妙法蓮華經文句 7.18

7.18

From "You, Kāśyapa, and the others" down is the second [section], returning to the primary theme with praise and validation to resolve doubts. Those who doubt, hearing of the Buddha's immeasurable merit, think: since the four disciples only matched the teaching in receiving and understanding, how could it necessarily be real? Therefore, the Buddha praises and validates: although they have not yet reached the Buddha stage, their matching the teaching is not in vain. It also guides and inspires those of lower faculties to attain awakening together. The text has two parts: first, praise; second, explanation. First, sighing with admiration at "rare": ordinary persons have reversals, yet hearing it they can obtain benefit; for bodhisattvas, this is already their own affair, so their understanding is nothing remarkable; but for those in the unconditioned right position to be able to relinquish their realization and enter the real is extremely rare. Being able to know the expounding of the Dharma according to suitability validates their ability to receive the opening of the three; next saying that they are able to believe and accept validates their receiving the revelation of the one. "Why is this?" explains the intent of the validation, clarifying that the Buddha expounded the three based on the one path, profound, mysterious, and difficult to comprehend, yet you have been able to believe it. In my personal view: the earlier text says, "The Tathāgata further has immeasurable merits that you could not fully expound," and the later text says, "You are extremely rare"; the Buddha's grace is universally bestowed like clouds and rain, covering and moistening everything, and the Buddha's grace universally sustains like the great earth, bringing everything to birth and maturity—how could it be for merely one capacity or one direction? Hence it says you could not fully expound it. Although the Buddha's grace is universal, living beings use it daily without perceiving or knowing it, just as the three grasses and two trees take root in the earth and receive moisture from the rain without being able to know it; that you are able to know the ten graces from beginning to end is extremely rare. "Those not yet crossed over, he causes to cross over," and so forth validates their knowing the grace of the Buddha's Four Universal Vows, which is extremely rare. Living beings obtaining peace and security in this life, being born in good realms in later lives, and experiencing joy through the Way validates their knowing the grace of great kindness bestowing joy, which is extremely rare. Having heard the Dharma, they are freed from all obstacles and gradually enter the Way according to their capacities, which validates their knowing the grace of great compassion relieving suffering, which is extremely rare. Wheel-turning kings, Śakra, and Brahmā are the small medicinal herbs, validating their knowing the grace of exhorting goodness to remove burning afflictions, which is extremely rare. Knowing the undefiled dharmas and being able to attain nirvāṇa and pratyekabuddha realization are the intermediate medicinal herbs, validating their knowing the grace of removing all burning views and craving, which is extremely rare. The superior grasses and small trees represent shaming the small and longing for the great, validating their knowing the grace of concealing ugliness, which is extremely rare. The great trees validate their knowing the grace of adornment, which is extremely rare. The most real matter of the one earth and one rain validates their knowing the grace of entrusting wealth, sitting on the seat, and the ease and peace of bodily, mental, material, and dharmic autonomy, which is extremely rare. When the Buddha validates them in praising distinctions, his praise of the ten graces exhausts the text; if he validates them in praising non-distinction, it is precisely the one great grace.