[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) › 3.16 # 妙法蓮華經文句 3.16 妙法蓮華經文句 3.16 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3.16) 惟忖答為二：初、標章；次、正惟忖。惟者思惟也，忖者忖量，惟今如昔、忖昔如今，然文殊古佛豈應不知？迹示思惟也。光宅以初後兩句是法說，表因果廣略，中間三句是譬說，「欲說大法」是略開三顯一、略開近顯遠；演大法義，是廣開三顯一、廣開近顯遠。「大法雨」者，譬得記作佛，昔因果定執不得作佛，是枯涸義；今皆作佛，是被雨潤義。吹䗍是改三乘之號，嚴鼓誡兵譬破無明。今明其法，說不用。何者？迹本兩門由籍各異，迹由籍起彌勒生疑，文殊為釋；本由籍未起，彌勒何所疑？文殊何所釋？若於此中，已是釋於開近顯遠之疑者，後地裂眾涌，彌勒何故更疑？更疑則浪疑、浪釋，釋後既虛，釋前亦謬，此大有所妨，故不用也。今明彌勒但問迹中此彼二土等瑞，文殊以惟忖答，答迹中事，不關〈壽量〉本中事也。「欲說大法」者，答說法瑞；「雨大法雨」，答雨花瑞；「吹大法䗍」，答大眾心喜瑞；「擊大法鼓」，答地動瑞；「演大法義」，答放光瑞。「欲說大法」者，惟昔諸佛說無量義後，則開權顯實，收無量歸一；忖於今佛既說法已，亦應開權顯，實會無量以歸一，一者即大法也。「雨大法雨」者，惟昔諸佛天雨四花之後，普入圓因住、行、向、地；忖於今佛雨花之後皆成佛因住、行、向、地，故言雨大法雨也。「吹大法䗍」者，惟昔四眾見瑞歡喜，得未曾有，障除機動，即改人教行理；忖今眾喜，亦應障除機動改人教行理，所改既深，故言吹大法䗍也。「擊大法鼓」者，惟昔地動已後即有六番破無明賊；忖於今佛地動已後亦應六番破無明惑，聲教極妙，故言擊大法鼓。「演大法義」者，惟昔諸佛放白毫光後說《法華》彼此道同；忖於今佛放光已後廣明五佛道同，既是佛道，故言演大法義。如是五句悉是惟昔判今，忖今類昔，會文附義唯少入定一瑞，而雨花、動地、放光等，皆由入定故爾，意則兼具，無勞疑也，闕此一條故稱略答耳。今更別解，初一句總，後四句別。總者大法是也，別者雨、吹、擊、演開示悟入是也，如天非小大、非赤白，而雨赤白之花。 > The response by reflection has two parts: first, marking the topic; second, the actual reflection. "Reflect" (惟) means contemplation; "ponder" (忖) means consideration. One reflects on the present as being like the past, and ponders the past as being like the present. Yet how could Mañjuśrī, an ancient Buddha, not know? He traces an outward display of contemplation. Guangzhai took the first and last two lines as doctrinal explanation, indicating cause and effect in expanded and abbreviated terms, and the middle three lines as parabolic explanation: "desiring to preach the Great Dharma" is an abbreviated opening of the three and revealing of the one, and an abbreviated opening of the near and revealing of the distant; "expounding the meaning of the Great Dharma" is an expanded opening of the three and revealing of the one, and an expanded opening of the near and revealing of the distant. "The rain of the Great Dharma" is a metaphor for receiving prediction of attaining Buddhahood; previously, due to fixed attachments to cause and effect, they could not attain Buddhahood, which is the meaning of being withered and dry; now all will attain Buddhahood, which is the meaning of being moistened by rain. Blowing the conch is changing the titles of the three vehicles; beating the martial drums to caution the troops is a metaphor for destroying ignorance. We now explain that this interpretation of the doctrine is not to be used. Why? The two approaches of traces and origin have distinct foundations: because the foundation of the traces arose, Maitreya gave rise to doubts, and Mañjuśrī resolved them; the foundation of the origin had not yet arisen, so what would Maitreya doubt, and what would Mañjuśrī resolve? If here he had already resolved the doubts concerning opening the near and revealing the distant, why would Maitreya doubt again later when the earth splits open and the multitude springs forth? If he doubted again, then it would be a pointless doubt and a pointless resolution; if the later resolution is void, the prior resolution is also erroneous. This creates great obstacles, and therefore it is not used. We now clarify that Maitreya only asked about the portents of the two lands within the traces, and Mañjuśrī answered through reflection, answering matters within the traces, not concerning matters within the origin of the "Life Span \[Chapter\]". "Desiring to preach the Great Dharma" answers the portent of preaching the Dharma; "raining the rain of the Great Dharma" answers the portent of raining flowers; "blowing the conch of the Great Dharma" answers the portent of the great assembly's joyful hearts; "beating the drum of the Great Dharma" answers the portent of the earth shaking; "expounding the meaning of the Great Dharma" answers the portent of emitting light. "Desiring to preach the Great Dharma": reflecting that in the past, after the buddhas preached the Innumerable Meanings, they opened the expedient and revealed the real, gathering the innumerable into the one; he ponders that now, having already preached the Dharma, the present Buddha must likewise open the expedient and reveal the real, converging the innumerable to return to the one—the one is indeed the Great Dharma. "Raining the rain of the Great Dharma": reflecting that in the past, after the gods rained the four flowers, \[all\] universally entered the stages of dwelling, practice, dedication, and grounds of the perfect cause; he ponders that now, after the rain of flowers, all will accomplish the stages of dwelling, practice, dedication, and grounds of the Buddha-cause; hence it says "raining the rain of the Great Dharma". "Blowing the conch of the Great Dharma": reflecting that in the past, when the fourfold assembly saw the portents and rejoiced, gaining what they had never had before, their obstacles were eliminated and their capacities stirred, so they immediately changed their person, teaching, practice, and principle; he ponders that now, as the assembly rejoices, their obstacles must likewise be eliminated and capacities stirred to change person, teaching, practice, and principle; since what is changed is deep, it says "blowing the conch of the Great Dharma". "Beating the drum of the Great Dharma": reflecting that in the past, after the earth shook, there were six stages of destroying the thieves of ignorance; he ponders that now, after the earth shook, the Buddha must likewise destroy the afflictions of ignorance through six stages; because the voice of teaching is exquisitely wonderful, it says "beating the drum of the Great Dharma". "Expounding the meaning of the Great Dharma": reflecting that in the past, after the buddhas emitted the white curl's light, they preached the Lotus \[Sūtra\], and the Path of both here and there was identical; he ponders that now, after emitting light, the present Buddha will broadly clarify that the Path of the five Buddhas is identical; since it is the Buddha Path, it says "expounding the meaning of the Great Dharma". Thus these five lines all reflect upon the past to judge the present, and ponder the present to analogize the past, matching the text and according with the meaning, lacking only the single portent of entering samādhi; yet the rain of flowers, the shaking of the earth, the emitting of light, and so forth all arise on account of entering samādhi; the intent already encompasses it, so there is no need to doubt; because it lacks this one item, it is termed an abbreviated answer. Now to provide an alternative explanation: the first line is general, and the latter four lines are particular. The general is the Great Dharma; the particular are raining, blowing, beating, and expounding as opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering. Just as the heavens are neither small nor large, neither red nor white, yet they rain red and white flowers; > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3.15) - [Next: 3.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3.17) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.3.16) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.3.16) · Pramāṇa