妙法蓮華經文句 4.119

4.119

「若我遇眾生」下，第四，九行半，舉五濁，上明五濁在釋迦章後，今頌文在總佛門末，釋迦門中又更重出，此明諸佛同出五濁，皆先三後一也。此文為四：初、一行，總明五濁障大；次、六行，別明五濁障三；三、一行，明為五濁故方便說小；四、一行半，明為大說小，小治五濁大願得興。「若我遇眾生」者，《中阿含》十二云：「劫初光音天下生世間，無男女尊卑，眾共生世，故言眾生。」此據最初也。若攬眾陰而有假名眾生，此據一期受報也。若言處處受生故名眾生者，此據業力五道流轉也。《正法念》云：「十種眾生，謂長、短、方、圓、三角、青、黃、赤、白、紫。云何眾生生死長？在地獄時身受不可思議苦，心念無量無邊惡；在畜生時，身迭相吞噉，心迭相逼惱；在於鬼時，身若燒山、心如沸鑊，邪見熾盛觝突癡兇；在人時，身、口、意常作不饒益事以自勞苦，身、口、意常念不饒益事以自牽纏；在天時，耽染六塵縱逸嬉戲，不聞正法杜塞福源；是名眾生生死長。云何眾生生死短？在地獄時，能一念寂靜心取戒；在畜生時，能一念靜心依三寶；在餓鬼時，能一念靜心靜諸根；在人時，能修六度、養父母、敬三寶，以善嚴身口意；在天時，捨天樂持戒樂禪，教化讀誦梵行少語；是為眾生生死短。云何眾生方生死？如欝單越，於一切物無我所，捨身必上天，從天上又上天，唯向升善處，是名生死方楞。云何眾生圓生死？唯在三途四趣中，團欒圓轉如旋火煙迴是也。云何三角生死？謂善業、不善業、無記等是也。云何眾生青生死？恒入闇地獄，常怖怕是也。云何眾生黃生死？餓鬼饑羸，萎黃是也。云何眾生赤生死？畜生迭相食噉，流血赫然是也。云何眾生白生死？謂人中、天中白業善道，如諸天臨死時，餘天語言：『汝生人道去。』若人臨死，知識語言：『汝向天中去。』當知兩處是白生死。」又第五云：「心畫地獄黑色、鬼鴿色、畜生黃、人赤、天白，此義云何？答：『上說五道果報，今說五道造業，故其不同耳（云云）。』」如是等眾生，若為與佛相遇，眾生以苦惱自煎，諸佛以大悲濟物，悲與苦相對故言相遇。又佛如眾生如，一如無二如，天性相關故言相遇。夫大悲恒愍眾生，若以人天教我則墮闇惑，止免青、黃、赤、紫、方、圓、楞、角等生死，非教佛道。若遇眾生令修小乘，我則墮慳貪，此事為不可，秖出二十五有。若遇眾生教令通別，我則墮偏僻，失佛知見。今皆令眾生得實相妙慧，體達一切皆是佛法無非正道，此則盡教以佛道，生死苦永盡。我常如是說，但眾生根鈍罪重，不可如願。過去有佛，號住無住，發願使己國眾生，同日同時成佛，即日滅度。又賢劫前有佛，號平等，亦願己國及十方眾生亦同一日成佛即日滅度。今日有佛，復有眾生云何耶？佛言：「止！止！我前所言，得人身者耳。」頗有發願令五道同日成佛不？佛言：「不可以非器之身成無上道，要先化三趣令得人天，然後乃可如願。三趣非善道何能成佛？如人求寶聚不於空中求。」

