妙法蓮華經文句 7.29

7.29

梵音和伽羅，此云授記。諸經破受記，《淨名》云「從如生得記，從如滅得記，如無生滅則知無記。」《思益》云「願不聞記名」。《大品》云「受記是戲論」。今經云何？答：若見有記記人，此見須破；菩薩誓記，此記須與。世諦故記，第一義故無。四悉，適時如下說；若通途記，如〈法師品〉初；若別與記，如三周後說；若正因記，如〈常不輕〉；若緣因記，如〈法師品〉十種供養；若了因記，如授三根人；若正因記則廣，若緣了記則狹，或遲記、或速記；或佛記如此文，或菩薩記如不輕，雖無劫國之定亦得是記；復懸記，如〈化城品〉未來弟子是也。他經但記菩薩、不記二乘，但記善、不記惡，但記男、不記女，但記人天、不記畜；今經皆記。若《首楞嚴》有四種記，今經具之：未發心與記，如〈常不輕品〉，發心現前無生，三周記是也；《瓔珞》第九，八種授記，己知他不知，眾人盡知己不知，己眾俱知，己眾俱不知，近覺遠不覺，遠覺近不覺，俱覺，俱不覺。己知他不知者，發心自誓未廣及人，未得四無所畏，未得善權故。眾人盡知己不知者，發心廣大得無畏善權故。皆知者，位在七地無畏善權得空觀故。皆不知者，未入七地未得無著行（云云）。遠者不覺者，彌勒是也，諸根具足不捨如來無著之行故。近者不覺，此人未能演說賢聖之行，師子膺是也。近遠俱覺者，諸根具足不捨無著之行，柔順菩薩是也。近遠俱不覺者，未得善權不能悉知如來藏，等行菩薩是也。餘經又云，近知者從現佛得記也，如彌勒等。遠知者，不從今佛從當佛得記，如佛語弊魔，彌勒當與汝記。近遠俱知者，今當佛俱與記也。近遠俱不知者，今當佛俱不記也。元諸佛本為大事因緣出世，令眾生開示悟入佛之知見，今大事已顯，佛已說竟，眾生已入，暢佛本懷眾生願滿，法應與記，如父遇子豈不付財？又行人無量世行願願在今佛，文云「其本願如此故獲斯記」，此兩緣是世界悉檀故記。又二乘聞經改小入大，圓因已足，因必招果，故如來與記。時眾咸知發願，願為生身法身內外眷屬，或願但生彼土饒益眾生，此兩是為人悉檀與記。又授二乘記，破欲退大入小菩薩。何者？若定有二乘可退為小，今無二乘，何所可退？又破欲發二乘心者，彼證自捨，我何為取？又破未改小者則便改小，將證小者即不取證。此四，對治悉檀與記。又無生現前，必由實解開佛知見不謬，又明了佛性故與受記。小乘入實決定作佛，若爾一切眾生亦有佛性，何不與記？然眾生但正無緣，今聞經信解緣正具足，開佛知見知佛性、見佛法見佛性，此兩，第一義悉檀與記。此四記，攝上諸受記盡（云云）。授記亦云受記、受決、受莂，授是與義，受是得義，記是記事，決是決定，莂是了莂。中根人聞法，譬二周開三顯一，具足領解如來述成，雖自知作佛，而時事未審，若蒙佛誠言，授其當果，劫國決定，近遠了莂，則大歡喜。今從佛授與得名，故言「授記品」。

