妙法蓮華經文句 10.83

10.83

文為四：一、問，二、答，三、利益，四、多寶稱善。問為三：一、通問遊化，二、別問苦行，三、請答，如文。二、答，為二：一、但答苦行者，遊化則指色身三昧，或指下二品也；二、歎經，答苦行中，先明事本，次明本事、事本，為三，謂時節有佛聲聞國土等，悉如文；本事為三，一、佛說法，二、修供養，三、結會。然佛普為一切，何獨喜見？其是對揚，須付流通，如今之身子寄一而言諸耳。苦行又二：一、現在，二、未來。現在又二：一、修行得法，二、作念報恩。報恩又二：一、三昧力，二、正報身力。身力為三：一、燒身，二、佛稱歎，三、時節。「真法供養」者，當是內運智觀觀煩惱因果，皆用空慧蕩之，故言真法也。又觀若身若火、能供所供皆是實相，誰燒誰然？能供所供皆不可得，故名真法也。「一切眾生」下，未來苦行，又為五：一、生王家，二、說本事，三、往佛所，四、如來付囑，五、奉命任持。悉如文。任持又四：一、起塔，二、燒臂，三、利益，四、現報。悉如文。「佛告」下，是第三，結會古今。又為二：一、結會，二、勸修。勸修者，能然一指勝捨外身，外輕內重故功福有異。文云「妻子」者，外身也；「國城」等，外財也。從「若復有人以七寶」下，歎經：先歎能持者，次歎所持法，後明持福深。七寶奉四聖，不如持一偈，法是聖師，能生能養能成能榮莫過於法，故人輕法重也。「宿王」下，第二，歎所持法，又二：初、歎法體，次、歎法用。「川流江河諸水之中海為第一」者，《無量義》云「四水譬教，藥草喻中一雲能雨譬說」，今更諸水總一切教別舉四者，譬乳酪生熟四味教也。此法華教譬醍醐海也，說窮本地為「深」，遍一切處為「大」，純明佛法不說餘法為鹹，「最為深大」其義如是。十寶山名，出《華嚴》及眾經（云云）。土、黑、鐵圍故非是寶；十山雖寶，或一或二神龍雜居；須彌四寶所成，純天所住，譬餘教說能依十地四十心或凡或賢或聖說，所依或俗或真或中，是為卑下；此《法華經》所說諦理常樂我淨，如四寶所成，開示悟入者之所依，是故此義最為高上。星月同是陰精俱於夜現，星無虧盈不及於月，諸經說權智不得自在，此經明權即實、實即權，盈虧相指不二而二，如此說權智勝餘教也。日是陽精獨能破闇，諸經明實智破惑，尚不及即實而權，那得並即權而實？故知此經明實智最為第一。輪王號令止在四域，釋齊三十三，梵號令總上冠下，譬餘經說三諦三昧各不相收不得自在。此經所說以實相入真，決了聲聞法，是諸經之王；實相入俗，一切治生產業不相違背；實相入中，諸法無非佛法。文云「一切學無學及發菩薩心者之父」，其義如是。「一切凡夫四果支佛第一」者，此明任運無功用也。餘經要因功用乃得入流，如四果人因聞思修方乃得悟；此經明無作四諦不雜方便，自然流入薩婆若海，如大白牛肥壯多力其疾如風（云云）。聲聞、支佛、菩薩為第一者，此明因第一也。餘經明因是七方便；今經明因出方便外，故因第一也。如來第一者，此明果也。餘經明果近在寂場；此經明果遠指本地，故最第一。「此經能救」下，歎法用，初、歎拔苦用，次、十二事歎與樂用，後、結。皆如文。從「若人得聞」下，明持經福深。先、舉全聞經福，次、舉聞品福。有格量、有囑累，如文。口出香是現報，餘是後報。得聞是經不老不死者，此須觀解，不老是樂、不死是常，聞於此經得常樂之解，坦然在懷無所畏忌。

