[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) › 6.18 # 妙法蓮華經文句 6.18 妙法蓮華經文句 6.18 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [6.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6.18) 「汝舍利弗我此法印」下，六，十五行偈，勸信流通。信者信佛說不說也，勸者勸可通不可通，有此二義故言勸信。文為二：一、標兩章，二、釋。初一行，標說不說者，如來說此法印，為利益世間故說也；不說者，四十餘年未是說時，五千未去是故不說也。次「在所遊方」下半行，標可通不可通章者，勿妄宣傳也，惡者強說令其墮苦，善者不說誤其失樂，若大悲愍惡則不為通，若大慈念善則應為通，是名標可通不可通章也。從「若有聞者」，是第二，釋，又為二：初八行釋可說不可說；第二，五十行半，釋可通不可通。今初八行，明如來利益世間之相也。通論三世利益，別論令二乘入信。「阿鞞跋致」是觀現在益，「曾見」者，觀過去善為說也。信汝者我者，觀未來善為說也，下文云「若深信解者，見佛常住靈鷲」即其義也。斯《法華經》一（行是）結上開下，如來觀知三世利益，是故為說，淺智不解則不為說。此釋如來說不說章也。 > From "You, Śāriputra, this Dharma seal of mine..." onward, sixth, there are fifteen lines of gāthās exhorting faith and transmission. "Faith" means having faith in whether the Buddha speaks or does not speak; "exhorting" means exhorting whether it can be propagated or cannot be propagated; because of these two meanings, it is called "exhorting faith." The text has two parts: 1. Indicating the two headings; 2. Explaining them. The first, one line indicates speaking and not speaking: the Tathāgata speaks this Dharma seal to benefit the world, and therefore speaks it; not speaking it means that during the forty-plus years it was not yet the time to speak it, and before the five thousand departed, it was therefore not spoken. Next, the half line beginning "Wherever you travel..." indicates the heading of what can be propagated and what cannot be propagated, meaning do not recklessly propagate it: if one forcibly speaks it to the evil, it causes them to fall into suffering; if one does not speak it to the good, it mistakenly causes them to lose joy. If out of great compassion one pities the evil, one does not propagate it for them; if out of great loving-kindness one is mindful of the good, one ought to propagate it for them. This is called indicating the heading of what can and cannot be propagated. From "If there is one who hears..." is the second, the explanation, which again has two parts: first, eight lines explain what may and may not be spoken; second, fifty and a half lines explain what can and cannot be propagated. Now, the first eight lines clarify the characteristics of the Tathāgata's benefiting the world. Broadly speaking, it concerns benefits across the three times; specifically speaking, it concerns causing those of the two vehicles to enter into faith. "Avinivartanīya" considers the benefit of the present; "having formerly seen" considers past good roots to preach for them. Believing you or believing me considers future good roots to preach for them, which is the meaning of the later text's saying, "If one has deep faith and understanding, one sees the Buddha constantly dwelling on Vulture Peak." The one line of this \*Lotus Sūtra\* concludes what precedes and opens what follows: the Tathāgata observes and knows the benefits of the three times, and therefore speaks it; for those of shallow wisdom who do not understand, he does not speak it. This explains the Tathāgata's heading of speaking and not speaking. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 6.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6.17) - [Next: 6.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6.19) - [Up: 6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.6.18) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.6.18) · Pramāṇa