妙法蓮華經文句 10.9

10.9

分別者，佛語圓妙，不可用權位釋經，故上文開示悟入佛之知見，今本門增道損生皆約圓位解釋。下八世界發心者，六根清淨人，初入十信位也，故《仁王》云「十善菩薩發大心，長別三界苦輪海」，即此義也。得無生忍，入十住位也，故《華嚴》云「初發心住，一發一切發，得如來一身無量身，清淨妙法身，湛然應一切」，即此義也。得聞持陀羅尼，入十行位也。得樂說辯才，入十迴向位也。得無量旋陀羅尼，入初地也。得不退，入二地也。得清淨，入三地也。八生，入四地也。七生，入五地也。六生，入六地也。五生，入七地也。四生，入八地也。三生，入九地也。二生，入十地也。一生，入等覺金剛心。若論增道損生，不如光宅斷因生之生，不如天親斷果報之生，但約智德論增、約斷德論損，約法身論生、約無明論滅。例如《大經》月喻，從初一日至十五日光色漸增，從十六日至三十日光色漸減，約一月體而論增減，喻約法身而論智斷。或可一人一時有八番增，或可一世，或八世，或無量世；或可一念，或可八念，或無量念；或可眾微塵數，人亦如是，是故不可以因生果生局之，不可離張智斷釋之。然本門得道數倍眾經，非但數多又熏修日久，元本垂迹處處開引，中間相值數數成熟，今世五味節節調伏，收羅結撮歸會《法華》。譬如田家，春生夏長耕種耘治，秋收冬藏一時穫刈。自《法華》已後有得道者，如捃拾耳。

As for the discrimination: the Buddha's words are perfect and subtle, and one must not use expedient stages to explain the sūtra. Therefore, while the text above explained 'opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering the Buddha's knowledge and vision', here in the Origin Section, 'advancing in the path and diminishing births' is entirely explained according to the stages of the perfect teaching. Below, those who produce the mind [of awakening] in eight worlds are people of the purification of the six sense faculties, who have newly entered the stage of the ten faiths; hence the Renwang [jing] says, 'Bodhisattvas of the ten goods produce the great mind and forever depart from the painful wheel-ocean of the three realms'—this is precisely the meaning. Attaining the forbearance of the non-arising [of dharmas] is entering the stage of the ten abodes; hence the Huayan says, 'In the abode of the first aspiration of the mind, once arisen, all arises; one attains the single body and immeasurable bodies of the Tathāgata, the pure and wondrous Dharma-body, serenely responding to all'—this is precisely the meaning. Attaining the dhāraṇī of retaining what is heard is entering the stage of the ten practices. Attaining the eloquence of delightful speech is entering the stage of the ten dedications of merit. Attaining the immeasurable revolving dhāraṇī is entering the first bhūmi. Attaining non-retrogression is entering the second bhūmi. Attaining purity is entering the third bhūmi. Eight births is entering the fourth bhūmi. Seven births is entering the fifth bhūmi. Six births is entering the sixth bhūmi. Five births is entering the seventh bhūmi. Four births is entering the eighth bhūmi. Three births is entering the ninth bhūmi. Two births is entering the tenth bhūmi. One birth is entering the vajra-mind of virtual awakening. If one speaks of advancing in the path and diminishing births, it is not like Guangzhai's cutting off the birth of causal rebirth, nor like Vasubandhu's cutting off the birth of karmic fruition. Rather, one speaks of 'advancement' solely in terms of the virtue of wisdom, 'diminution' solely in terms of the virtue of eradication, 'birth' in terms of the Dharma-body, and 'extinction' in terms of fundamental ignorance. For instance, in the moon simile of the Mahā[parinirvāṇa]-sūtra, from the first day to the fifteenth day its light and color gradually increase; from the sixteenth day to the thirtieth day its light and color gradually decrease. One discusses increase and decrease in terms of the single substance of the moon, which is a simile for discussing wisdom and eradication in terms of the Dharma-body. It may also be that one person in a single moment has eight rounds of advancement; or it may be in one lifetime, or in eight lifetimes, or in immeasurable lifetimes; or it may be in a single thought-moment, or in eight thought-moments, or in immeasurable thought-moments; or it may be an atom-like number of persons who are likewise like this. Therefore, one must not restrict it to causal births and fruition births, nor may one explain it by sundering wisdom and eradication. However, the number of those attaining the path in this Origin Section is multiple times that of other sūtras. Not only are they numerous, but their perfuming and cultivation have been of long duration: from the primeval origin down through the traced manifestations, they have been opened and guided everywhere; meeting repeatedly in the interim, they have been brought to maturity time and again; and in the present lifetime, they have been tamed stage by stage through the five flavors, all gathered and concluded to converge in the Lotus. It is like a farming family: sprouting in spring, growing in summer, plowing, planting, and weeding; and then harvested and reaped all at once for autumn collecting and winter storing. Those who attain the path after the Lotus are merely like gleaners.