The text divides into four parts: first, the questions; second, the answers; third, the benefits; fourth, Prabhūtaratna's praise. The questions are threefold: first, a general question concerning wandering to convert; second, a specific question concerning ascetic practice; third, requesting an answer, as in the text. Second, the answers are twofold: first, answering only regarding the ascetic practice, where wandering to convert points to the samādhi of the physical body, or points to the following two chapters; second, praising the sūtra. Within the answer concerning ascetic practice, it first clarifies the origin of events, and next clarifies the past events. The origin of events has three points, namely the time, the presence of the Buddha, the śrāvakas, the land, and so forth, all as in the text. The past events are threefold: first, the Buddha preaching the Dharma; second, cultivating offerings; third, concluding the identification. Now, the Buddha acts universally for all; why [mention] only Sarvasattvapriyadarśana? He was the interlocutor who had to be entrusted with the transmission, just as nowadays Śāriputra represents the one to speak for the many. The ascetic practice is again twofold: first, the present; second, the future. The present is again twofold: first, practicing and attaining the Dharma; second, conceiving the thought of repaying benevolence. Repaying benevolence is again twofold: first, the power of samādhi; second, the power of the proper reward body. The bodily power is threefold: first, burning the body; second, the Buddha's praise; third, the duration of time. As for "the offering of the true Dharma," this must mean internally activating wise contemplation to contemplate the causes and effects of afflictions, sweeping them all away with the wisdom of emptiness; hence it is called "true Dharma." Furthermore, contemplating that both the body and the fire, the one making the offering and that which is offered, are all the true mark—who burns and what is kindled? Both the one making the offering and that which is offered are unattainable; therefore it is named "true Dharma." From "all living beings" onward is the future ascetic practice, which is again divided into five: first, being born in a royal house; second, recounting past events; third, going to the Buddha's place; fourth, the Tathāgata's entrustment; fifth, receiving the command to take up and maintain [the Dharma]. All are as in the text. Taking up and maintaining is again fourfold: first, erecting stūpas; second, burning the arms; third, the benefits; fourth, the visible retribution. All are as in the text. From "the Buddha told" onward is the third, concluding the identification of past and present. It is again twofold: first, concluding the identification; second, exhorting practice. As for exhorting practice, being able to burn a single finger surpasses relinquishing external bodies; because the external is light and the internal is heavy, their merits and blessings differ. When the text mentions "wives and children," these are the external body; "countries, cities," and so forth are external wealth. From "if someone again, using the seven treasures" onward praises the sūtra: first it praises those able to uphold it, next it praises the Dharma that is upheld, and afterwards clarifies the depth of blessings from upholding it. Offering the seven treasures to the four sages is not as good as upholding a single gāthā; the Dharma is the teacher of the sages, and in bringing forth, nurturing, accomplishing, and exalting, nothing surpasses the Dharma; therefore the person is light and the Dharma is heavy. From "Constellation King" onward is the second, praising the Dharma that is upheld, which is again twofold: first, praising the substance of the Dharma; next, praising the function of the Dharma. As for "among streams, rivers, and all waters, the ocean is foremost," the *Immeasurable Meanings Sūtra* says: "The four waters are an analogy for the teachings; in the medicinal herbs metaphor, the single cloud able to rain is an analogy for the preaching." Now, among all waters generally representing all teachings, specifically mentioning four is an analogy for the four flavors of teachings: milk, curd, raw, and cooked. This Lotus teaching is likened to the ocean of ghee. Preaching that reaches the fundamental ground is "deep"; permeating all places is "vast"; purely illuminating the Buddha-dharma and not preaching other dharmas is "salty"—"the deepest and vastest" has this meaning. The names of the ten treasure mountains appear in the *Avataṃsaka* and various sūtras (and so on). Earthen, Black, and Iron-Enclosure [mountains] are not jewels; though the ten mountains are made of jewels, they are inhabited variously by divine nāgas of one or two kinds; Mount Sumeru is formed of the four treasures and inhabited purely by devas. This serves as an analogy for other teachings speaking of relying on the ten grounds and forty minds, spoken as ordinary, worthy, or noble, and what is relied upon is either worldly, true, or middle, which are inferior. The principle of truth expounded in this *Lotus Sūtra* is permanence, bliss, self, and purity, like being formed of the four treasures, relied upon by those who open, demonstrate, awaken to, and enter; therefore this meaning is the most lofty and supreme. The stars and the moon are both lunar essences and appear together at night; the stars have neither waning nor waxing and do not equal the moon. The various sūtras explain expedient wisdom without attaining sovereignty; this sūtra illuminates that expedient is real and real is expedient, with waning and waxing pointing to each other, not two yet two; expounding expedient wisdom like this surpasses the other teachings. The sun is solar essence and uniquely able to dispel darkness; the various sūtras illuminate real wisdom dispelling delusion, yet they still do not equal being real while expedient—how could they equal being expedient while real? Thus we know that this sūtra's illumination of real wisdom is foremost. The wheel-turning king's commands reach only four realms; Śakra equals the thirty-three [heavens]; Brahmā's commands govern all from above to below. This serves as an analogy for other sūtras speaking of the three truths and the samādhis as mutually exclusive and without sovereignty. What is expounded in this sūtra enters the true through the true mark, resolving the śrāvaka Dharma—it is the king of all sūtras; entering the worldly through the true mark, all livelihoods and industries do not contradict it; entering the middle through the true mark, no dharma is not the Buddha-dharma. The text states: "the father of all those in training, beyond training, and those who have aroused the bodhisattva mind"; its meaning is like this. As for "foremost among all ordinary persons, the four fruits, and pratyekabuddhas," this clarifies naturalness without effort. Other sūtras require relying on effort to enter the stream, just as persons of the four fruits must awaken relying on hearing, contemplation, and cultivation; this sūtra illuminates the non-arising Four Noble Truths without mixed expedient means, naturally flowing into the ocean of sarvajñā, like the great white bullock, plump, strong, and as swift as the wind (and so on). Being foremost among śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas clarifies that the cause is foremost. Other sūtras explain the cause as the seven expedient means; the present sūtra explains that the cause transcends expedient means, so the cause is foremost. The Tathāgata being foremost clarifies the fruit. Other sūtras explain the fruit as being close at hand in the place of tranquility; this sūtra explains the fruit as pointing far back to the fundamental ground, and is therefore the most foremost. From "this sūtra can save" onward praises the function of the Dharma: first, praising the function of pulling out suffering; next, twelve matters praising the function of giving bliss; afterwards, concluding. All are as in the text. From "if someone gets to hear" onward clarifies the depth of blessings from upholding the sūtra. First, presenting the blessings of hearing the sūtra in full; next, presenting the blessings of hearing this chapter. There are evaluations and entrustments, as in the text. The mouth emitting fragrance is the present retribution; the rest are future retributions. Being free from old age and death upon hearing this sūtra requires contemplative understanding: non-aging is bliss, and non-death is permanence; hearing this sūtra, one attains the understanding of permanence and bliss, serene in heart without fear or dread.