妙法蓮華經文句 8.53

8.53

梵言塔婆，或偷婆，此翻方墳，亦言靈廟。又言支提，無骨身者也。此塔既有全身不散，則不稱支提。《阿含》明四支徵（知倚切），謂生處、得道、轉法輪、入滅四處起塔，今之寶塔是先佛入滅支徵。經云，佛三種身從此經生，諸佛於此而坐道場、諸佛於此而轉法輪、諸佛於此而般涅槃，秖此《法華》即是三世諸佛之四支徵。先佛已居，今佛並坐，當佛亦然。此塔出來明顯此事，四眾皆覩，故言「見寶塔品」。《瓔珞經》善吉問「生身全身碎身功德等耶？」佛言「不等。色身言教化訓，三業具足清淨，眾生得至道場；全碎舍利正可威神光明，供養得福，是故不等。」又問頂王如來「十二那術劫說法教化，舍利亦爾此應是等。」佛言「皆頂王如來神力所作耳。」彼經格全碎舍利皆由生身佛力，今經格生身全碎舍利、法身偏圓舍利皆從經出，顯此經功德弘持力大，從地涌來證明此事，四眾皆覩，故言「見寶塔品」。北地師云：「佛為身子說經時，寶塔已現為作證明，若說經竟，來證何等？經家作次第，安置三周後耳。」此乃人情則不可信。今依《薩雲分陀利經》云「佛說法華無央數偈時，有七寶塔從地涌出，中有金床，床上有佛，字袍休蘭羅，漢言大寶，歎釋尊言：『我故來供養，願坐我金床，更為我說《薩雲分陀利》。』」依此經證即是說三周，後更請壽量，明文聖說而不肯用，人之穿鑿那可承耶？此塔正為證前請後從地涌出，四眾皆覩，故言「見寶塔品」。地師說多寶是法身佛；《釋論》說多寶誓願化身來證經，此文亦爾。師言，法身無來無出，報身巍巍堂堂，應身普應一切，若即此謂是三佛者，未盡其體也，秖是表示而已，多寶表法佛，釋尊表報佛，分身表應佛，三佛雖三而不一異，應作如此說，如此信解也。此四番即四悉檀解見寶塔云云。塔出為兩：一、發音聲以證前，開塔以起後。證前者，證三周說法皆是真實，若略言真實者，皆與實相相應也；若廣言真實者，離四句絕百非也；若處中說者，八不名真實。塔從地涌示不滅，分座共坐示不生，入塔示不常，現塔示不斷，分身示不一，全身示不異，多寶讓座示不來，釋迦坐半座示不出，八不顯然，故是真實。又證迹門流通，持經功深弘宣力大，皆真實也。「平等大慧」者，與般若云何？《釋論》七十九云「般若是三世諸佛妙法，如一城門四方皆入」，當知般若亦稱妙法，此經稱平等大慧，二文相指其意可知。起後者，若欲開塔，須集分身明玄付囑，聲徹下方召本弟子論於壽量，久遠之塔從地涌出，開自在神通之力，顯過去世益物也。發大音聲，開師子奮迅之力，顯現在十方開權顯實也。有大誓願，未來諸佛若說此經，我之寶塔皆到其所為作證明，開大勢威猛之力，顯未來常住不滅也。又塔在空中亦證前起後，七方便人藏理未開無明所隱，如塔在地；聞三周開三顯實開佛知見，顯出法身如塔涌空此即證前；修得法身久已明著，如塔在空無能開者，表本地久成眾所不識。若發迹顯本了達無疑，此即起後也。若塔從地出，表法身顯，與餘經亦同亦異，菩薩顯法身則同，二乘顯法身則異。若塔在空開門見佛，表發迹顯本，與餘經永異。若塔來證，前事已彰灼，蓋不須疑；塔來起後，密有其意眾所未知，今取後義預作此釋亦復無咎。觀心解者，依經修觀與法身相應境智必會，如塔來證經，境智既會則大報圓滿，如釋迦與多寶同坐一座，以大報圓故隨機出應，如分身皆集，由多寶出故則三佛得顯，由持經故即具三身，《普賢觀》云「佛三種身從方等生」，即此義也。有人分此品下十一品，是神通身輪開本迹，從「彌勒問」下，是說法口輪開本迹，本迹意未彰，從此分文太早（云云）。

In Sanskrit, stūpa, or thūpa, is translated here as a square tumulus, and is also called a spirit shrine. It is also called caitya, which refers to one without bodily relics. Since this stūpa contains an intact, whole body, it is not called a caitya. The Āgamas explain four caityas—meaning stūpas erected at the four places: the place of birth, attainment of the Way, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and entering extinction. The present jeweled stūpa is the caitya of a prior Buddha's entering extinction. A sūtra states that the three kinds of bodies of a Buddha are born from this sūtra, that the Buddhas sit at the place of the Way through this, that the Buddhas turn the wheel of the Dharma through this, and that the Buddhas enter parinirvāṇa through this. Just this Lotus Sūtra is the four caityas of all Buddhas of the three periods of time. The prior Buddha has already dwelt [within it]; the present Buddha sits beside him; and the future Buddha will do likewise. This stūpa emerges to make this matter clearly manifest, and the fourfold assembly all behold it; hence it is called the 'Chapter on Seeing the Jeweled Stūpa.' In the Yingluo jing, Shanji asks: 'Are the merits of the physical body, the whole-body [relics], and the fragmented relics equal?' The Buddha says: 'They are not equal. The physical body teaches, instructs, and guides through words; its three actions are complete and pure, enabling sentient beings to reach the place of the Way. The whole and fragmented relics can only possess majestic divine power and radiance, bringing blessing when venerated; therefore, they are not equal.' He also asks concerning Tathāgata Dingwang: 'He preached the Dharma and transformed beings for twelve nayuta kalpas, and so did his relics; these should be equal.' The Buddha says: 'All this is merely what the divine power of Tathāgata Dingwang has wrought.' That sūtra compares [them, holding that] both whole and fragmented relics stem entirely from the power of the living physical Buddha; the present sūtra compares [them, showing that] the living physical body, the whole and fragmented relics, and the partial and perfect relics of the Dharma body all emerge from the sūtra, demonstrating that the merit of this sūtra and its power of grand preservation are immense. Emerging and welling up from the earth, it