妙法蓮華經文句 7.18

7.18

「汝等迦葉」下，第二，復宗稱述欲釋疑。疑者，聞佛無量功德，謂四弟子齊教領解何必是實？故佛稱述雖未及佛地，齊教不虛也。亦是引發下根，令同得悟。文為二：初、述，二、釋。先歎「希有」者，凡夫有反復，聞能得益，菩薩是已事解不多奇，無為正位能捨證入實甚為希有，能知隨宜說法述能領開三，次言能信受，即述其領顯一。「所以者何」釋述意，明佛於一道說三，深玄難解而汝能信也。私謂，前文云「如來復有無量功德汝等說不能盡」，後文云「汝等甚為希有」者，佛恩普被猶如雲雨靡不覆潤，佛恩普載猶如大地靡不生成，豈有為一機一方而已，故言汝等說不能盡。佛恩雖普，眾生日用不自覺知，如三草二木植根乎地、稟潤乎雨而不能知，汝等能知始終十恩甚為希有。未度令度等，述其知佛四弘誓恩，甚為希有。眾生現世安隱、後生善處、以道受樂，述其知大慈與樂恩，甚為希有。既聞法已離諸障礙，任力所能漸得入道，述其知大悲拔苦恩，甚為希有。輪王釋梵是小藥草，述其知勸善除熱惱恩，甚為希有。知無漏法能得涅槃及緣覺證是中藥草，述其知除諸熱見愛恩，甚為希有。上草小樹是為恥小慕大，述其知遮醜之恩，甚為希有。大樹是述其莊嚴之恩，甚為希有。最實事一地一雨，述其知付財坐座身心財法自在安樂之恩，甚為希有。佛述其差別歎者，歎十恩文盡；若述其無差別歎者，即是一大恩也。

From "You, Kāśyapa, and the others" down is the second [section], returning to the primary theme with praise and validation to resolve doubts. Those who doubt, hearing of the Buddha's immeasurable merit, think: since the four disciples only matched the teaching in receiving and understanding, how could it necessarily be real? Therefore, the Buddha praises and validates: although they have not yet reached the Buddha stage, their matching the teaching is not in vain. It also guides and inspires those of lower faculties to attain awakening together. The text has two parts: first, praise; second, explanation. First, sighing with admiration at "rare": ordinary persons have reversals, yet hearing it they can obtain benefit; for bodhisattvas, this is already their own affair, so their understanding is nothing remarkable; but for those in the unconditioned right position to be able to relinquish their realization and enter the real is extremely rare. Being able to know the expounding of the Dharma according to suitability validates their ability to receive the opening of the three; next saying that they are able to believe and accept validates their receiving the revelation of the one. "Why is this?" explains the intent of the validation, clarifying that the Buddha expounded the three based on the one path, profound, mysterious, and difficult to comprehend, yet you have been able to believe it. In my personal view: the earlier text says, "The Tathāgata further has immeasurable merits that you could not fully expound," and the later text says, "You are extremely rare"; the Buddha's grace is universally bestowed like clouds and rain, covering and moistening everything, and the Buddha's grace universally sustains like the great earth, bringing everything to birth and maturity—how could it be for merely one capacity or one direction? Hence it says you could not fully expound it. Although the Buddha's grace is universal, living beings use it daily without perceiving or knowing it, just as the three grasses and two trees take root in the earth and receive moisture from the rain without being able to know it; that you are able to know the ten graces from beginning to end is extremely rare. "Those not yet crossed over, he causes to cross over," and so forth validates their knowing the grace of the Buddha's Four Universal Vows, which is extremely rare. Living beings obtaining peace and security in this life, being born in good realms in later lives, and experiencing joy through the Way validates their knowing the grace of great kindness bestowing joy, which is extremely rare. Having heard the Dharma, they are freed from all obstacles and gradually enter the Way according to their capacities, which validates their knowing the grace of great compassion relieving suffering, which is extremely rare. Wheel-turning kings, Śakra, and Brahmā are the small medicinal herbs, validating their knowing the grace of exhorting goodness to remove burning afflictions, which is extremely rare. Knowing the undefiled dharmas and being able to attain nirvāṇa and pratyekabuddha realization are the intermediate medicinal herbs, validating their knowing the grace of removing all burning views and craving, which is extremely rare. The superior grasses and small trees represent shaming the small and longing for the great, validating their knowing the grace of concealing ugliness, which is extremely rare. The great trees validate their knowing the grace of adornment, which is extremely rare. The most real matter of the one earth and one rain validates their knowing the grace of entrusting wealth, sitting on the seat, and the ease and peace of bodily, mental, material, and dharmic autonomy, which is extremely rare. When the Buddha validates them in praising distinctions, his praise of the ten graces exhausts the text; if he validates them in praising non-distinction, it is precisely the one great grace.