妙法蓮華經文句 8.27

8.27

「若復有人」下，第二，師門，有長行、偈頌。長行有二：先別、後總。別者，人譚下，上時譚現未；總者，無論下，上及以現未，通明逆之得罪、順之得福也。就別復二：一、明現世，二、明來世。就現世復二：先明下品師，後明上品師。下品師為二：初、明師相，次、明師功報。師相者，即是五種法師，十種供養也。次「藥王當知是諸人等已曾供養」下，明下品功報也。「曾供養」者，先因深也。「愍眾生故生此人間」，明現功大也。「若有人問」下，明未來報重也。從「何況盡能受持」者，明上品師，亦二：先況出上品師相；次「藥王當知，是人自捨清淨業報」，此明上品功報也。「若是善男子於我滅後能竊為一人」下，明滅後師亦有下上。下品亦二：先出下品人者，即是但豎得其意，有慧無聞止堪竊說未可處眾，故是下品之師；「竊為一人說一句」者，雖得一句之解，既不廣聞多學異義，不可眾中而說，一切問難有所不通，便令正理不得宣弘，如《釋論》明有慧無聞，譬如小雨無雷，若欲申此一句正言，且當竊說耳。「當知是人則如來使」者，明其功報。經是如智所說、說於如理，今日行人秉此如教宣於如理，即是如來所使也。「行如來事」者，如智照如理為事，今日行人依如教行如理，即是行如來事也。一如智、一如理，化眾生為事，今日行人能有大悲，以此經中真如之理，為眾生說令得利益，亦名行如來事也。觀心解，如來使者，智心觀境境即真如，境來發智，智為如所使也。「如來所遣」者，觀智從如中來也。「行如來事」者，歷一切法無不真如，真如即佛事也。「何況於大眾中」下，明上品人，略不格量功報，此意可知也。「若有惡人」下，第二，總明五種法師，逆者得罪順者得福也。此中罪福不論福田濃瘠，但約初後心明其輕重。初心學人既具煩惱，若加障礙則所學事廢，故獲罪多；佛則平等，惡不干偪豈能障礙？故言罪輕。供養亦爾，此人有待，若得供養，所修事成，故施其福勝；佛則無待，眾事滿足，雖復獻供於佛無益，故言報劣。譬如王子在難，供奉所須其功甚大，若辱王種獲罪不輕，故罪福俱重；若獻大王衣食為要事微，汝欲侵陵不能致損，故罪福俱薄。「藥王」下，明讀誦、如佛莊嚴，即是順之得福。佛以定慧莊嚴，此人能修定慧故也。「為如來肩荷」者，在背為荷、在肩為檐，修非權非實法身之體，即是為如來荷，能種能實二智之用，即是為如來檐。「隨所向方應向禮」者，上明以法為師，今明堪為物師。此人有趣向，悉與實相相應，皆可敬順，順即是向、敬即是禮，敬而順之及興供養等（云云）。