comes to bear witness to this matter, and the fourfold assembly all behold it; hence it is called the 'Chapter on Seeing the Jeweled Stūpa.' Master[s] of the northern region say: 'When the Buddha preached the sūtra for Śāriputra, the jeweled stūpa had already appeared to bear witness. If the preaching of the sūtra were already finished, to bear witness to what would it come? The redactor arranged the sequence and placed it after the three cycles [of preaching].' This is mere human speculation and cannot be believed. Now, based on the Sayunfentuoli jing, it says: 'When the Buddha preached the Lotus Sūtra in countless gāthās, a seven-jeweled stūpa welled up from the earth. Within it was a golden dais, and on the dais was a Buddha named Paoxiulanluo (which in Chinese means Great Treasure). He praised Śākyamuni, saying: "I have come especially to make offerings. Pray sit on my golden dais and preach the Sayunfentuoli further for me."' According to the testimony of this sūtra, it follows after preaching the three cycles, and further requests the [preaching of the Buddha's] lifespan. To refuse to accept clear text and noble speech, relying instead on people's far-fetched interpretations—how could that be followed? This stūpa wells up from the earth precisely to testify to what precedes and to request what follows; the fourfold assembly all behold it, hence it is called the 'Chapter on Seeing the Jeweled Stūpa.' The masters of the Dilun school say that Prabhūtaratna is the Dharma body Buddha; the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says that Prabhūtaratna came to bear witness to the sūtra by virtue of his vow as a transformation body. The present text is also like this. The master says: The Dharma body has neither coming nor emerging; the reward body is majestic and grand; the response body responds universally to all. If one takes these to be literally the three Buddhas, one has not fully grasped their essence; they merely serve as symbols: Prabhūtaratna symbolizes the Dharma Buddha, Śākyamuni symbolizes the reward Buddha, and the emanations symbolize the response Buddhas. Although the three Buddhas are three, they are neither one nor different. One should speak in this way and understand with such faith. These four interpretations are the explanation of 'seeing the jeweled stūpa' in terms of the four siddhāntas, and so on. The stūpa emerges for two purposes: first, to utter a voice to bear witness to what precedes; second, to open the stūpa to introduce what follows. Bearing witness to what precedes means testifying that the preaching in the three cycles is entirely real. If stated briefly, 'real' means that it all accords with the real mark. If stated broadly, 'real' means departing from the four propositions and cutting off the hundred negations. If stated in a middle way, the eight negations are called 'real.' The stūpa welling up from the earth shows unextinguishedness; dividing the seat and sitting together shows unarisenness; entering the stūpa shows impermanence [of duality]; displaying the stūpa shows non-annihilation; dividing the body into emanations shows non-oneness; the complete body shows non-difference; Prabhūtaratna yielding the seat shows non-coming; Śākyamuni sitting on half the seat shows non-going: the eight negations are evident, therefore it is real. Moreover, it bears witness to the transmission of the trace gate, that the merit of upholding the sūtra is profound and the power of its grand propagation is vast—all are real. Regarding 'equanimous great wisdom,' how does it relate to prajñā? The seventy-ninth fascicle of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'Prajñā is the wondrous Dharma of all Buddhas of the three periods of time; like a single city gate, it