妙法蓮華經文句 9.86

9.86

From “What is the reason? The Tathāgata knows and sees as it truly is” downward, this is the second part: a general explanation that benefiting sentient beings is not in vain. First, the bodily benefit is explained; next, it explains that the verbal benefit is not in vain. Within this, the six phrases reveal that the response body is not separate from the Dharma body; the Dharma body has no form and neither arises nor ceases, yet sentient beings possess the capacity of arising and ceasing that stimulates the Dharma body, so the Tathāgata's power of vows responds congruently with arising and ceasing. The perception of arising and ceasing comes from sentient beings; thus the phrases are explained in reference to the triple world. Furthermore, there are two parts: first, illuminating the principle is not in vain; second, from “because sentient beings” downward, demonstrating that matching capacities is not in vain. Penetrating the principle and matching capacities to establish teachings and transform sentient beings are unfailingly not in vain. “Knows and sees as it truly is” is real wisdom, which illuminates the reality of the triple world in accordance with principle; in reality, there are no causal characteristics of the triple world. “There is neither birth nor death” means there is no suffering of the two kinds of death. The arising of accumulation is called “withdrawing”; the manifestation of the fruit of impermanence is called “emerging.” There is also neither being in the world of birth-and-death nor entering the cessation of nirvāṇa; both of these are extinguished, hence it says “nor are there those who are in the world or those who attain extinction.” It is not the reality of extinction, nor is it the unreality of birth-and-death, hence it says “neither real nor unreal.” It is not the division and difference of the mundane, nor is it the suchness of the supramundane, hence it says “neither such nor different.” These four phrases illuminate the Middle Way. If one negates both extremes yet concludes the phrasing by asserting one extreme—for example, if “neither birth nor death” concludes with birth, “both birth and death” concludes with death, “both withdrawing and emerging” concludes with withdrawing, “neither withdrawing nor emerging” concludes with emerging, “neither unreal nor real” concludes with real, or “both unreal and real” concludes with unreal—such lines are now all negated, and even single, double, and complete forms are also negated; only then is the meaning of the Middle Way revealed. “Not as the triple world sees the triple world” means not as sentient beings of the two kinds of triple world see the marks of the triple world; only the Buddha alone truly and exhaustively illuminates the reality of the triple world, internally equipped with the function of real wisdom. This is also speech in accordance with his own intent, and also speaking of matters of his own body; hence the *Pañcaviṃśati* says, “In the ultimate truth, there are no distinctions.” The Tathāgata’s expedient wisdom knows and sees the marks of the triple world according to their measure; that is, just like the perception of the sentient beings of the triple world, he knows and sees as it truly is that there are no two deaths, yet in accordance with the intent of others he displays bodies with the two deaths and speaks of having two deaths; there is neither withdrawing nor emerging, yet in accordance with the intent of others he speaks of having withdrawing and emerging; there are also neither those in the world nor those who attain extinction, yet in accordance with the intent of others he displays being born into the world and displays entering nirvāṇa, speaking of there being those in the world and those who attain extinction; there is no real, yet he speaks of the reality of nirvāṇa; there is no unreal, yet he speaks of the unreality of the triple world; there is no difference across the three times, yet he speaks of there being differences; there is no suchness of the true truth, yet he speaks of there being suchness. To perceive the triple world identically to the triple world—these are all speech in accordance with the intent of others, termed speaking of matters of other bodies or displaying matters of other bodies. The Tathāgata’s two wisdoms clearly and scrutinisingly illuminate the two truths; therefore both bodily and verbal benefits are entirely real and not in vain. “Because sentient beings” downward is the second part, explaining that matching capacities is not in vain: first, clarifying the stimulus of their capacities; next, discussing the dispensing of transformation. Because sentient beings' capacities are sharp or dull, gradual or sudden, and have various differences in their nature, desires, practices, and wisdoms, wishing to cause each to increase their good roots, he speaks teachings of self and others, not rendering causes, conditions, and parables in vain. Gradual and sudden natures and capacities each have various kinds; for this, one must employ the individual adaptation siddhānta, for the individual adaptation siddhānta is precisely for generating all good roots. Good roots are nonetheless nature; habitual desire forms nature. Why now put nature first and desire second? The explanation states: because of having the original root-nature of former days, it can give rise to the desires and joys of today, just as because of afflictions there are the five aggregates, and again because of the five aggregates there are further afflictions, neither preceding nor following; nature and desire are likewise, for it must be by habitual desire that nature is formed. Desire refers to the two capacities of gradual and sudden; if their various desires and joys differ, for this one must employ the worldly siddhānta. Practice means giving rise to actions and karmic deeds, cultivating various practices according to their desires; for this one must employ the individual adaptation siddhānta. In practice there is often much attachment leading to hindrances; for this one must employ the counteractive siddhānta. Recollection and thought are wisdom, which is similar understanding. Because of cultivation, understanding can arise; this is an expedient means that has not yet matched the principle and the path beyond words, still being contemplation through thoughts and conceptions. Gradual and sudden sentient beings dwell in the internal and external ordinary stages, possessing good roots, desires, and joys; because of desire and joy they cultivate practice, and because of cultivation they attain similar understanding. For this one must employ the paramārtha-satya siddhānta, preaching the Dharma further in accordance with the understanding of recollection and thought they have attained, whereupon they clearly awaken to the ultimate truth. Even when at the first bhūmi, desiring to cultivate the second bhūmi, one also recollects and thinks of the realm of the second bhūmi, which is conceptual thought; if true understanding of the second bhūmi arises, that is the elimination of the contemplation of conceptual thought and the cessation of the dharmas of speech, up until the Buddha, when one finally attains the ultimate freedom from recollection and thought, obtaining eternal tranquility and illumination. “Wishing to cause them to produce” downward is the second part: directly addressing the capacities. Bestowing the verbal benefits of self and other upon the various gradual and sudden capacities to cause them to produce various good roots, he therefore manifests many matters of his own and others' bodies, many verbal teachings of self and others, and many causes, conditions, and parables. If addressing gradual capacities, he uses the many causes, conditions, and parables within the four gates of the Tripiṭaka teaching, and within each gate there are again many, such as preaching forbearance of suffering for the indolent, forbearance of impermanence for the arrogant, and so forth. The four gates of the shared teaching are also like this. If addressing sudden capacities, such as the distinctive and perfect teachings, each likewise has many kinds within the four gates, such as the thirty-two bodhisattvas each explaining their entrance into the gate of non-duality, or the various forms and characteristics of practice in the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra*, all of which bestow many parables and expressions to preach the Dharma for various capacities. “What is done as buddha work has never ceased for a moment” is the general conclusion that it is not in vain. The many forms and voices of self and other described above all cause sentient beings to enter buddha knowledge and vision, not being petty matters of humans, gods, or the two vehicles; hence it says “what is done as buddha work.” If one person alone attained extinction while others did not, what is done as buddha work would have ceased; ceasing means causing the multitude not to attain real benefit, so how could it converge into being entirely real and not in vain? How is it all real? Formerly it was said, “I sat at the site of enlightenment and did not attain a single real dharma; the seven expedient means are none of them ultimate extinction; the two nirvāṇas are the expedient of an empty fist”; thus we know they were only unreal and had not yet been seen to be entirely real. If formerly dispensing the seven expedients ultimately failed to allow entrance into the one real, one could call them unreal. But the unreal guides them to emerge, and there is no emerging through the unreal without entering the real; thus we know that what was formerly unreal was for the sake of the real. That all is real and not in vain, and that buddha work does not cease, is precisely this meaning.