妙法蓮華經文句 7.86

7.86

「佛告」下，第二，佛述而記之，有長行、偈頌。長行有二：一、述本迹，二、與授記。初有三：一、就釋迦世行因發迹，二、約過去佛世行因顯本，三、就三世佛所修因行滿。就釋迦佛所行因發迹復三：一、舉示其人，二、總標本迹章，三、別釋本迹。即標言「汝等見不」，有二意：一、見其迹為小不，二、見其本功德不。眾人但見迹為聲聞，而不能知本是菩薩，故云見不。「我常稱其」下，是標其迹。迹為說法人中最為第一，若非法身妙本，無以垂於第一勝迹。昔來但言於迹中說法第一，今則不爾，於無上法久得第一，此舉迹以顯本也。「亦常歎其」下，標其本地。福慧萬行法門，故云「種種」也。本地既有種種法門，亦復何但迹為二乘耶？此舉本以明迹也。「精勤護持」下，別釋也。「助宣我法」者，即是迹中助宣半滿之法。迹為下根聲聞，即是護持助宣酪法；迹在方等示受彈訶，即是護持助宣生蘇法；迹領《般若》即是護持助宣熟蘇法；迹在《法華》得悟，即是護持助宣醍醐法。上總本中云「我常稱歎種種功德」者，即此意也。具足權實功德，而迹起五味，助佛調熟實行眾生，豈非精勤助宣之意也。別釋本迹功德，「能於四眾示教」者，分別半字教也；「具足解釋」者，助宣滿字般若教也；「而大饒益」者，助佛饒益半滿之眾生也；「同梵行者」是迹所化半滿弟子也。「自捨如來」下，別述本地功德也。「自捨」者，降妙覺已來也。「無能知」者，七種方便也。

From "The Buddha told" downward is the second [section], in which the Buddha describes and confers a prophecy upon him; it has prose and verses. The prose has two parts: first, describing the origin and traces; second, conferring the prophecy. The first has three parts: first, exposing the traces with reference to his practicing the causes during Śākyamuni's era; second, revealing the origin with reference to his practicing the causes during past buddhas' eras; third, his completing the practice of causes under the buddhas of the three periods of time. Exposing the traces with reference to his practicing the causes under Śākyamuni Buddha also has three parts: first, singling out and indicating the person; second, generally stating the topic of origin and traces; third, individually explaining origin and traces. That is, the statement "Do you see?" has two meanings: first, whether they see his traces as Hīnayāna; second, whether they see his original merits. The multitude only see his traces as a śrāvaka and cannot know that he is originally a bodhisattva; hence it says "Do you see?" From "I always praise him" downward marks his traces. In his traces he is foremost among those who preach the Dharma; if he were not of the subtle origin of the Dharmakāya, he could not display such foremost, supreme traces. Formerly it was only said that within the traces he was foremost in preaching the Dharma; now it is not so: regarding the unsurpassed Dharma he has long attained the foremost [rank]. This singles out the traces to reveal the origin. From "and also always praise" downward marks his original ground. Because of the ten thousand practices and dharma-gates of merit and wisdom, it says "various." Since the original ground possesses various dharma-gates, how could his traces merely be the Two Vehicles? This singles out the origin to clarify the traces. From "diligently protecting and upholding" downward is the individual explanation. "Assisting in propagating my Dharma" refers to assisting in propagating the half and full teachings within his traces. His traces as a śrāvaka of inferior capacity are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the milk teaching. His traces in the Vaipulya showing him receiving rebuke are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the curd teaching. His traces grasping the Prajñā are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the butter teaching. His traces attaining awakening in the Lotus Sūtra are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the ghee teaching. What was stated above in the general [explanation of] the origin, "I always praise his various merits," has this meaning. Possessing both expedient and real merits, in his traces he raised the five flavors to assist the Buddha in maturing sentient beings of real practice; how is this not the meaning of diligently assisting in propagation? Individually explaining the merits of the origin and traces: "able to instruct and teach among the fourfold assembly" discriminates the half-word teaching; "fully explaining" assists in propagating the full-word Prajñā teaching; "and greatly benefiting" assists the Buddha in benefiting sentient beings of both the half and the full; "fellow practitioners of pure conduct" are the disciples of the half and full converted by his traces. From "except for the Tathāgata" downward individually describes the merits of his original ground. "Except for" means from below subtle awakening downward. "None can know" means the seven expedient means.