妙法蓮華經文句 3.66

3.66

Fifth, concluding with the expedient and real: these ten kinds apply across the four teachings, making forty expedients and reals in all. If within the Tripiṭaka teaching one realizes the ten dharmas oneself, this is called the expedient and real of one's own practice; expounding one's own ten dharmas to benefit sentient beings is called the expedient and real of converting others. The ten of converting others are collectively expedient, and the ten of one's own practice are collectively real; this is called the expedient and real of self and other. Compressing the ten dharmas of the remaining three teachings into the three kinds of expedient and real is also like this. Furthermore, within each teaching respectively: phenomenon and principle, teaching and practice, bondage and liberation, and cause and fruition—these four kinds are the expedient and real of one's own practice; principle and teaching, and opening and combining—these two kinds are the expedient and real of converting others; essence and function, gradual and sudden, shared and distinct, and siddhānta—these four kinds are the expedient and real of both self and other. Though their names are the same, their meanings are distinct. Concluding specifically: the three teachings, whether shared or distinctive, within their own domain are all the expedient and real of converting others, because they are spoken according with the minds of others; the perfect teaching, whether shared or distinctive, within its own domain is the expedient and real of one's own practice, because it is spoken according with one's own mind. The three of converting others are all called expedient; that of one's own practice is called real. Next, concluding into four propositions: spoken according with the minds of others means all dharmas are expedient; spoken according with one's own mind means all dharmas are real; taking both together means all dharmas are both expedient and real; negating both means all dharmas are neither expedient nor real. Next, concluding into three turns of explaining the chapter: if in terms of one's own practice and one's own mind, this text calls it the dharma obtained on the bodhimaṇḍa, the Great Sūtra says "attained through cultivating the path," and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha calls it knowledge accordant with principle and knowledge accordant with measure—these are all the expedient and real of one's own practice in the perfect teaching, spoken according with one's own mind. Although the Buddha can skillfully expound through expedient means this ineffable dharma, sentient beings cannot bear it; if from the outset he were solely to expound this dharma to gather sentient beings, he could not succeed, which is why it is said to be ineffable and ineffable. Setting this matter aside, if he uses the expedient and real of his own practice together with the expedient and real of the distinctive teaching to gather sentient beings, those of great capacity who are sharp attain it directly, the dull attain it circuitously, while those of small capacity, sharp and dull alike, do not attain it at all—this is the purport of the Avataṃsaka. Setting this matter aside, if he solely uses the expedient and real of the Tripiṭaka teaching to gather sentient beings, those of great capacity, sharp and dull, attain it secretly but not overtly; those of small capacity, sharp and dull, merely hold fast to their realization, and to gather them also does not succeed—this is the purport of the Tripiṭaka. Setting this matter aside, if he combines all four kinds of expedient and real to gather sentient beings, those of great capacity, sharp and dull, attain both circuitously and directly; those of small capacity, sharp and dull, neither can be gathered while holding fast to their realization—this is the purport of the Vaipulya. Setting this matter aside, if he sets aside the expedient and real of the Tripiṭaka teaching and uses the three kinds of expedient and real to gather sentient beings, those of great capacity, sharp and dull, both attain it; those of small capacity, sharp and dull, holding fast to their realization, do not attain it—this is the purport of the Prajñā. Setting this matter aside, if he sets aside the three kinds of expedient and real and solely uses the expedient and real of the perfect teaching's own practice to gather sentient beings, both great and small capacities, sharp and dull, attain it—this is the purport of the Lotus Sūtra. The Tathāgata's wisdom penetrates everywhere, clearly illuminating what is appropriate to the time, its application, and what is permissible; therefore, explaining the chapter, it is said that "fang" (method) means various methods, and "bian" (convenience/adaptation) means skillful application. Skillfully applying methods succeeds in gathering sentient beings; therefore, he earnestly praises expedient means.