妙法蓮華經文句 7.4

7.4

This chapter is the third section in the parabolic explanation: the confirmation [of understanding]. Formerly it was said: [The Buddha] confirmed their thirteen gāthās praising the Buddha's profound grace, and also confirmed their parable of the hired laborer as being intricate and skillful in words. The Master says: One should not be biased like that. The sūtra states, "Well spoken are the real merits of the Tathāgata"; it fully relates their understanding of the expedient and their understanding of the real, and the clear text is right here. The thirteen gāthās merely acknowledge the grace of the shared teaching of the two vehicles, and the parable of the hired laborer is merely the Buddha's expedient merit. Now we say: It completely confirms their comprehensive understanding, from their initial innate connection, through the pursuit and inducement in between, up to the ultimate bequest of the wealth—all the immeasurable and boundless merits, from subtle to prominent. The text has two parts: first, a brief confirmation; second, an extensive confirmation. The brief confirmation also has two parts: first, a dual confirmation with "excellent"; second, grasping what was not reached. As for the dual confirmation, one "excellent" confirms their understanding of the real in two places, and one "excellent" confirms their understanding of the expedient in two places. In "Well spoken are the real merits of the Tathāgata," "real" confirms the real, and "merits" confirms the expedient. Furthermore, the tentative intention in the Avataṃsaka is an understanding of the real; the inducement in the Tripiṭaka is an understanding of the expedient; the faith in realization of the Vaipulya and the reception of instruction in the Prajñā are an understanding of both the expedient and the real; the bequest of the wealth in the Lotus Sūtra treats the real exclusively. Because the literary expression is intricate and skillful, it says "well spoken"; because it is entirely the Buddha-dharma, it says "real". "Truly it is as you have said" is the import of sealing and determining. Furthermore, from "The Tathāgata also has..." onward, it relates what their understanding did not reach. How did it not reach? It means that regarding regressing and progressing, horizontal and vertical, both horizontal and vertical, and neither horizontal nor vertical, they failed to reach all of these. Why is that? The great cloud universally covers, and all receive its cool refreshment; the great rain falls together, and none fail to be moistened, causing all in the world to attain knowledge and vision of this unexcelled Dharma. How could they, restricting themselves to their teaching, only grasp the benefit gained by the two vehicles? Not mentioning the small herbs of humans and devas—this is what regressing failed to reach. Bodhisattvas are called superior herbs, and also called small trees and large trees, blossoming and flourishing luxuriously, benefiting oneself and others; yet again, they did not grasp this—this is what progressing failed to reach. Furthermore, the ten dharma realms together constitute the Buddha dharma realm; how could they only grasp the two vehicles, without uttering a word about the remaining eight dharma realms? This is what horizontal failed to reach. Furthermore, the seven expedient means, from shallow to deep, all enter the real; the other five expedient means were not mentioned at all—this is what vertical failed to reach. Furthermore, the benefits throughout the three periods of time have never been suspended for a moment—this is what both horizontal and vertical failed to reach. Now, mountains, rivers, ravines, and valleys (and so forth) are in sum called the one earth; the one earth can produce without ever picking or choosing, rejecting that and accepting this. The seeds of herbs and trees all depend upon the earth, having no other support; a single cloud gathers thickly, leaving no place uncovered; a single rain of one flavor makes no distinction between withered and flourishing. Since the universal moistening is identical, all equally attain growth. The Tathāgata's equality is inconceivable; truly there is neither first sudden and then gradual, nor initially three and ultimately one. Like a dragon raising auspicious clouds that rain down universally upon all, dispelling heat and attaining coolness without rain falling upon body and mind—this means the five vehicles, the seven expedient means, the ten directions, and the three periods of time are equally vast, profound, broad, far-reaching, inconceivable, and without differentiation. This is what neither horizontal nor vertical failed to reach. The purport of failing to reach is not a total sudden deprivation; it is especially that when looking from the initial mind to the final mind, because they have not exhausted the ultimate stage, it is said to be not exhaustive. Furthermore, initial awakening and the initial letter "a" also possess the merits of the final letter "ṭha"; it is merely that in grasping according to their teaching, they had not yet had the leisure to proceed to grasp what is horizontally and vertically comprehensive. Moreover, it was fitting for great beings practicing expedients to be like this.