In Sanskrit, it is vyākaraṇa; here translated as "bestowal of prophecy" (shouji). Various sūtras refute the receiving of prophecy: the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says, "Receiving prophecy as arising from suchness, receiving prophecy as ceasing from suchness—since suchness has neither arising nor ceasing, know that there is no prophecy." The Viśeṣacintā states, "I wish not to hear the name of prophecy." The Pañcaviṃśati says, "Receiving prophecy is conceptual proliferation." How is it in the present sūtra? Answer: If one views prophecy and the person prophesied as existing, this view must be refuted; but for the bodhisattva's vow-based prophecy, this prophecy must be granted. Prophecy is given by virtue of conventional truth; by virtue of paramārtha-satya, it does not exist. As for the four siddhāntas, they fit the occasion as explained below: If it is a general prophecy, it is like the beginning of the "Dharma Teachers Chapter"; if it is a specific prophecy, it is like what is spoken after the three cycles; if it is a prophecy based on direct cause, it is like the "Never Disparaging [Bodhisattva Chapter]"; if it is a prophecy based on contributory causes, it is like the ten kinds of offerings in the "Dharma Teachers Chapter"; if it is a prophecy based on disclosing cause, it is like the bestowal to the persons of the three capacities. If it is prophecy based on direct cause, it is broad; if based on contributory and disclosing causes, it is narrow; or it is a delayed prophecy, or a swift prophecy; or a prophecy given by a Buddha, like this text, or given by a bodhisattva, like Never Disparaging; even though there is no determination of kalpa and land, such a prophecy is still obtained; there is also a prospective prophecy, such as the future disciples in the "Parable of the Conjured City Chapter". Other sūtras prophesy only for bodhisattvas and not for the two vehicles, only for the good and not for the evil, only for men and not for women, only for humans and devas and not for animals; the present sūtra prophesies for all. As the Śūraṅgama[-samādhi-sūtra] has four kinds of prophecy, the present sūtra possesses them completely: granting prophecy before the aspiration is generated is like the "Bodhisattva Never Disparaging Chapter"; prophecy when the aspiration is generated, when present, and upon [attaining] the unproduced [dharmas] are the prophecies of the three cycles. Chapter Nine of the Ratnamālā contains eight kinds of prophecy: oneself knows while others do not know; everyone knows while oneself does not know; oneself and the assembly both know; oneself and the assembly both do not know; the near perceive while the distant do not perceive; the distant perceive while the near do not perceive; both perceive; both do not perceive. "Oneself knows while others do not know" is because one has generated the aspiration and vowed privately without having broadly reached others, and has not yet attained the four fearlessnesses and skillful expedients. "Everyone knows while oneself does not know" is because having generated a vast aspiration, one has attained fearlessness and skillful expedients. "Both know" is because the stage is at the seventh ground, possessing fearlessness, skillful expedients, and having attained the contemplation of emptiness. "Both do not know" is because one has not yet entered the seventh ground and not yet attained unattached conduct (and so forth). "The distant do not perceive" refers to Maitreya: because his faculties are complete and he does not abandon the Tathāgata's unattached conduct. "The near do not perceive" refers to one who cannot expound the conduct of the noble and wise, which is Siṃhahanu. "Both near and distant perceive" refers to one whose faculties are complete and who does not abandon unattached conduct, namely Bodhisattva Rujun (Compliant). "Neither near nor distant perceives" refers to one who has not attained skillful expedients and cannot fully know the tathāgatagarbha, namely Bodhisattva Denghang (Equal Conduct). Other sūtras also say: knowing near means receiving prophecy from the present Buddha, such as Maitreya and others. Knowing distant means not receiving prophecy from the present Buddha but from a future Buddha, as when the Buddha said to the evil Māra that Maitreya would bestow a prophecy upon him. Both near and distant knowing means both present and future Buddhas bestow prophecy. Both near and distant not knowing means neither present nor future Buddhas bestow prophecy. Originally, the Buddhas appeared in the world for the one great matter of causality, to lead sentient beings to open, demonstrate, awaken to, and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision. Now the great matter has been revealed, the Buddha has finished speaking, sentient beings have entered, the Buddha's original intent is expressed, and sentient beings' vows are fulfilled; the Dharma demands that prophecy be given—just as a father meeting his son, how could he not transmit the wealth? Furthermore, the practitioner's practice and vows across immeasurable lifetimes aspired toward the present Buddha; the text says, "Because their original vows were like this, they obtained this prophecy"—these two conditions are prophecy given on account of the worldly siddhānta. Furthermore, the two vehicles hearing the sūtra transform the small and enter the great; the perfect cause is already sufficient, and the cause must incur the fruit; therefore the Tathāgata bestows prophecy. At that time the assembly all knew to make vows, wishing to be the inner and outer retinue of his physical body and Dharma body, or wishing simply to be born in that land to benefit sentient beings—these two are prophecy given on account of the individual adaptation siddhānta. Furthermore, bestowing prophecy on the two vehicles refutes bodhisattvas who wish to regress from the great and enter the small. How so? If there were definitely two vehicles to regress into, one could become small; now there are no two vehicles, so what could one regress to? Furthermore, it refutes those who wish to give rise to the mind of the two vehicles: since those who realized it have abandoned it themselves, why should I adopt it? Furthermore, it refutes those who have not yet transformed the small so that they will promptly transform the small, and those about to realize the small will not attain realization—these four are prophecy given on account of the counteractive siddhānta. Furthermore, the presence of the unproduced necessarily relies upon real understanding opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision without error; moreover, because the Buddha-nature is clearly understood, prophecy is bestowed. The Hīnayāna enters the real and is determined to become Buddhas; if so, all sentient beings also possess the Buddha-nature, so why are they not given prophecy? However, sentient beings only possess the direct [cause] and lack the contributory [causes]; now, hearing the sūtra with faith and understanding, contributory and direct causes are fully complete: opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision is knowing the Buddha-nature, and seeing the Buddha-dharma is seeing the Buddha-nature—these two are prophecy given on account of the paramārtha-satya siddhānta. These four prophecies subsume all the above prophecies completely (and so forth). Bestowal of prophecy (shouji) is also called receiving prophecy (shouji), receiving determination (shoujue), or receiving distinguishing prediction (shoubie). "Bestowal" has the meaning of granting; "receiving" has the meaning of obtaining; "prophecy" is recording the matter; "determination" is definite resolution; "distinguishing prediction" is clear discernment. When people of medium capacity heard the Dharma, the two cycles of similes opened the three and revealed the one; they fully comprehended and the Tathāgata endorsed them; although they knew themselves that they would become Buddhas, the time and circumstances were not yet clear. If they receive the Buddha's truthful words, bestowing their future fruit, determining the kalpa and land, and clearly discerning whether it is near or far, then they will experience great joy. Now, taking its name from the Buddha's bestowal, it is called the "Bestowal of Prophecy Chapter."