妙法蓮華經文句 3.19

3.19

From "As in the past" onward is the third part: answering by citing what was broadly seen in the past, which is clearer still than the brief [citation]. This broadly answers the questions regarding both this land and other lands. Maitreya, based on the light, horizontally saw the east and raised questions; Mañjuśrī cited the past and vertically saw to give an answer, horizontally and vertically showing that the Path of the buddhas is identical. The text has three parts: first, citing one buddha as identical; second, citing twenty thousand buddhas as identical; third, citing the last buddha as identical. Regarding the first buddha, there are again three parts: 1. clarifying the time; 2. marking the name; 3. the time of preaching the Dharma, as in the text. "There was a buddha named Sun-Moon[-Lamp]" marks identity of name: his general titles may be identical with the present Buddha, but how can the specific name be identical? This should be explained through the name being different while the meaning is identical. How so? Sun is wisdom, moon is samādhi; samādhi and wisdom are virtues of own practice; lamp-light is the virtue of converting others. Capable of benevolence and capable of stillness; wisdom enables both oneself and others. Furthermore, sun, moon, and lamp are the three wisdoms; the present Buddha also has the three wisdoms. While the designations vary according to conditions, the meaning is not different; therefore it is said that their names are identical. From "He expounded the Dharma" onward is the third part, identity of preaching the Dharma: the past buddha was first sudden and then gradual, identical with the present Buddha being first sudden and then gradual. "Expounding the correct Dharma, good in the beginning, middle, and end" is indeed the sudden teaching. The expression of the seven goodnesses applies to both Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna, but investigating the text, these are the seven goodnesses of the Mahāyāna. Good in the beginning, middle, and end refers to the introduction, main body, and transmission of the sudden teaching, called goodness of time. "Its meaning is deep and far-reaching" is the principle of definitive meaning of the sudden teaching, whose edges and bottom the two vehicles cannot fathom; hence it is called deep and far-reaching, which is called goodness of meaning. "Its words are clever and wonderful" means spoken by the eight voices of the sudden teaching, directly expressing the principle to delight the minds of bodhisattvas, which is the text of the sudden teaching, called goodness of words. "Pure and unmixed" means not shared with the two vehicles, which is the unique goodness of the sudden teaching. "Complete" means fully clarifying the full-word Dharma inside and outside the realms, which is the fulfilling goodness of the sudden teaching. "Pristine" means free from the flaws and defilements of the two extremes, which is the pliant goodness of the sudden teaching, called by the master the goodness of practice. "The mark of pure conduct (brahmacarya)": pure means the goodness of unconditioned compassion of the sudden teaching. Furthermore, regarding good in the beginning, middle, and end, commentators differ; for now, we follow one approach: if for the Hīnayāna the three goodnesses are morality, samādhi, and wisdom, for the Mahāyāna the three goodnesses are the initial, middle, and final minds. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa says: "The Tathāgata of the initial mind is inconceivable; the Tathāgata of the middle mind has various adornments; the Tathāgata of the final mind is indestructible." This is also the meaning of the three goodnesses. Mañjuśrī cites the ancient buddha's sudden teaching of the seven goodnesses as identical with the present Buddha's sudden preaching of the seven goodnesses, and also identical with the initial sudden preaching of other lands. The reason this is used as an answer is to respond to Maitreya's horizontal questioning based on the light about the buddhas of other lands, saying that the Holy Lord, the Lion, expounds the scriptural Dharma, subtle and supreme; Mañjuśrī vertically cites the past and raises this as an answer, which is the identity of the initial buddha preaching the sudden Dharma. "For those seeking to be śrāvakas, he preached the Dharma conforming to the Four Noble Truths" is the ancient buddha opening the gradual teaching following the sudden, which is identical. Above, it was asked that if a person encounters suffering, [the Buddha] preaches Nirvāṇa for them; now citing that the ancient buddha also opened this gradual teaching answers this question. "For those seeking to be pratyekabuddhas, he preached the Dharma conforming to the twelve links of dependent origination" answers the above question about a person with merit aspiring to seek the superior Dharma. "For bodhisattvas, he preached conforming to the six pāramitās" answers the above question about the Buddha's sons cultivating various practices. All cite the ancient buddha's opening of the gradual teaching as identical, broadly citing buddhas seen in the past to answer the question about other lands. "Causing them to attain sambodhi and accomplish the knowledge of all modes": this clarifies that after the ancient buddha opened the sudden and the gradual, his revelation of the real was comprehensive from beginning to end, which answers Maitreya's question about seeing other buddhas enter parinirvāṇa and having stupas erected after nirvāṇa. If citing the ancient buddha's preaching of the Dharma up to the six pāramitās clarifies that the present Buddha is already identical with the past, then from "causing them to attain sambodhi" onward clarifies that the present Buddha will be identical with the past, and so on.