[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經文句](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718) › 2.61 # 妙法蓮華經文句 2.61 妙法蓮華經文句 2.61 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.61) 上當分明本迹、觀心，今更總論，顯善權曲巧，明觀行精微。夫首楞嚴種種示現，稱適根性靡所不為，今且近論，託迹王宮降神聖后，法身菩薩，皆輔佛行化，散影餘家，若三十二瑞，金姿誕應，諸大士各各出生，或空室雨寶，寄辯通夢，若皇皇太子，捨國捐王，踰城學道，諸大士悉從師請業，才藝兼通，為彼宗匠，若法輪初啟甘露門開，聞諸大士化緣未熟，示同不受，分庭抗禮，崇我道真，能化所化全生如乳；若所化緣熟，則素絲易染，池花早開，革凡成聖轉乳成酪；師宗為佛上首弟子，或智慧、神通、辯才、三昧各各第一，共輔法王更度未度，重熟已熟，於方等座席聞菩薩不可思議功德，耻小慕大，耻小則嗚呼自責，失於如來無量知見，慕大則不知當云何得佛無上慧，如轉酪為生蘇；次聞般若摩訶衍門，初歷色心終于種智，含挾小大，出內取與，或共或別或偏或圓，奉命領知而無希取，雖未頓捨已漸通泰，如轉生蘇為熟蘇；次聞《法華》會天性，定父子、授記莂、付大乘，廢三歸一，如餘四味，同一醍醐，不令一人獨得滅度，皆以如來滅度而滅度之。法王、法臣大事出世巧用方便，初用半字法，破二十五有之繁芿，成四枯雙樹利益眾生。次用半滿法，破二乘之獨善，成菩薩之廣大，成四榮雙樹利益聖人。後用常住滿字，破二邊之前後，成非枯非榮佛祕密藏，究竟利益。主將之功畢，大誓之願滿，故身子、目連於《法華》而息化，聖主贖命，斯亦不久，文云：「如我本誓願，今者已滿足，如來不久當入涅槃。」唱滅之言起自於此，二萬燈明迦葉佛等，皆於《法華》究竟，今以師弟皆於此經發迹，內祕菩薩道，外現作聲聞。「我實成佛已來無量億劫」，以此推之，諸大羅漢從法身地，俯影隨緣迹臨萬水，為學無學，作男作女，示道示俗，首楞嚴力靡所不現，方便善權為若此（云云）。 > Above, origin and traces and the contemplation of mind were explained separately; now we discuss them in summary, to display the subtleties of skillful expedients and clarify the exquisite precision of contemplative practice. The Śūraṅgama \[samādhi\] produces manifold manifestations, adapting to beings' roots and characters without anything it cannot do. Now let us discuss what is close at hand: taking trace in the royal palace, descending into the holy queen—bodhisattvas of the Dharma Body all assist the Buddha in executing transformation, casting reflections into other households. As with the thirty-two auspicious signs and the birth-response of the golden form, the various great beings were each born: either empty chambers rained treasures, or dreams conveyed eloquent communications. Just as the august crown prince renounced his kingdom and abdicated kingship, leaping over the city wall to study the Way, the great beings all requested instruction from masters, mastering both talents and arts to become masters of their traditions. When the wheel of the Dharma was first set in motion and the gate of sweet dew was opened, hearing that the great beings' converting affinities were not yet mature, they manifested being as if not receptive, standing on equal terms and venerating the truth of their own traditions, so that both converter and converted were entirely crude, like milk. When the affinities of those to be converted matured, then white silk was easily dyed and pond flowers bloomed early, revolutionising the ordinary into the noble, turning milk into curd. The masters and ancestors were the Buddha's foremost disciples, each foremost in wisdom, supernormal powers, eloquence, or samādhi, joining together to assist the Dharma King in saving those yet unsaved and further maturing those already matured. At the seats of the Correct and Equal \[period\], hearing of the bodhisattvas' inconceivable merit, they felt shame at the small and longed for the great. Feeling shame at the small, they sighed in self-reproach for having lost the Tathāgata's immeasurable knowledge and vision; longing for the great, they did not know how the Buddha's unsurpassed wisdom might be attained, which was like turning curd into raw ghee. Next, hearing the Mahāyāna gate of prajñā, from form and mind at the start down to the knowledge of all forms at the end, embracing the small and the great, expelling and admitting, taking and giving, whether shared or distinctive, biased or perfect, they received the command to take charge and understand it, yet had no longing or grasping; though not yet abandoning \[the small\] at once, they gradually attained broad ease, which was like turning raw ghee into cooked ghee. Next, hearing the Lotus Sūtra, inborn nature was united, father and son were established, prophecies were bestowed, and the Mahāyāna was entrusted; the three were discarded and returned to the One, just as the other four flavors are the same single ghee; not permitting a single person to attain extinction alone, all are brought to extinction through the extinction of the Tathāgata. The Dharma King and his Dharma ministers, appearing in the world for the great matter, skillfully employed expedients: first using the half-word teachings, they cleared away the tangled overgrowth of the twenty-five realms of existence, manifesting the four withered twin trees to benefit sentient beings; next using the half-and-full teachings, they shattered the selfish virtue of the two vehicles, establishing the vastness of the bodhisattvas, manifesting the four flourishing twin trees to benefit the noble ones; finally using the permanent full-word teachings, they shattered the past and present of the two extremes, establishing the secret treasury of the Buddha that is neither withered nor flourishing, achieving ultimate benefit. The task of the chief commander completed, the vows of the great resolution fulfilled, Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana consequently brought their converting work to rest in the Lotus Sūtra. For the holy Lord to redeem his life was likewise not to be long; the text states: 'As in my original vow, / now it has been completely fulfilled; / the Tathāgata before long / shall enter nirvāṇa.' The announcement of extinction arose from this. The twenty-thousand Candrasūryapradīpas, Kāśyapa Buddha, and others all reached finality in the Lotus Sūtra. Now, since master and disciples both uncover their traces in this sūtra, inwardly concealing their bodhisattva practice and outwardly appearing as śrāvakas—'It has been immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas since I actually attained Buddhahood'—deducing from this, the great arhats, from the stage of the Dharma Body, cast their reflections to follow affinities, their traces descending upon the myriad waters, acting as learners and those beyond learning, appearing as men and women, demonstrating the monastic life and the secular life; through the power of the Śūraṅgama, there is nothing they do not manifest. The skillful expedients are like this (and so forth). > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.60](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.60) - [Next: 2.62](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.62) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.2.61) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.61) · Pramāṇa