妙法蓮華經文句 2.73

2.73

今以十三句作橫竪消文，一、竪，約十地義便；二、橫，約初住義便。「不退轉」者成前，即是明位，起後即是歎德，以對初地。初地名歡喜，喜其不退墮二邊，入中道獲三不退，故知歎初歡喜地也。「皆得陀羅尼」歎二地，二地名離垢，亦名離達，離遮諸惡、達持眾善，即陀羅尼義，故知歎離垢地也。「樂說辯才」歎三地，三地名明地，內智明、外說辯，欲知智在說，說有種種樂，說最勝故，故知歎第三明地也。「轉不退轉法輪」歎四地，四地名焰，焰能破闇，又能焦炷，轉法輪自害己惑如焦炷，破他迷如除闇，故知歎第四焰地也。「供養百千諸佛」歎五地，五地名難勝地，此地得深禪定，用神通力難勝難及，於一念頃遍至十方供養諸佛，故知歎第五地也。「於諸佛所植眾德本」歎六地，六地名現前，由得禪能供養諸佛，福資種智，種智現前，智是德本，如植種於地，故知歎第六地也。「常為諸佛之所稱歎」歎第七遠行地，此地二智方便出過一切，廣修利益稱會佛心，故知歎第七地。「以慈修身」歎第八不動地，正智不動不出三界，但以慈董身應入五道，董口為說法，董心為設方便，正法華具董三業，故知歎第八地也。「善入佛慧」歎第九地，九地名善慧，深入實際妙徹本源，此名義最合，故知歎第九地。「通達大智」歎第十地，十地名法雲，法身如虛空，禪定如大雲，智慧如大雨，善入佛法名慧，巧用佛法名智，互舉耳。「到於彼岸」歎十地內德，到三諦之彼岸因中說果，又到在不久也。「名稱普聞」歎十地外德，由內德深廣，致令聲名普聞，內外相稱。若開等覺位者，此二句擬之。「能度百千眾生」者，餘地度人，或一界至九界，不名能度，十地勝前故稱能度。諸地悉具眾功德，而今出沒釋者，為人情好異故，依十地名便故，又豎義易解故，作此一途消文耳。

We now interpret the text across and along the thirteen clauses: First, "along," according to the convenience of the meaning of the Ten Bhūmis; second, "across," according to the convenience of the meaning of the first abode. "Never retrogressing" completes the preceding, which is clarifying the stage, and initiates what follows, which is praising virtues, pairing it with the first bhūmi. The first bhūmi is called Joyful, rejoicing that one does not retrogress or fall into the two extremes, enters the middle path, and obtains the three non-retrogressions; thus we know it praises the first, the Joyful Bhūmi. "All having attained dhāraṇīs" praises the second bhūmi. The second bhūmi is named Free from Defilement (vimalā), and also named "Free and Reaching": freeing from and preventing all evils, and reaching and holding all goods, which is the meaning of dhāraṇī; thus we know it praises the Bhūmi Free from Defilement. "Eloquence in joyful exposition" praises the third bhūmi. The third bhūmi is named the Luminous Bhūmi (prabhākarī): internal wisdom is luminous, external exposition is eloquent; if you wish to know wisdom, it lies in exposition, and exposition has various joys, for exposition is supreme; thus we know it praises the third, the Luminous Bhūmi. "Turning the irreversible wheel of the Dharma" praises the fourth bhūmi. The fourth bhūmi is named Radiant (arciṣmatī): radiance can destroy darkness, and can also burn the wick; turning the wheel of the Dharma destroys one's own delusions just as burning the wick, and destroys others' confusion just as eliminating darkness; thus we know it praises the fourth, the Radiant Bhūmi. "Making offerings to hundreds of thousands of Buddhas" praises the fifth bhūmi. The fifth bhūmi is named Difficult to Conquer (sudurjayā); at this bhūmi one attains deep dhyāna-concentration, and by the power of supernormal faculties is difficult to conquer and difficult to equal, in a single instant reaching everywhere in the ten directions to make offerings to the Buddhas; thus we know it praises the fifth bhūmi. "Planting roots of myriad virtues in the presence of the Buddhas" praises the sixth bhūmi. The sixth bhūmi is named Manifest (abhimukhī): by obtaining dhyāna one can make offerings to the Buddhas, and merit aids the knowledge of all species; when the knowledge of all species manifests, wisdom is the root of virtues, like planting a seed in the ground; thus we know it praises the sixth bhūmi. "Constantly praised by the Buddhas" praises the seventh, the Far-Reaching Bhūmi (dūraṅgamā): at this bhūmi the expedient means of the two wisdoms surpass all, widely cultivating benefits that match and accord with the minds of the Buddhas; thus we know it praises the seventh bhūmi. "Cultivating their bodies with loving-kindness" praises the eighth, the Immovable Bhūmi (acalā): correct wisdom is immovable and does not exit the three realms, yet solely through loving-kindness direct their bodies to respond and enter the five paths, direct their mouths to preach the Dharma, and direct their minds to set up expedient means; the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka completely directs the three karmic actions, thus we know it praises the eighth bhūmi. "Skillfully entering buddha wisdom" praises the ninth bhūmi. The ninth bhūmi is named Good Wisdom (sādhumatī): deeply entering the reality-limit and wonderfully penetrating the original source, this name and meaning match best; thus we know it praises the ninth bhūmi. "Penetrating great wisdom" praises the tenth bhūmi. The tenth bhūmi is named Dharma Cloud (dharmameghā): the Dharma body is like empty space, dhyāna-concentration is like a great cloud, and wisdom is like great rain; skillfully entering the Buddha Dharma is called insight (hui), and skillfully applying the Buddha Dharma is called wisdom (zhi), which are cited interchangeably. "Reaching the other shore" praises the inner virtue of the tenth bhūmi: reaching the other shore of the three truths, speaking of the fruit within the cause, and also that reaching is not far off. "Renown heard everywhere" praises the outer virtue of the tenth bhūmi: because inner virtue is deep and vast, it causes reputation to be heard everywhere, the inner and outer corresponding to each other. If the stage of equal awakening is opened, these two clauses correlate to it. As for "able to deliver hundreds of thousands of sentient beings," other bhūmis deliver people in perhaps one realm up to nine realms, but are not called "able to deliver"; the tenth bhūmi surpasses the preceding, hence is called "able to deliver." All bhūmis are fully endowed with myriad virtues; that we now explain them by surfacing and submerging is because people's dispositions delight in variety, because it accords with the convenience of the names of the Ten Bhūmis, and because the vertical meaning is easy to understand—we make this one approach to interpreting the text.