妙法蓮華經文句 9.86

9.86

從「所以者何如來如實知見」下，第二，總釋益物不虛。先、釋形益，後、釋言益不虛。此中六句顯於應身不離法身，法身無形亦無起滅，眾生有起滅之機感於法身，如來願力應同起滅，起滅之見出自眾生，故約三界以明諸句。又為二：一、照理不虛，二、從「以諸眾生」下，明稱機不虛，達理稱機、設教化物，必不虛也。「如實知見」即是實智，如理而照三界之實，實則無三界之因相也。「無有生死」者，無有二死之苦也。起集名「退」，無常果現名「出」也，亦無在生死之世及入涅槃之滅，此二俱滅，故云「亦無在世及滅度者」。非於滅度之實，非於生死之虛，故云「非實非虛」也。非於世間之隔異，非於出世之真如，故云「非如非異」。此四明中道也。若雙非二邊，結句定一邊，例如非生非死結句為生，是生是死結句為死，是退是出結句為退，非退非出結句為出，非虛非實結句為實，是虛是實結句為虛，如此之流今皆非之，乃至單複具足亦非之，方顯中道意耳。「不如三界見於三界」者，不如二種三界眾生所見三界之相，唯佛一人如實窮照三界之實，內具實智之用，亦是隨自意語，亦是或說己身之事，故《大品》云「第一義中無所分別」也。如來權智如量知見三界之相，即如三界眾生之見，如實知見無二死，而隨他意示二死身說有二死；無退無出而隨他意說有退有出；亦無在世及滅度者，而隨他意示生世間示入涅槃，說有在世有得滅者；無實而說涅槃之實，無虛而說三界之虛；無三世之異而說有異，無真諦之如而說有如。同於三界見於三界，皆是隨他意語，名為或說他身事、示他身事。如來二智明審二諦，所以形言兩益，皆實不虛也。「以諸眾生下」，第二，釋稱機不虛：先明機感，次論施化。以諸眾生根機利鈍漸頓不同、性欲行智種種差別，欲令各得增諸善根，故說己他之教，不虛因緣譬喻也。漸頓根性各有種種，此須用為人悉檀，為人悉檀正為生諸善根。善根猶是性，習欲成性，今何故先性後欲？釋云，因有本日根性，能起今日之欲樂，如因煩惱故有五陰，復因五陰更有煩惱，不前不後；性欲亦爾，要因習欲而成性也。欲者漸頓二機，若種種欲樂不同，此須用世界悉檀也。行者起作業行，隨樂欲而修諸行也，此須用為人悉檀也。行中好多愛著致有妨障，此須對治悉檀。憶想者是智慧即相似解，由修行故能得解生，此是方便猶未稱理，無言說道，猶是念想之觀，漸頓眾生居在內外凡位，有諸善根欲樂，欲樂故修行，修行故得似解，此須用第一義悉檀，隨其所得憶想之解更為說法，即得朗悟第一義。乃至初地欲樂修行二地時，亦憶想二地之境，即是念想；若發生二地真解，即是念想觀除、言語法滅，乃至佛方得究竟離於憶想，獲常寂照耳。「欲令生」下，第二，正對機。施己他聲益，於漸頓種種根機，令生種種善根，故現若干己他身事、若干自他聲教、若干因緣譬喻。若對漸機，以三藏中四門若干因緣譬喻，於一一門中復有若干，如為懈怠者說苦忍，為我慢者說無常忍等。通教四門亦如是，若對頓機如別圓等，亦各四門若干種種，如三十二菩薩各說入不二法門，《華嚴》中種種行類相貌，皆為種種根機，施若干譬喻言辭說法也。「所作佛事未曾暫廢」者，總結不虛。如上若干己他形聲，皆令眾生入佛知見，不為人天二乘小事，故云「所作佛事」也。若一人獨得滅度，餘人不得者，所作佛事即為有廢，廢即令眾不得實益，豈得會皆實不虛？云何皆實？昔云我坐道場不得一法實，七方便並非究竟滅，二涅槃者方便空拳，故知唯虛未見皆實。若昔施七權遂不得入一實者，可言其虛。虛引得出，無有虛出而不入實者，故知昔虛為實故也。皆實不虛佛事無廢，即此義矣。

From “What is the reason? The Tathāgata knows and sees as it truly is” downward, this is the second part: a general explanation that benefiting sentient beings is not in vain. First, the bodily benefit is explained; next, it explains that the verbal benefit is not in vain. Within this, the six phrases reveal that the response body is not separate from the Dharma body; the Dharma body has no form and neither arises nor ceases, yet sentient beings possess the capacity of arising and ceasing that stimulates the Dharma body, so the Tathāgata's power of vows responds congruently with arising and ceasing. The perception of arising and ceasing comes from sentient beings; thus the phrases are explained in reference to the triple world. Furthermore, there are two parts: first, illuminating the principle is not in vain; second, from “because sentient beings” downward, demonstrating that matching capacities is not in vain. Penetrating the principle and matching capacities to establish teachings and transform sentient beings are unfailingly not in vain. “Knows and sees as it truly is” is real wisdom, which illuminates the reality of the triple world in accordance with principle; in reality, there are no causal characteristics of the triple world. “There is neither birth nor death” means there is no suffering of the two kinds of death. The arising of accumulation is called “withdrawing”; the manifestation of the fruit of impermanence is called “emerging.” There is also neither being in the world of birth-and-death nor entering the cessation of nirvāṇa; both of these are extinguished, hence it says “nor are there those who are in the world or those who attain extinction.” It is not the reality of extinction, nor is it the unreality of birth-and-death, hence it says “neither real nor unreal.” It is not the division and difference of the mundane, nor is it the suchness of the supramundane, hence it says “neither such nor different.” These four phrases illuminate the Middle Way. If one negates both extremes yet concludes the phrasing by asserting one extreme—for example, if “neither birth nor death” concludes with birth, “both birth and death” concludes with death, “both withdrawing and emerging” concludes with withdrawing, “neither withdrawing nor emerging” concludes with emerging, “neither