妙法蓮華經文句 9.25

9.25

序文為二：一、踊出，二、疑問。踊出為三：一、他方菩薩請弘經，二、如來不許，三、下方踊出。他方菩薩聞通經福大，咸欲發願住此弘宣，故請為之。如來止之凡有三義：汝等各各自有己任，若住此土廢彼利益，一；又他方此土結緣事淺，雖欲宣授必無巨益，二；又若許之則不得召下，下若不來迹不得破、遠不得顯，是為三義，如來止之。召下方來亦有三義：是我弟子應弘我法，以緣深廣能遍此土益，遍分身土益，遍他方土益，又得開近顯遠，是故止彼而召下也。從「佛說是時」下，是第三，下方踊出，為二：一、經家敘相，二、明問訊。兩段各五。初五者：一、踊出，二、身相，三、住處，四、聞命，五、眷屬。住處者，常寂光土也，常即常德，寂即樂德，光即淨我，是為四德祕密之藏，是其住處，以不住法住祕藏中。下方者，法性之淵底，玄宗之極地，故言下方。在下不屬此，空中不屬彼，非此非彼即中道也。出此不在上不在此下，不上不下住在空中，亦是中道也。來之由者，聞命故來，弘法故來，破執故來，顯本故來，皆如上說。所將眷屬者，若人情往望，謂領六萬五萬恒沙者為多，領三二一者為少，單己者隻獨；若依文往尋，六萬五萬者為少，單己者為多。文云單己獨處者，其數轉過上，若依法門者，一一皆是導師德，能引眾人至於寶所，當知一己非獨、六萬非多，一即一道清淨，二即定慧，三即戒定慧，四即四諦，五即五眼，六即六度，一一度具十法界，一一界各有十，十即有百，百即具千，十善即有萬，一度具萬，六度即六萬法門，多不為多、一不為少，非多非少而多而少（云云）。

The introductory text has two parts: first, the emerging forth; second, the queries of doubt. The emerging forth has three parts: first, the bodhisattvas from other directions request to propagate the sūtra; second, the Tathāgata does not permit it; third, the emerging forth from below. The bodhisattvas from other directions, having heard that the merit of circulating the sūtra is immense, all wished to make a vow to dwell here and propagate it, and therefore requested to do so. The Tathāgata checked them, which generally involves three principles: each of you has your own responsibility, and if you dwell in this land you will neglect benefiting that one—this is the first. Furthermore, the karmic connections forged between other lands and this land are shallow, so although you may wish to expound and transmit it, there will surely be no vast benefit—this is the second. Furthermore, if he were to permit them, he could not summon those below; if those below did not come, the traces could not be shattered and the distant could not be revealed—these are the three principles for which the Tathāgata checked them. Summoning those below to come also has three principles: they are my disciples and should propagate my Dharma; because their connections are deep and vast, they can universally benefit this land, universally benefit the lands of the emanations, and universally benefit the lands of other directions; furthermore, it brings about opening the near and revealing the distant. Therefore he checked those [others] and summoned those below. From 'When the Buddha had spoken these words' down is the third part, the emerging forth from below, which has two parts: first, the narrator of the sūtra recounts the phenomena; second, explaining the polite inquiry. Each of the two sections has five points. The first five are: first, the emerging forth; second, the physical marks; third, the dwelling place; fourth, hearing the command; fifth, the retinue. As for the dwelling place, it is the land of eternal quiescent light: 'eternal' is the virtue of permanence; 'quiescent' is the virtue of bliss; 'light' is the purity of the self. These are the secret treasury of the four virtues; this is their dwelling place, dwelling in the secret treasury through the dharma of non-dwelling. 'Below' refers to the fathomless depths of the Dharma-nature, the ultimate reach of the profound principle; therefore it says 'below.' Being below, it does not belong to this [world]; being in the sky, it does not belong to that [world]; neither this nor that is the Middle Way. Coming out from this, it is neither above nor below here; being neither above nor below, dwelling in the sky, is also the Middle Way. The reason for their coming: they came because they heard the command; they came to propagate the Dharma; they came to shatter attachments; they came to reveal the origin—all as stated above. As for the retinue they led: if one regards it according to worldly sentiment, one considers leading sixty thousand or fifty thousand Ganges sands to be many, leading three, two, or one to be few, and being solitary to be singular and alone. If one investigates it according to the text, the sixty thousand and fifty thousand are few, and the solitary are many. The text says: 'Those who were solitary and alone exceeded the numbers above.' If evaluated according to the Dharma approaches, each and every one possesses the virtues of a guide, able to lead the multitudes to the jewel cache. One should know that a single self is not solitary, and sixty thousand is not many. 'One' is the purity of the Single Way; 'two' is samādhi and wisdom; 'three' is morality, samādhi, and wisdom; 'four' is the Four Noble Truths; 'five' is the five eyes; 'six' is the six pāramitās. Each single pāramitā contains the ten dharma realms; each single realm has ten, so ten contains a hundred, and a hundred contains a thousand; the ten good actions make ten thousand. One pāramitā contains ten thousand, so the six pāramitās are sixty thousand dharma approaches. Many is not many; one is not few. Neither many nor few, yet both many and few (and so on).