妙法蓮華經文句 9.25

9.25

The introductory text has two parts: first, the emerging forth; second, the queries of doubt. The emerging forth has three parts: first, the bodhisattvas from other directions request to propagate the sūtra; second, the Tathāgata does not permit it; third, the emerging forth from below. The bodhisattvas from other directions, having heard that the merit of circulating the sūtra is immense, all wished to make a vow to dwell here and propagate it, and therefore requested to do so. The Tathāgata checked them, which generally involves three principles: each of you has your own responsibility, and if you dwell in this land you will neglect benefiting that one—this is the first. Furthermore, the karmic connections forged between other lands and this land are shallow, so although you may wish to expound and transmit it, there will surely be no vast benefit—this is the second. Furthermore, if he were to permit them, he could not summon those below; if those below did not come, the traces could not be shattered and the distant could not be revealed—these are the three principles for which the Tathāgata checked them. Summoning those below to come also has three principles: they are my disciples and should propagate my Dharma; because their connections are deep and vast, they can universally benefit this land, universally benefit the lands of the emanations, and universally benefit the lands of other directions; furthermore, it brings about opening the near and revealing the distant. Therefore he checked those [others] and summoned those below. From 'When the Buddha had spoken these words' down is the third part, the emerging forth from below, which has two parts: first, the narrator of the sūtra recounts the phenomena; second, explaining the polite inquiry. Each of the two sections has five points. The first five are: first, the emerging forth; second, the physical marks; third, the dwelling place; fourth, hearing the command; fifth, the retinue. As for the dwelling place, it is the land of eternal quiescent light: 'eternal' is the virtue of permanence; 'quiescent' is the virtue of bliss; 'light' is the purity of the self. These are the secret treasury of the four virtues; this is their dwelling place, dwelling in the secret treasury through the dharma of non-dwelling. 'Below' refers to the fathomless depths of the Dharma-nature, the ultimate reach of the profound principle; therefore it says 'below.' Being below, it does not belong to this [world]; being in the sky, it does not belong to that [world]; neither this nor that is the Middle Way. Coming out from this, it is neither above nor below here; being neither above nor below, dwelling in the sky, is also the Middle Way. The reason for their coming: they came because they heard the command; they came to propagate the Dharma; they came to shatter attachments; they came to reveal the origin—all as stated above. As for the retinue they led: if one regards it according to worldly sentiment, one considers leading sixty thousand or fifty thousand Ganges sands to be many, leading three, two, or one to be few, and being solitary to be singular and alone. If one investigates it according to the text, the sixty thousand and fifty thousand are few, and the solitary are many. The text says: 'Those who were solitary and alone exceeded the numbers above.' If evaluated according to the Dharma approaches, each and every one possesses the virtues of a guide, able to lead the multitudes to the jewel cache. One should know that a single self is not solitary, and sixty thousand is not many. 'One' is the purity of the Single Way; 'two' is samādhi and wisdom; 'three' is morality, samādhi, and wisdom; 'four' is the Four Noble Truths; 'five' is the five eyes; 'six' is the six pāramitās. Each single pāramitā contains the ten dharma realms; each single realm has ten, so ten contains a hundred, and a hundred contains a thousand; the ten good actions make ten thousand. One pāramitā contains ten thousand, so the six pāramitās are sixty thousand dharma approaches. Many is not many; one is not few. Neither many nor few, yet both many and few (and so on).