妙法蓮華經文句 6.17

6.17

From "Telling Śāriputra: You and all the others..." onward, fourth, there are fifteen and a half lines of gāthās versifying the above fourth [section], matching the parable of not being false. Above, the matching had two parts: first presenting two parables, and later matching non-falsehood. Now it only versifies the matching of non-falsehood. The text has two parts: first, three and a half lines properly versify and match the heading of non-falsehood; next, the second, twelve gāthās beginning "If there are bodhisattvas..." versify, match, and explain non-falsehood. Śāriputra made the parable of non-falsehood matching the original intent: the father originally wished to make the sons escape distress and therefore devised the three carts; once they were able to escape distress, even not giving the small carts did not contravene the prior intention, and therefore it was not false. When the Buddha versifies the parable, he clarifies non-falsehood: clarifying that the Buddha's original intent was to teach the One, but because of the five turbidities they would not faithfully accept it, he therefore taught the three; once the hindrances of turbidity were eliminated, he returned to teaching the One Great, which accords with the original intent. Now, first, the heading has three parts: first, one line first establishes father and sons, clarifying that he originally wished to give the great, hence the text says "they are all my sons," so in principle they ought to be equally given the great. Next, the second, one gāthā beginning "You and the others..." clarifies that teaching the three vehicles was intended to remove obstacles, hence it says "You and the others for accumulative kalpas have been burned by manifold sufferings." Next, the third, one and a half lines beginning "Although I previously..." means that once obstacles are removed, he returns to fulfilling his original intent and gives the Mahāyāna Dharma, hence it says "What should now be done is solely the Buddha's wisdom." The second, twelve lines beginning "If there are bodhisattvas..." versify, match, and explain, which again explains the preceding three meanings. The first two gāthās explain that as they are all equally sons, in principle they ought to be equal. Next, the second, seven gāthās beginning "If a person has small wisdom..." explain that because they could not receive it, he therefore taught the three vehicles. Next, the third, three gāthās beginning "In reality they have not yet..." explain that later, if they are capable, he returns to giving them the great. Now, regarding the first two lines: "If there are bodhisattvas" refers to the sentient beings converted through the expedient three vehicles, who are all the Buddha's children who formed affinities in the past, and who all equally possess the true-suchness buddha-nature; therefore it says they are all bodhisattvas. The second, seven lines beginning "If a person has small wisdom..." clarify that those with small wisdom have heavy hindrances and do not immediately have faith and accept; for this reason, as an expedient, he opened the three to guide those of small wisdom. "Preaching the truth of suffering for their sake": the śrāvaka is the smallest among the three vehicles, and further takes the truth of suffering as the initial gate. "Sentient beings' minds rejoice": when it accords with their innate habits, they rejoice; having originally abhorred saṃsāra and personally sought nirvāṇa, now hearing of departure accords with their past inclinations, and so they rejoice. Here, it properly clarifies the Four Noble Truths with cultivation. "Merely leaving behind false delusion": ignorance is already unreal, and common afflictions arise depending on ignorance, hence they are called "false delusion"; the Four Noble Truths with cultivation merely eliminate these afflictions, which is termed liberation, liberating from fragmented [death] but not yet from transformative [death], and hence it is not effortless mastery. The third, three gāthās beginning "In reality they have not yet obtained..." explain that once obstacles are eliminated and the faculties of consciousness are sharp, he returns to fulfilling his original intent and gives the Mahāyāna Dharma. The Buddha originally wished to give all liberation; now you have only just severed fragmented [death], which is not great nirvāṇa. Because they have not yet obtained everything, it ultimately does not accord with his original intent, hence it says "My intention was not to cause them to reach extinction." Now, returning to cause them to attain the unsurpassed path and enter great nirvāṇa is what ultimately accords with the Buddha's original intent. All liberation is the uncultivated truth of cessation; the unsurpassed path is the uncultivated truth of the path. Using the two truths, he destroys uncultivated suffering and accumulation. Formerly he wished to speak this, but these sentient beings were incapable; once the obstacles were eliminated, he returned to speaking this. The Buddha is the Dharma King, having already attained effortless mastery in expedient and real dharmas; opening the three and revealing the one real, how could there be any falsehood?