妙法蓮華經文句 2.165

2.165

「天雨四花」者，舊云：「小、大白，小、大赤。」《正法華》云：「意花、大意花，浦嚮花、大浦嚮花。」《釋論》九十九云：「天花妙者，名曼陀羅。」又七十九云：「八百比丘成佛國土，常雨五色曼陀羅花。」舊雨小、大白，表在家二眾，小、大赤表出家二眾，表其昔來因而未果。今謂此解狹而不當，直論四眾，收三藏中十六眾尚不盡，況復四十八眾？是故為狹。夫花相密報其因，四眾昔來已是因，何俟花報？若報其果，天應雨實，何故雨花？故云不當。今言雨花，明其昔因非佛因，三藏中因是二乘因，通中因是共因，別中是菩薩因，皆非佛因。今天雨花，報其當獲佛因。佛因者，即四輪因也，小白表銅輪，習種性開佛知見也；大白表銀輪，性種性十行，示佛知見也；小赤表迦輪，道種性十迴向，悟佛知見也；大赤表琉璃輪，聖種性十地，入佛知見也。四輪皆同是因，是因由中而生，故從天而雨，由是因位故，以花表之。但因有趣果之義，故而散佛上。如此因果，誰當感剋？秖是此會時眾，故言「及諸大眾」也。下文殊釋疑，吹大法䗍等四句，又正說中開示悟入，又與大車中遊於四方，節節相承皆是位義，故知花表因位也。

Regarding "the heavens rained four kinds of flowers": The former [commentators] said: "Lesser and greater white [māndāravas], and lesser and greater red [mañjūṣakas]." The Zheng fahua [jing] says: "Intention flowers, great intention flowers, puxiang flowers, and great puxiang flowers." The Treatise [on the Great Prajñāpāramitā], fascicle 99, says: "Exquisite heavenly flowers are called māndārava." Also, fascicle 79 says: "In the buddha land of the eight hundred bhikṣus, five-colored māndārava flowers constantly rain down." Formerly, it was held that raining lesser and greater white [flowers] represented the two lay assemblies, while lesser and greater red represented the two monastic assemblies, representing their practice of the cause from the past without yet attaining the fruit. We now say that this explanation is narrow and inappropriate. If one merely discusses the four assemblies, it does not even encompass the sixteen assemblies of the Tripiṭaka [teaching], let alone the forty-eight assemblies! Therefore it is narrow. Moreover, the sign of flowers secretly announces their cause; the four assemblies from the past were already causes, so why would they wait for flowers to announce it? If it announced their fruit, the heavens ought to rain fruit; why rain flowers? Hence we say it is inappropriate. Now, speaking of raining flowers clarifies that their past causes were not the Buddha-cause: the causes in the Tripiṭaka are the causes of the two vehicles; the causes in the shared [teaching] are common causes; those in the distinctive [teaching] are bodhisattva causes—none of them are the Buddha-cause. Today the heavens rain flowers to announce that they will attain the Buddha-cause. The Buddha-cause is precisely the cause of the four wheels: the lesser white represents the copper wheel, the nature of acquired lineage opening the buddha knowledge and vision; the greater white represents the silver wheel, the nature of inherent disposition—the ten practices—demonstrating the buddha knowledge and vision; the lesser red represents the gold wheel, the nature of the path lineage—the ten dedications of merit—awakening to the buddha knowledge and vision; the greater red represents the lapis lazuli wheel, the nature of the noble lineage—the ten stages—entering the buddha knowledge and vision. The four wheels are all alike as causes, and these causes arise from the center, which is why they rain from the heavens. Because they are causal stages, they are represented by flowers. Yet because causes have the sense of tending toward the fruit, they are scattered over the Buddha. Who is to receive and realize such causes and fruits? It is none other than the assembly present at this gathering; hence it says "and over the great assembly." Below, Mañjuśrī resolves doubts with the four lines on blowing the great Dharma conch and so forth; furthermore, in the main discourse, there is the opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering, as well as traveling to the four quarters in the great cart. Linked section by section, these are all the meanings of stages; hence we know that the flowers represent causal stages.