"If I encounter sentient beings" onward is the fourth [section], nine and a half verses, which adduces the five turbidities. Above, the clarification of the five turbidities came after the section on Śākyamuni; here, the verse text is at the end of the universal Buddhas' section, and will appear again in Śākyamuni's section. This clarifies that all Buddhas equally appear in the five turbidities, and all first [set forth] the three and then the one. This text comprises four: First, one verse comprehensively clarifies that the five turbidities obstruct the great; second, six verses distinctly clarify that the five turbidities obstruct the three; third, one verse clarifies that on account of the five turbidities, he expediently expounds the small; fourth, one and a half verses clarifies that for the sake of the great he expounds the small, so that the small cures the five turbidities and the great vow can flourish. "If I encounter sentient beings": The twelfth [fascicle] of the Madhyamāgama says: "At the beginning of the kalpa, [beings] descended from the Ābhāsvara Heaven to be born in the world; there was neither male nor female, noble nor base, but all were collectively born into the world; hence they are called 'sentient beings' (sattva / zhongsheng)." This is based on the initial [beginning]. If one aggregates the skandhas so that there are conventionally designated sentient beings, this is based on a single period of receiving retribution. If one says that because they take birth in various places they are called sentient beings, this is based on karmic force wandering through the five destinies. The Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: "There are ten kinds of sentient beings: namely long, short, square, round, triangular, blue, yellow, red, white, and purple. What is the long saṃsāra of sentient beings? When in hell, the body undergoes inconceivable suffering, and the mind thinks of immeasurable, boundless evil. When among animals, their bodies mutually devour each other, and their minds mutually afflict each other. When among hungry ghosts, their bodies are like burning mountains and their minds like boiling cauldrons; false views rage, and they collide in foolish ferocity. When among humans, body, speech, and mind constantly perform unbeneficial deeds to weary themselves, and body, speech, and mind constantly contemplate unbeneficial deeds to entangle themselves. When among gods, they are indulged in the six sense objects, heedless and playful, not hearing the true Dharma and blocking the source of merit; this is called the long saṃsāra of sentient beings. What is the short saṃsāra of sentient beings? When in hell, being able with a single thought of a tranquil mind to take the precepts; when among animals, being able with a single thought of a tranquil mind to rely on the Three Jewels; when among hungry ghosts, being able with a single thought of a tranquil mind to calm the sense faculties; when among humans, being able to cultivate the six pāramitās, support parents, revere the Three Jewels, and adorn body, speech, and mind with good; when among gods, renouncing heavenly pleasures to maintain precepts, delighting in dhyāna, teaching and transforming, chanting, practicing pure conduct, and speaking little; this is the short saṃsāra of sentient beings. What is square saṃsāra for sentient beings? Like Uttarakuru, where toward all things there is no possessiveness, and upon discarding the body one definitely ascends to heaven, and from heaven ascends to heaven again, exclusively ascending to good destinies; this is called square-edged saṃsāra. What is round saṃsāra for sentient beings? Being solely within the three paths and four destinies, spinning round and round like a revolving firebrand; this is it. What is triangular saṃsāra? It refers to wholesome karma, unwholesome karma, and indeterminate karma, and so forth. What is the blue saṃsāra of sentient beings? Constantly entering dark hells and constantly being terrified; this is it. What is the yellow saṃsāra of sentient beings? Hungry ghosts emaciated with starvation, withered and sallow; this is it. What is the red saṃsāra of sentient beings? Animals devouring one another, blood flowing glaringly red; this is it. What is the white saṃsāra of sentient beings? It refers to the white karma of good destinies among humans and gods. For instance, when gods are about to die, other gods say to them: 'May you be born in the human destiny.' If a human is about to die, good friends say to them: 'May you go toward heaven.' One should know that these two places are white saṃsāra." Furthermore, the fifth [fascicle] says: "The mind paints hell black, ghosts the colour of doves, animals yellow, humans red, and gods white. What does this mean? Answer: 'Above, it spoke of the retributions of the five destinies; here, it speaks of the creation of karma in the five destinies, hence their difference' (and so on)." When such sentient beings encounter the Buddha: sentient beings torment themselves with suffering and distress, while the Buddhas deliver beings with great compassion; compassion and suffering correspond to each other, hence it is said that they encounter each other. Furthermore, the suchness of the Buddha and the suchness of sentient beings are one suchness without two suchnesses; an inherent nature binds them together, hence it is said that they encounter each other. Now, great compassion is ever mindful of sentient beings; if I were to teach them with the human and heavenly [teachings], I would fall into dark confusion, merely freeing them from blue, yellow, red, purple, square, round, edged, and cornered saṃsāra, not teaching them the Buddha way. If, encountering sentient beings, I caused them to cultivate the Hīnayāna, I would fall into stinginess; this cannot be done, as it only gets them out of the twenty-five realms of existence. If, encountering sentient beings, I taught them the shared and distinctive [teachings], I would fall into one-sided deviation and lose the buddha knowledge and vision. Now I cause all sentient beings to attain the marvelous wisdom of the real mark, realizing that all things are the Buddha Dharma and none are not the correct path; this is completely teaching them with the Buddha way, putting an eternal end to the suffering of saṃsāra. I always speak like this, but sentient beings' faculties are dull and their sins heavy, so it cannot be according to my wish. In the past there was a Buddha named Abiding-in-Non-Abiding who made a vow to cause the sentient beings of his realm to achieve Buddhahood on the same day and at the same hour, and enter extinction on that very day. Again, before the Wise Kalpa, there was a Buddha named Equality, who also vowed that the sentient beings of his realm and of the ten directions would also achieve Buddhahood on the same day and enter extinction on that very day. Today there is a Buddha, and yet there are still sentient beings; how is this? The Buddha said: "Stop! Stop! What I previously spoke of refers only to those who have obtained a human body." Has anyone made a vow causing the five destinies to achieve Buddhahood on the same day? The Buddha said: "One cannot achieve the unsurpassed path with a body that is not a vessel; one must first transform the three destinies to cause them to obtain [the states of] humans and gods, and only then can it be according to one's wish. The three destinies are not good paths; how could they achieve Buddhahood? Just as a person seeking a heap of jewels does not seek it in empty space."