妙法蓮華經文句 8.45

8.45

問：得以三顯三、以一顯一不？此亦四句，二如前，以三顯三者，言昔三異今一，此三在一外，今一異昔三，此一在三外，故一非三一，三非一三，悉是執見。破此病故，於一佛乘分別說三，故三是一三，汝等所行是菩薩道，故一是三一。三一既不相異，因緣之義，以因緣三一，顯自性三一，亦以自性三一，顯因緣三一，故云以三顯一、以一顯三。有人引十五處明門，〈方便品〉有二，〈譬喻品〉有六，〈信解品〉有三，〈化城品〉有二，〈法師品〉有一，〈觀音品〉有一。〈方便〉二者，智慧門，權智為實智門，生師云：「言教為門，言教說實智，故言教是實智門。」《法華論》同也。次云以種種法門宣示佛道，此用大乘教為門，譬喻六者：一、其家廣大唯有一門，還以大乘教為門；二、云所燒之門，此約三界限域為門，如詺家為門；三、唯有一門而復狹小，還是大乘教為門；四、三車在門外，還以三界為門；五、以佛教門出三界苦，此用小教為門；六、在門外立，依大乘用二死限域為門，小乘亦出一切煩惱外正習已盡，名在門外立也。〈信解品〉住立門側，大乘理教為門；二云猶在門外亦如前；三云長者門內如前。〈化城〉請開甘露門，亦大小教門，重門高樓閣，亦用小乘三空門。〈方便〉門如前釋。〈觀音〉亦以大教為門。今釋「開方便門」者，昔所不說今皆說之。昔說一切世間治生產業，何曾是於方便？今皆開之，即是實相不相違背。昔說小乘方便若小乘果，小乘果尚非實相門，況小方便而當是門？今皆開之即是實相，汝等所行是菩薩道，決了聲聞法，是諸經之王。昔說二為方便門者，今皆開之即是實相，寧復是門？咸令眾生開示悟入佛之知見，一色一香無非佛法，若門若非門，悉皆開之示真實相顯佛性水。若不開者則深固幽遠無人能到，而今開之即得見水無乾土也。又作三慧釋，一切皆屬此經，即圓聞慧也；此經開方便，即圓思慧也；示真實相者，即圓修慧也。此三幽遠，佛今開示即得覩真。

Question: Can one use the three to reveal the three, and use the one to reveal the one? This also has four positions, two being as before. 'Using the three to reveal the three' refers to saying that the former three are different from the present one, so this three is outside the one; and that the present one is different from the former three, so this one is outside the three. Therefore the one is not the one of the three, and the three are not the three of the one. These are all grasping views. In order to break this malady, [the Buddha] differentiated and taught the three within the One Buddha Vehicle; thus the three are the three of the one. 'What you are practicing is the bodhisattva path'; thus the one is the one of the three. Since the three and the one are not different, according to the meaning of conditioned origination, through the conditioned three and one, the self-nature three and one are revealed; and through the self-nature three and one, the conditioned three and one are also revealed. Therefore it is said: using the three reveals the one, and using the one reveals the three. Some cite fifteen places to explain 'gate': the 'Expedient Means Chapter' has two, the 'Simile Chapter' has six, the 'Faith and Understanding Chapter' has three, the 'Apparitional City Chapter' has two, the 'Dharma Teacher Chapter' has one, and the 'Avalokiteśvara Chapter' has one. The two in the 'Expedient Means Chapter' are: the gate of wisdom—expedient wisdom is the gate to real wisdom. Master [Dao]sheng said, 'Verbal teaching is the gate; verbal teaching explains real wisdom, hence verbal teaching is the gate to real wisdom.' The *Lotus Sūtra Treatise* (*Fahua lun*) agrees. Next it says, 'Through various dharma gates expounding and showing the Buddha's path'; here the Mahāyāna teaching is taken as the gate. The six in the Simile [Chapter] are: 1. 'Its house was vast and wide, having only one gate'—here again the Mahāyāna teaching is taken as the gate; 2. 'The gate that was burning'—this takes the boundaries of the triple world as the gate, like designating the house itself as the gate; 3. 'There was only one gate, and it was narrow and small'—this is again the Mahāyāna teaching as the gate; 4. 'The three carts were outside the gate'—this again takes the triple world as the gate; 5. 'By means of the gate of the Buddha's teaching, one escapes the suffering of the triple world'—this takes the small teaching as the gate; 6. 'Standing outside the gate'—according to the Mahāyāna, this takes the boundaries of the two kinds of death as the gate; in the Hīnayāna, it also means going beyond all afflictions, with primary defilements and residual habits already extinguished, which is called 'standing outside the gate'. In the 'Faith and Understanding Chapter', 'stopping and standing by the side of the gate'—the principle and teaching of the Mahāyāna are the gate; the second says, 'still outside the gate'—also as before; the third says, 'inside the elder's gate'—as before. In the 'Apparitional City [Chapter]', 'beseeching the opening of the gate of ambrosia'—this also refers to the gate of the large and small teachings; 'double gates and lofty towers'—this also employs the Hīnayāna's three gates of emptiness. The gate in 'Expedient Means' is explained as before. The 'Avalokiteśvara [Chapter]' also takes the great teaching as the gate. Now, in interpreting 'opening the gate of expedient means': that which was not spoken of in the past is now fully spoken of. Formerly, when speaking of all worldly occupations of livelihood and production, how could they ever have been expedient means? Now all are opened, and they are immediately the real mark, not in contradiction [with it]. Formerly, speaking of the expedient means of the Hīnayāna and the fruits of the Hīnayāna—the fruits of the Hīnayāna were not yet the gate of the real mark, how much less could the small expedient means be the gate? Now all are opened, and they are immediately the real mark: 'What you are practicing is the bodhisattva path'; [this sūtra] decisively resolves the śrāvaka Dharma and is the king of all sūtras. Formerly, when the two were spoken of as the gate of expedient means, now both are opened and are immediately the real mark—how could they still be a gate? It causes all sentient beings to open, demonstrate, awaken to, and enter the buddha knowledge and vision; not a single color or scent is not the Buddha Dharma. Whether gate or non-gate, all are opened to reveal the true real mark and disclose the water of buddha-nature. If they were not opened, it would be profound, solid, hidden, and distant, with no one able to reach it; but now that it is opened, one immediately sees water, and there is no dry earth. It can also be interpreted by way of the three wisdoms: everything belonging to this sūtra is the perfect wisdom of hearing; this sūtra opening expedient means is the perfect wisdom of reflection; revealing the true real mark is the perfect wisdom of cultivation. These three are hidden and distant, but now the Buddha opens and demonstrates them, and one immediately beholds the real.