妙法蓮華經文句 7.6

7.6

從「譬如」下，第二，譬說。文為二：初譬說，後復宗稱歎。譬有開、合。開為二：一、差別譬，譬上述權教權智；二、無差別譬，譬上述實教實智也。三草二木纖濃不等，故言差別；一地一雨普載普潤，故無差別。若觀其末派，謂各各不同；若究其根榮，莫非地雨。內合方便智照七五各異，實智往照終歸一實，一實七五、七五一實，差別無差別，無差別差別（云云）。差別譬有六：一、土地，二、卉木，三、密雲，四、注雨，五、受潤，六、增長。初土地譬，舊總舉三千土地，別出山川谿谷，為五乘習因，谷受水多譬菩薩，谿譬支佛川譬聲聞，山高受潤少譬人天乘。今謂習因應譬種子受潤增長，而土地山川雖有受潤，闕於種子、增長二義；又下文合譬云「普遍世界天人脩羅」，頌偈云「於諸天人一切眾中」，皆不以土地等譬習因，今所不用。今以「大千世界」譬眾生世間，「山川谿谷土地」譬五陰世間。世界無別法，為山川谿谷土地所成；眾生無別法，為五陰所成。土地既通譬識陰，山川谿谷譬四陰，能依草木雖依土地等，土地等非即草木，草木質幹但名草木，草木種子更無別名，但取能生之功名種子，所生質幹名草木，皆植根於地，地則本也。內合習因習果，雖依五陰，五陰非即因果，要依於陰得有習因，增長成辦名習果。果因依陰而起，則山川土地譬成；草木種子受潤增長，譬悉成也。又更顯別譬者，山雖高峻亦有洿隆等五相，乃至土地雖平，亦有丘池等五相，即譬五乘五陰：山高譬菩薩五陰，川譬支佛谿譬聲聞，土地譬天，谷下譬人。一一五陰皆有習因習果所依，猶如山川谿谷土地皆為種子質幹等所依也。又用「三千大千世界」譬正因之理，通為一切所依也；「山川谿谷土地」譬眾生陰界入果報色心也；「草木叢林」譬眾生習因。此三法不相離，習依陰入，陰入不出法性，如草木依山川，山川依世界（云云）。六文宛然，云何作義？又次第如此，云何間糅經文，抄著前後耶？「所生卉木」下，第二，所生卉木譬。「卉」是草之都名，「木」是樹之總稱。眾草成叢，眾樹成林。治病力用勝者稱為「藥」，如善法中皆能治惡，而無漏善治惑義勝。下卉木中，樹林枝榦覆蔭廣、器用大，故喻二菩薩。「種類若干」者，五乘七善因果種子，故言「若干」。即是種類各有稱謂，即是「名」也，各有體相即是「色」也。「密雲」下，第三，密雲譬。雲有形色覆蔭，下文有「雷聲遠震」，覆蔭譬佛慈悲，形色譬佛應世，雷聲譬佛言教。密雲即三密也，慈悲即意密，形色即身密，雷聲即口密。「彌布」者，遍也，既密又遍故言彌布也。以慈悲熏，應身說法遍十法界，故言彌布也。《經律異相》云：「雲有五色，青者風多、赤火多、黃白地多、黑水多。有四電師，東身味、南百主、西阿竭羅、北阿祝藍，四電鬪諍是故有雷，又水火風地鬪故有雷。五事無雨：一風起吹，二火起焦，三阿修羅手接入海，四雨師淫亂，五國王不理治，雨師瞋故不雨」（云云）。「一時等注」下，第四，注雨譬。譬用口密八音四辯，宣注法雨利潤眾生。「其澤普洽」下，第五，霑潤譬。法寶普雨七種眾生心地所有習因種子，即生聞慧，名為霑洽。「枝葉根莖」者，信為根、戒為莖，定為枝、慧為葉，次第相資，故譬此四也。小根莖等即人天信戒，中根莖等即二乘信戒，大根莖等即菩薩信戒。「諸樹大小」下，第六，增長譬，更復略牒明其草木隨分受潤，習報兩因善法既蒙法雨，習報兩果各得增長。「稱其種性」者，明施權稱機，小者不過分，大者不減少，即是七種習報兩因也。「花果敷實」者，習報二果也。又云，增長即三義，稱其種性即是增長之由；由設教稱機也各得增長，正明增長；花果敷榮即增長之相也。「雖一地所生」下，大段第二，一地一雨無差別譬，顯於一實也。此有三：一、一地所生，道前心地所生，終因道後智地；二、一雲所雨，一音所宣一乘法門，開發道中五種善根，終是一音平等之教；三、三草二木稟益不自覺知，五種善根蒙佛法雨隨分增長而不自知，五種之因皆依一佛性，亦不自知五乘之教皆是大乘，亦不自知同歸佛慧，唯有如來能知也。

