妙法蓮華經文句 9.36

9.36

From 'At that time Maitreya' down is renewing the request due to doubt. There are prose and gāthā sections. The prose has two parts: first, doubt; second, request. Having heard the above 'Only under the bodhi tree did he convert them, and now they all dwell in non-retrogression,' and having heard 'I, from the distant past, have converted such assemblies,' hearing these two explanations shook attachments and gave rise to doubt. From 'Spoke to the Buddha' down sets forth the doubt and renews the request, which is again two: first, the dharma; second, the parable. The dharma explanation is three: first, from 'Immediately spoke to the Buddha' down is, 1. doubting the recency of the attainment of Buddhahood while those converted are extremely numerous, clinging to the near and doubting the distant; next, from 'World-Honoured One, these great bodhisattvas' down is, second, since those converted are numerous and their practice and stages profound and wondrous, clinging to the distant and doubting the near; next, from 'World-Honoured One, such a matter' down is, third, concluding the request. The parabolic explanation has opening and matching. The opening is three: 'handsome complexion and black hair' is a parable for the meaning of the recency of attaining Buddhahood above; from 'pointing to a centenarian' onward is a parable for the meaning of those converted being extremely numerous above. Masters north of the Huai River explain the parable with a parable: a father took the medicine for restoring youth and his appearance was like twenty-five, while his son did not take the medicine and his form was like a centenarian; if one knew the power of the medicine, one would not doubt son and father, but those who do not know it find it strange. The Tathāgata horizontally took the medicine of manifesting traces, displaying his initial birth at Gayā, while the bodhisattvas directly treat of the original ground, having long brought forth the aspiration for awakening and now dwelling in non-retrogression; if it were a buddha and a buddha, they would intimately know this matter, but those below, not comprehending it, cannot help but doubt. From 'This matter is difficult to believe' down concludes the parable. First, matching the parable of the near, as in the text; from 'Yet this great assembly' down matches the parable of the distant. Contemplating these bodhisattvas who have long planted good roots, it was not merely at Gayā that they gave rise to the aspiration. 'Skilled in entering, exiting, and dwelling': the nine successive absorptions are skilled entering, the lion's swift pounce is skilled exiting, and transcending is skilled dwelling—this is the meaning of the shared and Tripiṭaka [teachings]; from the first bhūmi to the tenth bhūmi is called skilled entering, entering the profound gate at the tenth bhūmi and reversely practicing the matters of ordinary beings is called skilled exiting, and wondrous awakening being all-pervasive is called skilled dwelling—this is the meaning of the distinctive [teaching]; the samādhi of the ultimate nature of dharmas is skilled entering, the śūraṅgama is skilled exiting, and the king of samādhis is skilled dwelling—this is the meaning of the perfect [teaching]. Successively practicing all wholesome dharmas: based on the cause, it is skilled practicing; in terms of the fruit, it is skilled entering (and so forth). 'Skilled in answering difficult questions' means being endowed with the two adornments. Being the most honored of the seven expedient means, they are therefore called 'jewels'. From 'Today the World-Honoured One' down is requesting an answer, which is again three: from 'Today' down, citing the Buddha's words. From 'We' down is, second, clarifying the intention of the request. The intention of the request is two: first, for the present. Although we have not yet comprehended, we simply believe. From 'Yet the bodhisattvas' down is, second, for the future. Those of shallow practice easily give rise to slander; those who have newly brought forth the aspiration would fall into evil destinies through slander; those who are non-retrogressing, although they believe and do not slander, cannot advance in the path. If it is explained for their sake, those who slander will give rise to faith, and those who have faith will advance in the path (and so forth). From 'May the World-Honoured One' down is, third, requesting an answer. Requesting an answer is also two: first, 'dispel our doubts'; from 'and in the future' down is, second, dispelling doubts of the future.