is entered from all four quarters.' One should know that prajñā is also called the wondrous Dharma; this sūtra calls it the equanimous great wisdom. The two passages refer to each other, and their meaning is evident. As for introducing what follows: if one wishes to open the stūpa, one must gather the emanated bodies to illuminate the profound entrustment; his voice penetrates to the lower region to summon the original disciples to discuss the lifespan. The stūpa of long ago wells up from the earth, manifesting the power of sovereign divine transformations and revealing the benefiting of beings in past eras. Emitting a great voice manifests the power of the lion's sprint, revealing the opening of the expedient and revealing of the real in the present across the ten directions. Possessing a great vow—'Wherever future Buddhas preach this sūtra, my jeweled stūpa will go to their presence to bear witness'—manifests the power of great, courageous majesty, revealing the permanent abiding without extinction in the future. Furthermore, that the stūpa is in mid-air also bears witness to what precedes and introduces what follows: for practitioners of the seven expedient means, the principle of the treasury has not yet been opened and remains concealed by ignorance, like the stūpa in the earth; hearing the three cycles opening the three and revealing the real, opening the buddha knowledge and vision, the Dharma body is manifested, like the stūpa welling up into the air—this bears witness to what precedes. The attained Dharma body has long been clear and prominent, like the stūpa in the air that none could open, symbolizing that the original ground was accomplished long ago yet unrecognized by the assembly. If opening the traces reveals the origin and one understands thoroughly without doubt, this introduces what follows. If the stūpa emerges from the earth, it symbolizes the manifestation of the Dharma body, which is both identical to and different from other sūtras: it is identical in that bodhisattvas manifest the Dharma body, but different in that the two vehicles manifest the Dharma body. If the stūpa is in the air and opens its door to reveal the Buddha, it symbolizes opening the traces and revealing the origin, which is forever different from other sūtras. As for the stūpa coming to bear witness, the preceding matter is already clear and luminous, so there is no need for doubt; as for the stūpa coming to introduce what follows, there is an esoteric intent unknown to the assembly. Now, taking this latter meaning to provide this explanation in advance is likewise without fault. Explaining in terms of contemplation of mind: practicing contemplation in accordance with the sūtra accords with the Dharma body, and object and wisdom necessarily unite, like the stūpa coming to bear witness to the sūtra. Once object and wisdom have united, the great reward is perfected, like Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna sitting together on the same seat. Because the great reward is perfected, responses arise according to capacity, like the emanated bodies all gathering. Because Prabhūtaratna emerges, the three Buddhas are made manifest; because of upholding the sūtra, one is endowed with the three bodies. The Samantabhadra Contemplation Sūtra states: 'The three kinds of bodies of a Buddha are born from the Vaipulya'—this is precisely the meaning. Some divide the eleven chapters following this chapter into the body-wheel of divine transformations opening the origin and traces, and from 'Maitreya's Question' onward as the speech-wheel of preaching the Dharma opening the origin and traces; but the intent of origin and traces has not yet been made manifest, so dividing the text from here is too early (and so on).