妙法蓮華經文句 4.81

4.81

從「舍利弗一切十方諸佛法亦如是」，即是第五總結。三世佛章各明教一、行一，後總論人一、理一，在文可見。若當章自作四一者亦得，而不及總文顯也，《菩薩纓珞經》第十三，明九世佛，過去三世佛，現、未亦爾。未來三世佛者，古佛慈悲入未來，作種種形度眾生者是；未來現在佛者，當受未來記者是；未來未來佛者，當佛轉次受記者是。過去準此可知（云云）。現在現在佛者，當化主者是；現在未來佛，次補者是；現在過去佛，古佛垂迹者是。從過去諸佛章，此中應具六義，但出二種：一、開方便，二、顯真實。兩則指上，兩則指下。「以無量無數方便」者明開權也，「是法皆為一佛乘故」明顯實也，例上一佛乘即是教一；「從諸佛聞法」，是雖聞於法，法被眾生兼得人一；「究竟皆得一切種智」，種智所知即是理一，能知即是行一。雖不次第，四一兼足也。

From "Śāriputra, the Dharma of all the Buddhas of the ten directions is also like this," this is the fifth, the general conclusion. The sections on the Buddhas of the three periods of time each explain the oneness of teaching and the oneness of practice, and afterwards generally discuss the oneness of persons and the oneness of principle, as can be seen in the text. If one were to make the four onenesses individually within each section, that would also be acceptable, but it would not be as clear as the general text. The thirteenth fascicle of the Bodhisattva Yingluo Jing explains the Buddhas of the nine periods of time: the Buddhas of the past three periods of time, and likewise for the present and the future. As for the Buddhas of the future three periods of time: those who are ancient Buddhas that, out of compassion, enter the future to manifest various forms to save sentient beings; the Buddhas of the future-present: those who are currently receiving future prophecies; the Buddhas of the future-future: those who will receive prophecies successively as Buddhas. The past can be understood by analogy with this (and so forth). The Buddhas of the present-present: those who are the current guiding teachers; the Buddhas of the present-future: those who are the next successors; the Buddhas of the present-past: those who are ancient Buddhas manifesting traces. From the section on the Buddhas of the past: here six meanings should be fully present, but only two kinds are brought out: first, opening the expedient; second, revealing the real. Two point upward [to what precedes], and two point downward [to what follows]. "Through immeasurable and boundless expedient means" explains opening the expedient; "because these dharmas are all for the sake of the One Buddha Vehicle" clearly reveals the real. By analogy with the above, the One Buddha Vehicle is the oneness of teaching. "Hearing the Dharma from the Buddhas": although they hear the Dharma, as the Dharma covers sentient beings, it also includes the oneness of persons. "Ultimately they all attain the knowledge of all modes": that which is known by the knowledge of all modes is the oneness of principle, and that which is able to know it is the oneness of practice. Although they are not sequential, the four onenesses are all fully present.