妙法蓮華經文句 3.63

3.63

三、解釋者，理是真如，真如本淨，有佛無佛常不變易故，名理為實；事是心意識等，起淨、不淨業，改動不定故，名事為權。若非理無以立事，非事不能顯理，事有顯理之功，是故殷勤稱歎方便。理教者，總前理事皆名為理，例如真俗俱稱為諦，諸佛體之而得成聖，聖者正實也，欲以己法下被眾生，因理而設教，教即權也，非教無以顯理，顯理由教，是故如來稱歎方便（云云）。教行者，依教求理則生正行，行有進趣深淺之殊，故行名權也；教無進趣深淺之異，故教名實也。非教無以立行，非行無以會教，會教由行，是故如來稱歎方便（云云）。縛脫者，為行違理則縛，縛是虛妄故稱權；為行順理則生解，解冥於理故稱實。非縛無由求脫，得脫由縛，如因屍渡海，屍有濟岸之力，故稱歎方便。因果者，因有進趣暫用故名權，果有剋終永證故為實。無果，因無所望；無因，果不自顯。是以二觀為方便道，斷惑成因得入中道解脫之果，若非二觀豈契中道？果由因剋，故稱歎方便。體用者，前方便為因，正觀入住為果，住出為體用，體即實相無有分別，用即立一切法差降不同，如大地一生種種芽，非地無以生，非生無以顯，尋流得源推用識體，用有顯體之功，故稱歎方便。漸頓者，修因證果從體起用，俱有漸頓，今明起用，用漸為權、用頓為實，若非漸引無由入頓，從漸得實，故稱歎方便。開合者，從頓開漸，漸自不合亦不合頓，故名為權；漸令究竟還合於頓，故名為實。由開故合，開有合力從開受名，故稱歎方便。通別益者，通則半字無常之益，別即滿字常住之益。然常益道長，喜生退沒故，以化城接引，生安隱想，然後息化引至寶所，若無半益不得會常，半有顯滿之功，故稱歎方便。四悉檀者，三是世間是故為權，第一義是出世是故為實。非世不得出世，由三悉檀得第一義，是故如來稱歎方便。當用四句釋十番權實，三番是他經意，一番是此品意（云云）。

Third, explaining them: principle is tathatā; tathatā is fundamentally pure, and whether buddhas exist or do not exist it is constantly unchanging; therefore, principle is called real. Phenomena are mind, mentation, consciousness, and so forth, which produce pure and impure karma, altering and indeterminate; therefore, phenomena are called expedient. Were it not for principle, there would be no means to establish phenomena; were it not for phenomena, one could not manifest principle. Phenomena have the function of manifesting principle; therefore, [the Buddha] earnestly praises expedient means. As for principle and teaching: principle comprehensively refers to the preceding phenomena and principle, just as both ultimate and conventional are termed truths. The buddhas embody this and thereby attain sagehood; the sage is the upright and real. Wishing to bestow his own Dharma below upon sentient beings, he establishes teachings based on principle; the teachings are precisely the expedient. Were it not for teaching, there would be no means to manifest principle; the manifestation of principle depends on teaching; therefore, the Tathāgata praises expedient means, and so on. As for teaching and practice: seeking principle based on teaching gives rise to correct practice. Practice involves differences of deep and shallow in progress; therefore practice is called expedient. Teaching has no variation of deep and shallow in progress; therefore teaching is called real. Were it not for teaching, there would be no means to establish practice; were it not for practice, there would be no means to accord with teaching; according with teaching depends on practice; therefore the Tathāgata praises expedient means, and so on. As for bondage and liberation: practicing in opposition to principle leads to bondage; bondage is false, hence called expedient. Practicing in accord with principle gives rise to understanding; understanding merges with principle, hence called real. Were it not for bondage, there would be no way to seek liberation; attaining liberation depends on bondage—like crossing the sea by relying on a corpse, where the corpse has the power to bring one to the shore; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for cause and effect: cause involves progress and temporary application, hence called expedient; effect involves ultimate fruition and eternal realization, hence called real. Without the effect, cause has nothing to look toward; without cause, the effect does not manifest itself. Thus, the two contemplations are the expedient path; severing delusion and completing the cause, one is able to enter the liberation fruit of the Middle Way. Were it not for the two contemplations, how could one accord with the Middle Way? The effect is attained through the cause; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for substance and function: the preceding expedients are the cause; the correct contemplation entering and abiding is the effect; abiding and emerging are substance and function. Substance is the true reality without differentiation; function establishes all dharmas with their distinct gradations, just as the single great earth produces various sprouts. Were it not for the earth, there would be nothing to produce them; were it not for production, there would be nothing to manifest [the earth]. Tracing the stream to find the source, and deducing from function to recognize the substance—function has the capacity to manifest substance; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for gradual and sudden: cultivating causes and realizing effects, from substance arising function, both have gradual and sudden. Now, in clarifying the arising of function: using the gradual is expedient, and using the sudden is real. Were it not for gradual guidance, there would be no way to enter the sudden; attaining the real comes from the gradual; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for opening and merging: opening the gradual from the sudden, the gradual itself does not merge, nor does it merge with the sudden, hence it is called expedient; leading the gradual to the ultimate so that it merges back into the sudden is called real. It is due to opening that merging occurs; opening has the power to merge, receiving its name from opening; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for shared and distinctive benefits: shared is the benefit of the impermanence of the half-letter; distinctive is the benefit of the eternal abiding of the full-letter. However, the path to the benefit of eternity is long, and beings easily backslide and sink; therefore, using the conjured city to guide them, they form the conception of security; thereafter, ceasing the conjuration, he guides them to the place of jewels. Were there no half benefit, one could not converge with eternity; the half has the capacity to manifest the full; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for the four siddhāntas: the three are worldly, and therefore expedient; the ultimate truth is supramundane, and therefore real. Without the worldly, one cannot attain the supramundane; through the three siddhāntas, one attains the ultimate truth; therefore, the Tathāgata praises expedient means. One should use the four propositions to explain the ten rounds of expedient and real: three rounds represent the intention of other sūtras, and one round is the intention of the present chapter, and so on.