妙法蓮華經文句 3.107

3.107

「爾時舍利」下，第二，正請。文有三請二止，就前為三止。瑤師、龍師云：「初止為理深難解，初請為自他求決；次止為驚疑不信，次請為久殖必解；後止為必謗墮惡，後請為利根得益。」今師或時云，佛豫知三周得益，前後不俱，故三抑，俟其三請也。就初請為二：一、長行，二、偈頌。長行為二：一、陳疑；二、陳請。陳疑，疑二智；陳請，已請、眾請。頌中有十一行偈，文為六：初、二句，頌疑實智。「自說得」下，第二、三行，頌疑權智。「無漏諸」下，第三，有三行，明三乘四眾有疑，上句明羅漢，後二行明緣覺，中間稱「及求涅槃者」，即是明六度菩薩。何以得知？上云「逮得涅槃者」，此中稱「及」，及者此菩薩自求涅槃，又以及他，故異二乘，知是菩薩也。「於諸」下，第四，有一行半，明身子疑。「佛口所生」下，第五、有一行，明佛子疑。「諸天龍」下，第六，二行，總明同疑請也。夫偈頌、長行，可以意推，如其非頌即是長出，於義非急者，不能煩文分擘故略耳。從「爾時佛告」下，是二止，更牒疑為請，悉如文（云云）。

From "At that time Śāriputra..." onward is the second part, the direct entreaty. The text has three entreaties and two refusals; taking the preceding [into account], there are three refusals. Master Yao and Master Long say: "The first refusal is because the principle is profound and difficult to understand, and the first entreaty is seeking resolution for oneself and others; the second refusal is because of alarm, doubt, and lack of faith, and the second entreaty is because those who have planted [roots of virtue] long ago will surely understand; the third refusal is because [some] will surely slander and fall into evil destinies, and the third entreaty is because those of sharp faculties will gain benefit." Our present master sometimes says that the Buddha foresaw that the benefits of the three cycles would not occur simultaneously, so he held back three times to await the three entreaties. Regarding the first entreaty, there are two parts: first, prose; second, verses. The prose has two parts: first, stating the doubts; second, stating the entreaty. Stating the doubts is doubting the two wisdoms; stating the entreaty includes one's own entreaty and the assembly's entreaty. In the verses there are eleven stanzas, divided into six: the first two lines summarize doubting the real wisdom. From "Himself speaking of having attained" onward, the second part of three lines summarizes doubting the expedient wisdom. From "The undefiled..." onward, the third part has three verses, clarifying that the three vehicles and the fourfold assembly have doubts; the upper lines clarify the arhats, the following two lines clarify the pratyekabuddhas, and in between mentioning "and those seeking nirvāṇa" clarifies the six-pāramitā bodhisattvas. How is this known? Above it said "those who have attained nirvāṇa," and here it mentions "and"; "and" means these bodhisattvas seek nirvāṇa for themselves and also extend it to others, so they are distinct from the two vehicles; thus we know they are bodhisattvas. From "Regarding the..." onward, the fourth part has one and a half verses, clarifying Śāriputra's doubts. From "Born from the Buddha's mouth" onward, the fifth part has one verse, clarifying the doubts of the Buddha's sons. From "All devas and nāgas" onward, the sixth part has two verses, collectively clarifying the shared doubt and entreaty. Now, verses and prose can be deduced by their meaning; if something is not a verse summary, it is an additional elaboration; where the meaning is not urgent, to avoid cumbersome division of the text, it is omitted. From "At that time the Buddha said..." onward is the second refusal, again citing the doubts to make the entreaty, all as in the text (and so forth).