unreal nor real” concludes with real, or “both unreal and real” concludes with unreal—such lines are now all negated, and even single, double, and complete forms are also negated; only then is the meaning of the Middle Way revealed. “Not as the triple world sees the triple world” means not as sentient beings of the two kinds of triple world see the marks of the triple world; only the Buddha alone truly and exhaustively illuminates the reality of the triple world, internally equipped with the function of real wisdom. This is also speech in accordance with his own intent, and also speaking of matters of his own body; hence the *Pañcaviṃśati* says, “In the ultimate truth, there are no distinctions.” The Tathāgata’s expedient wisdom knows and sees the marks of the triple world according to their measure; that is, just like the perception of the sentient beings of the triple world, he knows and sees as it truly is that there are no two deaths, yet in accordance with the intent of others he displays bodies with the two deaths and speaks of having two deaths; there is neither withdrawing nor emerging, yet in accordance with the intent of others he speaks of having withdrawing and emerging; there are also neither those in the world nor those who attain extinction, yet in accordance with the intent of others he displays being born into the world and displays entering nirvāṇa, speaking of there being those in the world and those who attain extinction; there is no real, yet he speaks of the reality of nirvāṇa; there is no unreal, yet he speaks of the unreality of the triple world; there is no difference across the three times, yet he speaks of there being differences; there is no suchness of the true truth, yet he speaks of there being suchness. To perceive the triple world identically to the triple world—these are all speech in accordance with the intent of others, termed speaking of matters of other bodies or displaying matters of other bodies. The Tathāgata’s two wisdoms clearly and scrutinisingly illuminate the two truths; therefore both bodily and verbal benefits are entirely real and not in vain. “Because sentient beings” downward is the second part, explaining that matching capacities is not in vain: first, clarifying the stimulus of their capacities; next, discussing the dispensing of transformation. Because sentient beings' capacities are sharp or dull, gradual or sudden, and have various differences in their nature, desires, practices, and wisdoms, wishing to cause each to increase their good roots, he speaks teachings of self and others, not rendering causes, conditions, and parables in vain. Gradual and sudden natures and capacities each have various kinds; for this, one must employ the individual adaptation siddhānta, for the individual adaptation siddhānta is precisely for generating all good roots. Good roots are nonetheless nature; habitual desire forms nature. Why now put nature first and desire second? The explanation states: because of having the original root-nature of former days, it can give rise to the desires and joys of today, just as because of afflictions there are the five aggregates, and again because of the five aggregates there are further afflictions, neither preceding nor following; nature and desire are likewise, for it must be by habitual desire that nature is formed. Desire refers to the two capacities of gradual and sudden; if their various desires and joys differ, for this one must employ the worldly siddhānta. Practice means giving rise to actions and karmic deeds, cultivating various practices according to their desires; for this one must employ the individual adaptation siddhānta. In practice there is often much attachment leading to hindrances; for