妙法蓮華經文句 8.89

8.89

To explain extensively in terms of dharma gates, one should clarify the gate of immobility, the gate of non-reception, and the gate of non-practice, but these are omitted here and not recorded. This chapter is the fourth purport of transmission in the trace gate. If it were the twenty thousand and eighty billion nayutas who received the commission to propagate the sūtra, they deeply understand the expedient and the real, broadly know the gradual and the sudden, fully grasp faculties and conditions, and have sovereign spiritual powers; the disturbances of a turbid world would not obstruct their propagating the sūtra, and they would not wait for further instruction on methods. But if beginners of initial resolve who wish to cultivate the perfect practice enter the turbid [world] to propagate the sūtra, they will be harassed by the turbidities, their own practice will not stand, and they will have no success in converting others; it is for such persons that methods must be shown and the practices of ease and joy clarified, which is why this chapter occurs. What is the sequence of these practices of ease and joy? The perfect practice of the Lotus Sūtra is such that one practice is immeasurable practices, inconceivable; how could there be a fixed before and after? Now, to sketch an outline: the 'Dharma Teacher Chapter' briefly shows the propagation of the sūtra by taking benefiting others as fundamental, so it first explains entering the room; here, to distinguish propagating the sūtra in an evil world and pacifying all harassments, one first puts on the Tathāgata's robe: they simply present [the elements] interchangeably. If taken in terms of the sequence of practice: all dharmas from their origin have always been characterized by quiescent extinction; if one deviates from quiescence to generate marks, one should first use prajñā to sweep away defilements, so one first sits on the seat; when all dharmas do not arise, prajñā arises, and through compassion of identical substance, feeling pity for sentient beings, one practices the Way, so one next enters the Tathāgata's room; having used compassion to convert the world, one will inevitably encounter both contrariness and compliance, so one definitely must endure patiently, and next puts on the Tathāgata's robe. Although this sequence is made, this is when explaining, not when practicing; when practicing, entering emptiness immediately endows all dharmas, not to mention compassion and patience.