妙法蓮華經文句 8.32

8.32

From "If one who has left home" onwards is the fourth [part], praising in terms of cause. "If they have not yet practiced the bodhisattva path well" means that those who receive the previous three teachings possess scattered fragments of the Dharma-body relics and are not yet able to cross over skillfully; if they enter the perfect teaching, they possess the complete-body relics and cross over skillfully—skillful crossing is "practicing well". From "If there are sentient beings" onwards is the fifth [part], praising in terms of the fruit. The text has five parts: first, explaining the nearness of the fruit; second, presenting the simile; third, applying the simile; fourth, explaining the nearness; fifth, excluding what is not. Now, the first explains the nearness of the fruit. "One should know they are certain to come close to the fruit of sambodhi": in the Chapter on Peaceful Practices, this is called the "near place". This fruit of bodhi has as its essence the place known and seen by the buddha eye and buddha wisdom, and thus has two kinds: first, initial-mind bodhi; second, final-mind bodhi. Here, "near" specifically means near the bodhi of the first abidance. Moreover, looking toward the perfect fruit and cultivating the perfect cause to attain conforming understanding is called "near". The previous praise was in terms of cause: cultivating the causes of the shared or distinctive [teachings] is not yet good and remains far from the perfect fruit; if one cultivates the perfect cause, it is good practice and close to the perfect fruit. Now, taking the real wisdom of the perfect suchness as cause, it is also taken as fruit: the suchness before the path is the direct cause; the suchness within the path is the contributory cause, also called the revealing cause; the suchness after the path is the perfect fruit. Therefore, the Contemplation of Samantabhadra says, "The cause of the Mahāyāna is the real mark; the fruit of the Mahāyāna is also the real mark." The Commentary on the Great Prajñāpāramitā says, "Initially contemplating the real mark is called cause; having finished the contemplation is called fruit." Discussed in terms of principle, the real mark of suchness does not correspond to cause and fruit, nor is it before and after; yet when considered with respect to sentient beings' practice, there are before and after, as well as cause and fruit.