妙法蓮華經文句 9.6

9.6

Second, the comfortable practice of speech also consists of prose and verses. The prose has two parts: first, marking the heading; second, explaining the methods of practice. Marking the heading is as in the text. From "if with the mouth one expounds" below, the methods of practice are explained, again with two parts: cessation practice and contemplation practice. Cessation has four aspects: first, not speaking of faults; second, not being contemptuous or arrogant; third, not praising or disparaging; fourth, harboring neither resentment nor disdain. First, as for "not delighting in speaking of the faults of people and scriptures": listeners among persons have faults, but what faults could the Dharma have? The dharmas of the seven expedient means are the Buddha's words adapted to the minds of others and are called non-definitive teachings; if one faults those dharmas, one upsets those people, which is not the mark of comfortable practice. Second, regarding "nor being contemptuous or arrogant": one does not rely on the perfect to disdain the biased, or value the real to look down upon the expedient. Third, regarding not speaking of others' strengths and weaknesses: first, one does not speak of any person in general; next, one specifically mentions the śrāvakas. Generally, people hate to hear of their shortcomings, so one does not discuss weaknesses; and since public praise may invite direct slander, one does not extol strengths. Nor does one speak to Zhang of Zhao's strengths—for Zhao would think one uses another's strengths to mock his own shortcomings, using the former to satirize the latter—nor may one speak to Zhang of Zhao's weaknesses, for slandering him behind his back also leads to being slandered behind one's own back. For this reason, both good and evil are ceased. Furthermore, regarding "not speaking of strengths and weaknesses", the first chapter of the *Sūryagarbha* says: "In the first, middle, and late watches of the night, reduce sleep; vigorously sit in meditation, recite scriptures, and cultivate the Way; turn away from and abandon birth-and-death toward the path of nirvāṇa; do not speak of others' shortcomings nor proclaim one's own strengths; be humble and modest without self-conceit; be content with clothing and food; practice the ascetic dhūta practices with vigor and without heedlessness; tie up mindfulness and contemplate, keeping the mind from scattering; and give rise to loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings." Furthermore, it is like the practice of emptiness taught in the sūtras: reading and reciting it oneself, teaching others to read and recite it, neither slandering others, speaking of others' faults, nor extolling one's own strengths. With respect to śrāvakas, moreover, their faculties and natures are not fixed: if one praises the Two Vehicles, one might cause them to regress from the great to adopt the small; if one reviles the Two Vehicles, one might cause them to lose both the great and the small, grasping neither. Fourth, regarding "not giving rise to a mind of resentment or disdain": if one thinks that a person or dharma hinders one's own Way, this is a mind of resentment; if one thinks them vile and inferior, this is a mind of disdain. Once the mind's impulse is stirred, verbal expression immediately issues forth; to block the source of speaking faults, one does not give rise to resentment or disdain.