From "Suppose, for example" onward is the second [section], the parabolic exposition. The text has two parts: first, the parabolic exposition; second, returning to the doctrinal principle to praise [it]. The parable has the unfolding and the matching. The unfolding has two parts: first, the differentiated parable, which illustrates the expedient teaching and expedient wisdom discussed above; second, the undifferentiated parable, which illustrates the real teaching and real wisdom discussed above. The three grasses and two trees vary in thinness and thickness, and are therefore called differentiated; the single ground and single rain universally support and universally moisten, and are therefore called undifferentiated. If one observes their terminal branches, they are said to be distinct from one another; if one investigates their roots and foliage, none are other than the ground and the rain. Inwardly this matches the expedient wisdom illuminating the distinctions among the seven [expedients] and five [vehicles], while the real wisdom reaches out to illuminate them as ultimately returning to the one real. The one real is the seven and the five; the seven and the five are the one real; differentiated yet undifferentiated, undifferentiated yet differentiated (and so forth).

The differentiated parable has six [elements]: 1. the earth; 2. the plants and trees; 3. the dense cloud; 4. the pouring rain; 5. receiving moisture; 6. growth.

First, as for the parable of the earth: earlier commentators generally took the trichiliocosm earth, and specifically distinguished the mountains, rivers, ravines, and valleys, as the practice-causes of the five vehicles—the valleys receiving much water illustrating bodhisattvas, ravines illustrating pratyekabuddhas, rivers illustrating śrāvakas, and lofty mountains receiving little moisture illustrating the vehicle of humans and devas. I now state: the practice-cause should illustrate the seed receiving moisture and growing, whereas the earth, mountains, and rivers, although receiving moisture, lack the two meanings of seed and growth; moreover, the subsequent matching of the parable states, "pervading the world, devas, humans, and asuras," and the verse says, "among the assemblies of all devas and humans," neither of which uses the earth and so forth to illustrate the practice-cause; hence I do not adopt this [earlier view]. Now, I take the "great chiliocosm" to illustrate the realm of sentient beings, and the "mountains, rivers, ravines, valleys, and earth" to illustrate the realm of the five aggregates. The world has no separate phenomenon; it is constituted by the mountains, rivers, ravines, valleys, and earth; sentient beings have no separate phenomenon; they are constituted by the five aggregates. As the earth generally illustrates the consciousness aggregate, the mountains, rivers, ravines, and valleys illustrate the [other] four aggregates. Although the plants and trees that rely on them depend on the earth and so forth, the earth and so forth are not identical with the plants and trees; the stems and trunks of plants and trees are merely called plants and trees, and the seeds of plants and trees have no other name—one merely takes their power to generate and calls them seeds, while the generated trunks are called plants and trees; all take root in the ground, and the ground is the basis. Inwardly this matches the practice-causes and practice-effects: although they rely on the five aggregates, the five aggregates are not identical with the causes and effects; one must rely on the aggregates to have the practice-causes, and their growth and completion is called the practice-effects. As effects and causes arise dependent on the aggregates, the parable of the mountains, rivers, and earth is accomplished; and as seeds of plants and trees receive moisture and grow, the parable is fully accomplished.

Furthermore, to clarify the specific illustrations: although mountains are lofty, they also have five aspects such as depressions and elevations, and likewise, although the ground is flat, it also has five aspects such as mounds and ponds; these illustrate the five aggregates of the five vehicles: the high mountains illustrate the five aggregates of bodhisattvas; the rivers illustrate pratyekabuddhas; the ravines illustrate śrāvakas; the earth illustrates devas; the low valleys illustrate humans. Each and every five aggregates has practice-causes and practice-effects that rely upon them, just as the mountains, rivers, ravines, valleys, and earth are that upon which seeds, trunks, and so forth rely. Furthermore, using the "three-thousand great chiliocosm" illustrates the principle of the primary cause, which universally serves as the basis for all; "mountains, rivers, ravines, valleys, and earth" illustrates the retribution forms and minds of the aggregates, realms, and entrances of sentient beings; "plants, trees, thickets, and forests" illustrates the practice-causes of sentient beings. These three dharmas are not separate: practice relies on the aggregates and entrances, and the aggregates and entrances do not depart from the Dharma-nature, just as plants and trees rely on mountains and rivers, and mountains and rivers rely on the world (and so forth). The six passages are clearly distinct; why construct interpretations [otherwise]? Moreover, the sequence being like this, why mix the sūtra text together, transposing what comes before and after?

