妙法蓮華經文句 8.63

8.63

《寶唱經目》云「《法華》凡四譯，兩存、兩沒。曇摩羅剎，此言法護，西晉長安譯，名正法華。法護仍敷演，安、汰所承者是也。鳩摩羅什，此翻童壽，是龜茲國人，以偽秦弘始五年四月二十三日，於長安逍遙園譯《大品》竟，至八年夏，於草堂寺譯此《妙法蓮華》，命僧叡講之，叡開為九轍，當時二十八品，長安宮人請此品淹留在內，江東所傳止得二十七品。梁有滿法師，講經一百遍，於長沙郡燒身，仍以此品安〈持品〉之前，彼自私安未聞天下。陳有南嶽禪師，次此品在〈寶塔〉之後，晚以《正法華》勘之，甚相應。今四瀆混和，見長安舊本，故知二師深得經意。」提婆達多亦言達兜，此翻天熱，其破僧將五百比丘去，身子厭之。眠熟，目連擎眾將還，眠起發誓誓報此怨，捧三十肘石廣十五肘擲佛，山神手遮，小石迸傷佛足血出；教闍王放醉象蹋佛；拳花色比丘尼死；安毒十爪欲禮佛足中傷於佛，是為五逆罪。若作三逆，教王、毒爪並害佛攝。以其應行逆，生時人天心熱，從是得名，故言天熱，此迹也。若作本解者，眾生煩惱故菩薩示熱，同其病行而度脫之。此品來意引古弘經傳益非謬，明今宣化事驗不虛，舉往勸今使流通也。文為二：一、訖「生佛前蓮花化生」，明昔日達多通經、釋迦成道；二、從「於時下方多寶所從菩薩」下，明今日文殊通經、龍女作佛，稟教尚然，宣通之功益豈不大矣！故提婆達受記，文殊可以意知（云云）。

Baochang's Sūtra Catalogue states: "There are altogether four translations of the Lotus, two extant and two lost. Dharmarakṣa—which means Defender of the Dharma—translated it in Chang'an under the Western Jin, titled Zheng fahua [jing]. Dharmarakṣa subsequently expounded it, which is what Dao'an and Fatai received. Kumārajīva—translated here as Youth of Longevity—was a native of Kucha; on the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the fifth year of the Hongshi era under the illegitimate Qin, he finished translating the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā at Xiaoyao Garden in Chang'an; in the summer of the eighth year, he translated this Saddharmapuṇḍarīka at Caotang Monastery, directing Sengrui to lecture on it; Sengrui divided it into nine tracks; at that time there were twenty-eight chapters, but palace attendants in Chang'an requested this chapter and it was detained inside, so what was transmitted to Jiangdong consisted of only twenty-seven chapters. In the Liang dynasty, Dharma Master Man lectured on the sūtra a hundred times and burned his body in Changsha Commandery, placing this chapter before the 'Encouraging Devotion' Chapter; but this was his own private placement and was not heard across the realm. In the Chen dynasty, Dhyāna Master Nanyue placed this chapter after the 'Precious Tower' [Chapter], and later collated it against the Zheng fahua [jing], finding it to correspond closely. Now that the four rivers have merged and the old Chang'an version has been seen, we know that these two masters deeply grasped the sūtra's meaning." Devadatta is also said as Daddho, translated here as Heavenly Heat; he broke the Saṅgha and led five hundred monks away, which Śāriputra deplored. When he fell fast asleep, Maudgalyāyana lifted the assembly and brought them back; upon waking, he swore an oath to avenge this grievance, picked up a boulder thirty cubits across and fifteen cubits wide and hurled it at the Buddha; the mountain spirit blocked it with its hand, but a small stone splinter wounded the Buddha's foot, causing blood to flow; he urged King Ajātaśatru to release drunk elephants to trample the Buddha; he punched the nun Utpalavarṇā to death; he placed poison on his ten fingernails intending to prostrate at the Buddha's feet and wound the Buddha; these are the five deadly sins. If considered as three sins, inciting the king and the poisoned nails are both subsumed under harming the Buddha. Because he was destined to practice rebellion, when he was born the minds of humans and devas grew hot, and from this he acquired his name, hence he is called Heavenly Heat; this is the trace. If explained according to the origin: because sentient beings have afflictions, the bodhisattva manifested heat, conforming to their illness to deliver them. The intent of this chapter's occurrence is to cite ancient propagation of the sūtra to show that transmission and benefit are not erroneous, and to show that today's proclamation and transformation have verified realities that are not vain, citing the past to encourage the present and enable transmission. The text has two parts: first, ending at "born transformed upon a lotus before the Buddha," explains that in the past Datta transmitted the sūtra and Śākyamuni attained the Way; second, from "At that time, among the bodhisattvas in the retinue of Prabhūtaratna from below" onward, explains that today Mañjuśrī transmits the sūtra and the dragon girl becomes a Buddha; receiving instruction is already like this, so how could the merit and benefit of preaching and transmitting not be great! Therefore Devadatta received prediction, and Mañjuśrī can be understood accordingly (and so forth).