妙法蓮華經文句 7.86

7.86

From "The Buddha told" downward is the second [section], in which the Buddha describes and confers a prophecy upon him; it has prose and verses. The prose has two parts: first, describing the origin and traces; second, conferring the prophecy. The first has three parts: first, exposing the traces with reference to his practicing the causes during Śākyamuni's era; second, revealing the origin with reference to his practicing the causes during past buddhas' eras; third, his completing the practice of causes under the buddhas of the three periods of time. Exposing the traces with reference to his practicing the causes under Śākyamuni Buddha also has three parts: first, singling out and indicating the person; second, generally stating the topic of origin and traces; third, individually explaining origin and traces. That is, the statement "Do you see?" has two meanings: first, whether they see his traces as Hīnayāna; second, whether they see his original merits. The multitude only see his traces as a śrāvaka and cannot know that he is originally a bodhisattva; hence it says "Do you see?" From "I always praise him" downward marks his traces. In his traces he is foremost among those who preach the Dharma; if he were not of the subtle origin of the Dharmakāya, he could not display such foremost, supreme traces. Formerly it was only said that within the traces he was foremost in preaching the Dharma; now it is not so: regarding the unsurpassed Dharma he has long attained the foremost [rank]. This singles out the traces to reveal the origin. From "and also always praise" downward marks his original ground. Because of the ten thousand practices and dharma-gates of merit and wisdom, it says "various." Since the original ground possesses various dharma-gates, how could his traces merely be the Two Vehicles? This singles out the origin to clarify the traces. From "diligently protecting and upholding" downward is the individual explanation. "Assisting in propagating my Dharma" refers to assisting in propagating the half and full teachings within his traces. His traces as a śrāvaka of inferior capacity are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the milk teaching. His traces in the Vaipulya showing him receiving rebuke are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the curd teaching. His traces grasping the Prajñā are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the butter teaching. His traces attaining awakening in the Lotus Sūtra are the protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagating the ghee teaching. What was stated above in the general [explanation of] the origin, "I always praise his various merits," has this meaning. Possessing both expedient and real merits, in his traces he raised the five flavors to assist the Buddha in maturing sentient beings of real practice; how is this not the meaning of diligently assisting in propagation? Individually explaining the merits of the origin and traces: "able to instruct and teach among the fourfold assembly" discriminates the half-word teaching; "fully explaining" assists in propagating the full-word Prajñā teaching; "and greatly benefiting" assists the Buddha in benefiting sentient beings of both the half and the full; "fellow practitioners of pure conduct" are the disciples of the half and full converted by his traces. From "except for the Tathāgata" downward individually describes the merits of his original ground. "Except for" means from below subtle awakening downward. "None can know" means the seven expedient means.