possesses six thousand merits without discussing higher, middle, or lower (and so forth). The Fahua lun says: "An ordinary person, through the power of the sūtra, attains superior functioning of the faculties; although not yet having entered the first stage, with the physical eye born of parents, one sees the interior and exterior of the trichiliocosm." The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "A single faculty of the Tathāgata can see forms, hear sounds, smell scents, discern tastes, feel touches, and know dharmas." The purification of the six faculties in the present sūtra is the same as in the Pañcaviṃśati; adorning the six faculties with these merits is the same as in the Zheng fahua; the nose seeing forms, hearing sounds, and feeling perceptions is the same as in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]; the physical eye possessing the functions of the divine eye, wisdom eye, dharma eye, buddha eye, and so forth is the same as in the Treatise. Since the text and meaning are like this, one must not suppress the genuine sūtra with biased views. Now it should be explained: Guangzhai's numbers are complete, but his faculties do not follow the text. Now, based on the three karmas of the peaceful practices, there are the ten good deeds; one good deed having ten makes one hundred good deeds; within one good deed there are ten suchnesses, making one thousand good deeds; with respect to converting others, this makes two thousand; and in terms of the Tathāgata's room, the Tathāgata's robe, and the Tathāgata's seat, this becomes six thousand. The five kinds of dharma teachers are all fully endowed with the purity of the six faculties, and each and every faculty possesses one thousand merits.