妙法蓮華經文句 4.62

4.62

First there are prose and gāthās. The prose has three parts: first, granting permission; second, receiving the instruction; third, the main exposition. The text granting permission has three parts: first, consenting to grant permission; second, admonishing to grant permission; third, screening [the assembly] to grant permission. "You have already asked three times" is consenting to grant permission. "Listen carefully now" is admonishing to grant permission: "listen carefully" is wisdom born of listening; "reflect well" is wisdom born of reflection; "bear it in mind" is wisdom born of cultivation. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra explains the four wholesome dharmas as the causes of great nirvāṇa: first is the good friend, which is the Tathāgata; the rest can be understood accordingly. "When he spoke these words" is screening the assembly to grant permission. Because the five thousand were seated, the Tathāgata stopped three times; now, about to grant permission to preach, by supernatural power he caused them to depart, hence it is called screening the assembly. Being heavily obstructed by the five turbidities is called "grave offenses"; clinging to the small and eclipsing the great is called "deep roots"; claiming to have attained what one has not attained is called "arrogance"; not having attained the three fruits, they had not realized the stage of no-more-learning. "Having such faults" refers to these three faults of obstruction, clinging, and arrogance. "Did not stop them" means that earlier, when they heard the opening of the three and revealing of the one, because the words were brief and the meaning concealed, they had not yet given rise to slander, which was sufficient to serve as the cause and condition for tying the jewel [in the garment]; their leaving was beneficial. If they had heard the extensive opening of the three and revealing of the one, it would have run counter to their feelings and aroused slander, so their remaining would have been harmful; therefore, he did not stop them. "This assembly has no more branches and leaves": branches and leaves are twigs and refuse, unfit for use as vessels. These people cling to the expedient means of expedient means and are not vessels for the Great [Vehicle]. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: "Clinging to the branches and leaves while discarding the root, such a person is not wise." This is precisely the meaning. "It is well that they have departed": since they had already eclipsed themselves with the small and moreover obstructed others' great light, now by departing, they incurred no fault of slandering the Dharma, nor the transgression of obstructing others; hence it says "it is well." Earlier, when the branches and leaves had not yet departed, the Tathāgata stopped three times; [Śāriputra], upright and sincere, wished to hear, so Śāriputra asked four times. Master and disciple were discerning the capacities; it was not mere miserly obstinacy.