妙法蓮華經文句 10.9

10.9

As for the discrimination: the Buddha's words are perfect and subtle, and one must not use expedient stages to explain the sūtra. Therefore, while the text above explained 'opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering the Buddha's knowledge and vision', here in the Origin Section, 'advancing in the path and diminishing births' is entirely explained according to the stages of the perfect teaching. Below, those who produce the mind [of awakening] in eight worlds are people of the purification of the six sense faculties, who have newly entered the stage of the ten faiths; hence the Renwang [jing] says, 'Bodhisattvas of the ten goods produce the great mind and forever depart from the painful wheel-ocean of the three realms'—this is precisely the meaning. Attaining the forbearance of the non-arising [of dharmas] is entering the stage of the ten abodes; hence the Huayan says, 'In the abode of the first aspiration of the mind, once arisen, all arises; one attains the single body and immeasurable bodies of the Tathāgata, the pure and wondrous Dharma-body, serenely responding to all'—this is precisely the meaning. Attaining the dhāraṇī of retaining what is heard is entering the stage of the ten practices. Attaining the eloquence of delightful speech is entering the stage of the ten dedications of merit. Attaining the immeasurable revolving dhāraṇī is entering the first bhūmi. Attaining non-retrogression is entering the second bhūmi. Attaining purity is entering the third bhūmi. Eight births is entering the fourth bhūmi. Seven births is entering the fifth bhūmi. Six births is entering the sixth bhūmi. Five births is entering the seventh bhūmi. Four births is entering the eighth bhūmi. Three births is entering the ninth bhūmi. Two births is entering the tenth bhūmi. One birth is entering the vajra-mind of virtual awakening. If one speaks of advancing in the path and diminishing births, it is not like Guangzhai's cutting off the birth of causal rebirth, nor like Vasubandhu's cutting off the birth of karmic fruition. Rather, one speaks of 'advancement' solely in terms of the virtue of wisdom, 'diminution' solely in terms of the virtue of eradication, 'birth' in terms of the Dharma-body, and 'extinction' in terms of fundamental ignorance. For instance, in the moon simile of the Mahā[parinirvāṇa]-sūtra, from the first day to the fifteenth day its light and color gradually increase; from the sixteenth day to the thirtieth day its light and color gradually decrease. One discusses increase and decrease in terms of the single substance of the moon, which is a simile for discussing wisdom and eradication in terms of the Dharma-body. It may also be that one person in a single moment has eight rounds of advancement; or it may be in one lifetime, or in eight lifetimes, or in immeasurable lifetimes; or it may be in a single thought-moment, or in eight thought-moments, or in immeasurable thought-moments; or it may be an atom-like number of persons who are likewise like this. Therefore, one must not restrict it to causal births and fruition births, nor may one explain it by sundering wisdom and eradication. However, the number of those attaining the path in this Origin Section is multiple times that of other sūtras. Not only are they numerous, but their perfuming and cultivation have been of long duration: from the primeval origin down through the traced manifestations, they have been opened and guided everywhere; meeting repeatedly in the interim, they have been brought to maturity time and again; and in the present lifetime, they have been tamed stage by stage through the five flavors, all gathered and concluded to converge in the Lotus. It is like a farming family: sprouting in spring, growing in summer, plowing, planting, and weeding; and then harvested and reaped all at once for autumn collecting and winter storing. Those who attain the path after the Lotus are merely like gleaners.