妙法蓮華經文句 4.62

4.62

初有長行、偈頌。長行為三：一、許，二、受旨，三、正說。許文為三：一、順許，二、誡許，三、揀許。「汝已三請」是順許，「汝今諦聽」是誡許，「諦聽」是聞慧，「善思」是思慧，「念之」是修慧。《大經》明四善法，為大涅槃因，一善知識，如來也，餘者可解。「說是語時」，是揀眾許，五千在座故如來三止，今將許說，威神遣去，故名揀眾。五濁障多名罪重，執小翳大名根深，未得謂得名上慢，未得三果未證無學。「有如此失」者，謂障、執、慢三種之失也。「而不制止」者，上聞開三顯一，言略義隱猶未生謗，足作繫珠因緣，去則有益；若聞廣開三顯一，乖情起謗，住則有損，是故不制止也。「此眾無復枝葉」者，枝葉細末不任器用，此等執方便之方便，於大非器，《大品》云：「攀附枝葉棄於根本，是人為不黠。」即是此義也。「退亦佳矣」者，既以小自翳，復妨他大光，今退，無謗法之諐，復無障他之過，故云佳矣。上枝葉未去，如來三止；貞實願聞，故身子四請，師弟鑒機，非徒靳固也。

First there are prose and gāthās. The prose has three parts: first, granting permission; second, receiving the instruction; third, the main exposition. The text granting permission has three parts: first, consenting to grant permission; second, admonishing to grant permission; third, screening [the assembly] to grant permission. "You have already asked three times" is consenting to grant permission. "Listen carefully now" is admonishing to grant permission: "listen carefully" is wisdom born of listening; "reflect well" is wisdom born of reflection; "bear it in mind" is wisdom born of cultivation. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra explains the four wholesome dharmas as the causes of great nirvāṇa: first is the good friend, which is the Tathāgata; the rest can be understood accordingly. "When he spoke these words" is screening the assembly to grant permission. Because the five thousand were seated, the Tathāgata stopped three times; now, about to grant permission to preach, by supernatural power he caused them to depart, hence it is called screening the assembly. Being heavily obstructed by the five turbidities is called "grave offenses"; clinging to the small and eclipsing the great is called "deep roots"; claiming to have attained what one has not attained is called "arrogance"; not having attained the three fruits, they had not realized the stage of no-more-learning. "Having such faults" refers to these three faults of obstruction, clinging, and arrogance. "Did not stop them" means that earlier, when they heard the opening of the three and revealing of the one, because the words were brief and the meaning concealed, they had not yet given rise to slander, which was sufficient to serve as the cause and condition for tying the jewel [in the garment]; their leaving was beneficial. If they had heard the extensive opening of the three and revealing of the one, it would have run counter to their feelings and aroused slander, so their remaining would have been harmful; therefore, he did not stop them. "This assembly has no more branches and leaves": branches and leaves are twigs and refuse, unfit for use as vessels. These people cling to the expedient means of expedient means and are not vessels for the Great [Vehicle]. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: "Clinging to the branches and leaves while discarding the root, such a person is not wise." This is precisely the meaning. "It is well that they have departed": since they had already eclipsed themselves with the small and moreover obstructed others' great light, now by departing, they incurred no fault of slandering the Dharma, nor the transgression of obstructing others; hence it says "it is well." Earlier, when the branches and leaves had not yet departed, the Tathāgata stopped three times; [Śāriputra], upright and sincere, wished to hear, so Śāriputra asked four times. Master and disciple were discerning the capacities; it was not mere miserly obstinacy.