this one must employ the counteractive siddhānta. Recollection and thought are wisdom, which is similar understanding. Because of cultivation, understanding can arise; this is an expedient means that has not yet matched the principle and the path beyond words, still being contemplation through thoughts and conceptions. Gradual and sudden sentient beings dwell in the internal and external ordinary stages, possessing good roots, desires, and joys; because of desire and joy they cultivate practice, and because of cultivation they attain similar understanding. For this one must employ the paramārtha-satya siddhānta, preaching the Dharma further in accordance with the understanding of recollection and thought they have attained, whereupon they clearly awaken to the ultimate truth. Even when at the first bhūmi, desiring to cultivate the second bhūmi, one also recollects and thinks of the realm of the second bhūmi, which is conceptual thought; if true understanding of the second bhūmi arises, that is the elimination of the contemplation of conceptual thought and the cessation of the dharmas of speech, up until the Buddha, when one finally attains the ultimate freedom from recollection and thought, obtaining eternal tranquility and illumination. “Wishing to cause them to produce” downward is the second part: directly addressing the capacities. Bestowing the verbal benefits of self and other upon the various gradual and sudden capacities to cause them to produce various good roots, he therefore manifests many matters of his own and others' bodies, many verbal teachings of self and others, and many causes, conditions, and parables. If addressing gradual capacities, he uses the many causes, conditions, and parables within the four gates of the Tripiṭaka teaching, and within each gate there are again many, such as preaching forbearance of suffering for the indolent, forbearance of impermanence for the arrogant, and so forth. The four gates of the shared teaching are also like this. If addressing sudden capacities, such as the distinctive and perfect teachings, each likewise has many kinds within the four gates, such as the thirty-two bodhisattvas each explaining their entrance into the gate of non-duality, or the various forms and characteristics of practice in the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra*, all of which bestow many parables and expressions to preach the Dharma for various capacities. “What is done as buddha work has never ceased for a moment” is the general conclusion that it is not in vain. The many forms and voices of self and other described above all cause sentient beings to enter buddha knowledge and vision, not being petty matters of humans, gods, or the two vehicles; hence it says “what is done as buddha work.” If one person alone attained extinction while others did not, what is done as buddha work would have ceased; ceasing means causing the multitude not to attain real benefit, so how could it converge into being entirely real and not in vain? How is it all real? Formerly it was said, “I sat at the site of enlightenment and did not attain a single real dharma; the seven expedient means are none of them ultimate extinction; the two nirvāṇas are the expedient of an empty fist”; thus we know they were only unreal and had not yet been seen to be entirely real. If formerly dispensing the seven expedients ultimately failed to allow entrance into the one real, one could call them unreal. But the unreal guides them to emerge, and there is no emerging through the unreal without entering the real; thus we know that what was formerly unreal was for the sake of the real. That all is real and not in vain, and that buddha work does not cease, is precisely this meaning.