妙法蓮華經文句 6.18

6.18

From "You, Śāriputra, this Dharma seal of mine..." onward, sixth, there are fifteen lines of gāthās exhorting faith and transmission. "Faith" means having faith in whether the Buddha speaks or does not speak; "exhorting" means exhorting whether it can be propagated or cannot be propagated; because of these two meanings, it is called "exhorting faith." The text has two parts: 1. Indicating the two headings; 2. Explaining them. The first, one line indicates speaking and not speaking: the Tathāgata speaks this Dharma seal to benefit the world, and therefore speaks it; not speaking it means that during the forty-plus years it was not yet the time to speak it, and before the five thousand departed, it was therefore not spoken. Next, the half line beginning "Wherever you travel..." indicates the heading of what can be propagated and what cannot be propagated, meaning do not recklessly propagate it: if one forcibly speaks it to the evil, it causes them to fall into suffering; if one does not speak it to the good, it mistakenly causes them to lose joy. If out of great compassion one pities the evil, one does not propagate it for them; if out of great loving-kindness one is mindful of the good, one ought to propagate it for them. This is called indicating the heading of what can and cannot be propagated. From "If there is one who hears..." is the second, the explanation, which again has two parts: first, eight lines explain what may and may not be spoken; second, fifty and a half lines explain what can and cannot be propagated. Now, the first eight lines clarify the characteristics of the Tathāgata's benefiting the world. Broadly speaking, it concerns benefits across the three times; specifically speaking, it concerns causing those of the two vehicles to enter into faith. "Avinivartanīya" considers the benefit of the present; "having formerly seen" considers past good roots to preach for them. Believing you or believing me considers future good roots to preach for them, which is the meaning of the later text's saying, "If one has deep faith and understanding, one sees the Buddha constantly dwelling on Vulture Peak." The one line of this *Lotus Sūtra* concludes what precedes and opens what follows: the Tathāgata observes and knows the benefits of the three times, and therefore speaks it; for those of shallow wisdom who do not understand, he does not speak it. This explains the Tathāgata's heading of speaking and not speaking.