From "the plants and trees produced" onward is the second [element], the parable of the plants and trees produced. *Hui* (plants) is the general name for grasses; *mu* (trees) is the collective designation for trees. A multitude of grasses forms a thicket; a multitude of trees forms a forest. Those whose medicinal potency is superior are called "medicinal herbs"; just as among wholesome dharmas all can cure evil, yet the uncontaminated wholesome is superior in curing affliction. Below, among the plants and trees, the branches and trunks of forests cast wide shade and have great utility; hence they illustrate the two [kinds of] bodhisattvas. "Many kinds" refers to the seeds of causes and effects of the five vehicles and seven wholesomenesses; hence it says "many kinds." That is to say, each variety has its own designation, which is "name"; and each has its own substance and characteristics, which is "form."

From "a dense cloud" onward is the third [element], the parable of the dense cloud. A cloud has visible form and provides shade; below it says, "the sound of thunder shakes far and wide"; shade illustrates the Buddha's loving-kindness and compassion, visible form illustrates the Buddha's appearance in the world, and the sound of thunder illustrates the Buddha's verbal teaching. The dense cloud is the three mysteries: loving-kindness and compassion is the mental mystery, visible form is the bodily mystery, and the sound of thunder is the verbal mystery. "Spreading widely" means pervading; being both dense and all-pervading, it is called spreading widely. Perfumed by loving-kindness and compassion, the response body expounds the Dharma pervading the ten dharma realms; hence it is called spreading widely. The *Jinglü yixiang* says: "Clouds have five colours: blue has much wind, red has much fire, yellow and white have much earth, black has much water. There are four lightning masters: in the east, Shenwei; in the south, Baizhu; in the west, Agela; in the north, Azhulan. The four lightnings contend, and therefore there is thunder; also, water, fire, wind, and earth contend, and therefore there is thunder. Five circumstances bring no rain: 1. the wind arises and blows it away; 2. fire arises and scorches it; 3. an asura's hands catch it and lead it into the sea; 4. the rain master is lustful and unruly; 5. the king does not govern properly, and the rain master is angry and so does not rain" (and so forth).

From "pouring down equally at one time" onward is the fourth [element], the parable of the pouring rain. It illustrates using the eight tones and four eloquences of the verbal mystery to shower down the Dharma rain, benefiting and moistening sentient beings.

From "its moisture reaches everywhere" onward is the fifth [element], the parable of receiving moisture. The Dharma jewel universally rains down upon the practice-cause seeds present in the mind-ground of the seven kinds of sentient beings, straightway generating the wisdom of hearing; this is called reaching everywhere. As for "branches, leaves, roots, and stems": faith is the root, precepts are the stem, concentration is the branch, and wisdom is the leaf; mutually supporting in sequence, they are therefore illustrated by these four. Small roots, stems, and so forth are the faith and precepts of humans and devas; medium roots, stems, and so forth are the faith and precepts of the two vehicles; large roots, stems, and so forth are the faith and precepts of bodhisattvas.

From "the trees, large and small" onward is the sixth [element], the parable of growth. It briefly reiterates and clarifies that the plants and trees receive moisture according to their capacity, and when the wholesome dharmas of both practice-causes and retribution-causes receive the Dharma rain, both the practice-effects and retribution-effects each attain growth. "According to their seed-nature" clarifies that the deployment of the expedient matches the faculties: the small do not exceed their capacity, and the large are not diminished; these are the practice-causes and retribution-causes of the seven kinds. "Flowers and fruits blooming and bearing fruit" refers to the practice-effects and retribution-effects. Furthermore, it is said that growth has three meanings: "according to their seed-nature" is the cause of growth, for it is due to establishing teachings that match the faculties that "each attains growth," which directly clarifies growth; "flowers and fruits blooming and bearing fruit" is the characteristic of growth.

From "although produced from the same ground" onward is the second major section, the undifferentiated parable of the single ground and single rain, revealing the one real. This has three [points]: 1. produced from the single ground: produced from the mind-ground before the path, ultimately depending on the wisdom-ground after the path; 2. rained upon by the single cloud: the dharma door of the One Vehicle proclaimed with a single voice, developing the five kinds of wholesome roots on the path, is ultimately the equal teaching of the single voice; 3. the three grasses and two trees receiving benefit without self-awareness: the five kinds of wholesome roots receive the Buddha's Dharma rain and grow according to their capacity without being aware of it themselves; the causes of the five kinds all rely on the one buddha-nature, yet they also do not know that the teachings of the five vehicles are all the Mahāyāna, nor do they know that they together return to the Buddha's wisdom; only the Tathāgata can know this.