From "If again there is a person" downward is the second part, the section on teachers, which has prose and gāthās. The prose has two parts: first particular, and later general. The particular part discusses persons [of the lower and upper ranks] below and discusses the present and future in terms of time; the general part, without regard to lower and upper or present and future, comprehensively explains that offending against them incurs sin and according with them obtains blessing. Within the particular part there are again two: first, explaining the present age; second, explaining future ages. Within the present age there are again two: first, explaining teachers of the lower rank; later, explaining teachers of the upper rank. Teachers of the lower rank are divided into two: first, explaining the characteristics of the teacher; next, explaining the teacher's merit and retribution. As for the characteristics of the teacher, these are the five kinds of dharma teachers and the ten kinds of offerings. Next, from "Bhaiṣajyarāja, you should know that all these people have already made offerings" downward explains the merit and retribution of the lower rank. "Have already made offerings" means that their past causes were profound. "Out of compassion for sentient beings they are born in this human realm" explains that their present merit is great. From "If a person asks" downward explains that their future retribution will be momentous. From "How much more so those who can fully receive and uphold" explains teachers of the upper rank, which also has two parts: first, by comparison bringing out the characteristics of teachers of the upper rank; next, "Bhaiṣajyarāja, you should know that this person voluntarily abandons their pure karmic retribution," which explains the merit and retribution of the upper rank. From "If this good man, after my extinction, can secretly for one person" downward explains that teachers after extinction also have lower and upper [ranks]. The lower rank also has two parts: first, identifying the person of the lower rank, who has merely grasped its meaning vertically, possessing wisdom but lacking wide learning, and is only fit to speak secretly and not yet to dwell amid an assembly, hence is a teacher of the lower rank; "secretly for one person speaks one phrase" means that although they have attained an understanding of one phrase, since they have not widely heard and extensively learned diverse meanings, they cannot speak in an assembly, where any difficult questions would find them blocked and thereby prevent the correct principle from being propagated—as the *Dazhidulun* explains, possessing wisdom without wide hearing is like light rain without thunder, so if one wishes to express this one phrase of correct speech, one should only speak secretly for now. "You should know that this person is an emissary of the Tathāgata" explains their merit and retribution. A sūtra is spoken by suchness-wisdom and speaks of suchness-principle; today's practitioner who upholds this suchness-teaching to proclaim suchness-principle is thereby one dispatched by the Tathāgata. "Carrying out the Tathāgata's work": taking suchness-wisdom to illuminate suchness-principle is the "work"; today's practitioner who, relying on the suchness-teaching, practices suchness-principle is thereby carrying out the Tathāgata's work. With suchness-wisdom and suchness-principle united as one, converting sentient beings is the work; if today's practitioner can possess great compassion and, taking the principle of true suchness in this sūtra, speak it for sentient beings to make them attain benefit, this is also called carrying out the Tathāgata's work. In terms of contemplation of mind: as an emissary of the Tathāgata, the mind of wisdom contemplates the objective realm, and the objective realm is true suchness; the realm comes to arouse wisdom, and wisdom is dispatched by suchness. "Sent by the Tathāgata" means that contemplative wisdom comes forth from suchness. "Carrying out the Tathāgata's work" means that through all phenomena there is none that is not true suchness, and true suchness is the Buddha's work. From "How much more so in a great assembly" downward explains the person of the upper rank, and omitting a calculation of their merit and retribution, this meaning can be understood. From "If there is an evil person" downward is the second part, generally explaining of the five kinds of dharma teachers that those who oppose incur sin and those who accord obtain blessing. Here, sin and blessing do not concern whether the field of merit is rich or barren, but merely explain their gravity and lightness in terms of initial and advanced minds. Since beginner practitioners are fully endowed with afflictions, if one imposes obstacles, their study will be ruined, and therefore they incur much sin; the Buddha is impartial, and evil cannot infringe on or pressure him, so how could it cause an obstacle? Hence it says the sin is light. The same applies to making offerings: this person depends on others, so if they obtain offerings, what they practice will succeed, and hence the blessing of bestowing on them is superior; the Buddha, however, has no dependencies, with all matters fulfilled, so although one presents offerings, there is no benefit to the Buddha, hence it says the retribution is inferior. For example, when a prince is in hardship, supplying what he needs brings very great merit, and if one humiliates royal stock one incurs no light sin, hence both sin and blessing are momentous; if one presents food and clothing to a great king, as an essential matter it is minor, and if you wish to encroach on him you cannot cause harm, hence both sin and blessing are slight. From "Bhaiṣajyarāja" downward explains that reading and reciting is to be adorned like a buddha, which is according and obtaining blessing. The Buddha is adorned with samādhi and wisdom, because this person can cultivate samādhi and wisdom. "Carried on the Tathāgata's shoulder": what is on the back is *he* (carrying on the back), and what is on the shoulder is *dan* (shouldering). Cultivating the body of the dharmakāya that is neither expedient nor real is carrying for the Tathāgata; being able to plant and to realize the function of the two wisdoms is shouldering for the Tathāgata. "Toward whichever direction [they go], one should face that direction and bow": previously it explained taking the Dharma as teacher; now it explains that they are fit to be a teacher to living beings. This person's orientation is entirely in accordance with the true mark and can all be revered and complied with; complying is "facing", and revering is "bowing". Reverencing and complying with them, as well as raising offerings, etc. (and so forth).