妙法蓮華經文句 5.18

5.18

'All with respectful minds / Came to my place': one [commentary] says: 'Shamed by the lesser and yearning for the great, the great receptive capacity resonates with the Buddha, hence it says "came to the Buddha's place".' Now we clarify that not only did their receptive capacity reach the Buddha's place, but their bodies also arrived, as in the Innumerable Meanings where the fourfold assembly surrounded him, with palms joined and respectful minds, wishing to hear the complete Way. 'Having formerly heard from the Buddhas / The Dharma expounded by expedients': in this, they were first subdued in flavour, accepting and practising the expedients of the three teachings—the Tripiṭaka, six pāramitās, shared, and distinctive teachings; having been seasoned and matured through this, their obstacles were removed, their receptive capacities were activated, and they sought the great. From 'I then had this thought' onward, two lines and one phrase clarify that obstacles are removed and the Buddha rejoices. The Buddha appeared for the sake of the Buddha's wisdom; in the past, obstacles were heavy and there was no receptive capacity, so he could not immediately teach the Buddha's wisdom; in the interim, although obstacles were removed, he was still not yet able to teach it; now that receptive capacity is activated, it is precisely the time to teach. In the past, sentient beings' faculties were dull and their wisdom was small, and he feared they would slander the Dharma and fall into evil [realms], so it was not yet the time to teach; now their faculties are sharp and their aspirations great, and hearing it they will certainly believe and understand, so the Buddha rejoices. 'Without fear' means not fearing that clinging to the small and slandering the great will give rise to offenses and falling into evil [realms], hence it is said 'without fear'. The three phrases from 'amidst the bodhisattvas' onward properly reveal the real. The five vehicles are crooked and not straight; the shared and distinctive are biased and lateral, not upright; now all those biased and crooked [teachings] are abandoned, and only the upright, single Way is expounded. The one line from 'when bodhisattvas hear this Dharma' onward clarifies accepting practice and awakening to entry; the six pāramitās and shared [teachings] encompass both kinds of bodhisattvas; initially hearing the abbreviated expounding, old attachments were stirred and new doubts brought forth, which now have all been removed; this applies not only to bodhisattvas, but also to the two vehicles. As for saying 'śrāvakas shall all become Buddhas', the past teaching did not state that the two vehicles would become Buddhas, but now their practice is conferred with prediction; could conferring prediction be only for the two vehicles? Could removing doubts be only for bodhisattvas? When mentioned reciprocally, both are complete.