妙法蓮華經文句 4.133

4.133

From "the future World-Honoured Ones" downward, the third, there are six and a half lines praising the preceding section on the future Buddhas. The text has two [parts]: first, one and a half lines praise opening the three; next, five lines praise revealing the one. "Deliver all sentient beings" is one line, praising the unity of persons. "The original vows of the Buddhas" is one line, praising the unity of practice: the path practiced by the Buddhas vows to enable [beings] to obtain this path; how is this not the unity of practice? "The Buddhas of future ages," two lines, praise the unity of teaching. "Knowing that phenomena are constantly without self-nature": the real mark is permanently abiding and without intrinsic nature, even without an uncaused nature; [the fact that] there is no nature is also without nature; this is named "without nature." "The Buddha-seed arises from conditions": the Middle Way without nature is precisely the Buddha-seed. Those who are confused about this principle, with ignorance as condition, have the arising of sentient beings; those who understand this principle, with teaching and practice as conditions, have the arising of correct awakening. If one wishes to give rise to the Buddha-seed, one requires the teaching of the One Vehicle; this praises the unity of teaching. Furthermore, "without nature" is the direct cause Buddha-nature; "the Buddha-seed arises from conditions" is the conditional and understanding [causes]. Using conditions to assist understanding, the direct seed can arise; when one arises, all arise; these three natures are named the One Vehicle. "These phenomena abide in their phenomenal positions," one line, praises the unity of principle: sentient beings and correct awakening are of one suchness without duality, none going beyond suchness, all taking suchness of phenomena as their position. "The characteristics of the mundane world permanently abide": world-transcending correct awakening takes suchness as its position and also takes suchness as its characteristic, and position and characteristic permanently abide; mundane sentient beings also take suchness as their position and also take suchness as their characteristic; how could they not permanently abide? Since the characteristics of the mundane world permanently abide, how is this not the unity of principle? Another explanation is that "the mundane world" refers to the aggregates, realms, and entrances. "Permanently abiding" is the direct cause. Yet this direct cause is not identical with the six dharmas, and the conditional and understanding are not separate from the six dharmas; because the direct cause is permanent, the conditional and understanding are also permanent; therefore it is said, "The characteristics of the mundane world permanently abide." "Having known this at the place of awakening": this cites the fruit to explain the accomplishment of opening the expedient and revealing the real. At the place of awakening, this principle was clearly illuminated and long expressed; because beings' inclinations were heavily obstructed, expedients were applied to bestow the three (and so on).