法華文句記 1.37

1.37

「答中云華嚴處處集眾」等者，處會具如《釋籤》所引，每一會處皆先序次正，以住處莊嚴義當於序。言「集眾」者，如〈妙嚴品〉、〈名號品〉、〈光明覺品〉及一一會，皆先集眾，意明一經具多別序。「阿含篇篇如是」者，此明一經多通序也。彼四《阿含》各合多小經以為一部，每一小經不出一紙半紙，唯《長阿含．遊行經》文獨有兩卷。又有大本經自為一卷，一一經首皆安五義。既以阿含而為通號，故以部內小經為篇。「大品前後付囑」者，明一經內有多流通，故第二卷中有〈累教品〉，為前付囑；第二十七有〈囑累品〉，為後付囑。準彼三經，二序何妨？言「不安五義」者，釋伏難。難云：若爾，何不同彼《阿含》？今本門亦安如是等耶？釋意者，雖申今經本門非首，然須更釋《阿含》之妨，《阿含》多通序，本門亦應然，然《阿含》兼別經是故非次首，亦得安五事。今經同一經故但別無通，是故但以《華嚴》為例。故《阿含》緣起各別，今經緣起不殊，是故本門不安五義。「迹門但單流通」者，以迹望本、以本例迹，本門非首但安別序，迹門非後但單流通，故但有勸持、無囑累也。故從〈法師〉至〈安樂行〉，凡有五品，明弘經福深以勸流通。若本門中先以滅後五品去三品半為勸持流通，從〈神力〉去凡有八品，明囑累流通，迹門之後經既未竟，非流通、次未須付囑。言「云爾」者，如後消文。

Regarding “The answer says: In the Avataṃsaka, the assembly is gathered place by place,” and so forth: the places and assemblies are fully as cited in the Annotations; in every place of assembly there is first a preface and next the main body, with the adornment of the dwelling place functioning as the preface. Saying “gather the assembly” means that, as in the “Wondrous Adornments,” “Names,” and “Awakening by Light” chapters, and in each and every assembly, the assembly is first gathered, with the intention of explaining that a single sūtra possesses multiple specific prefaces. “In the Āgama every section is like this”: this explains that a single sūtra has multiple general prefaces. Those four Āgamas each combine many small sūtras to form one collection, and each small sūtra does not exceed a sheet or half a sheet of paper; only the text of the Sūtra of Traversing in the Dīrgha Āgama consists of two fascicles on its own. There is also the Great Discourse Sutra, which constitutes a single fascicle by itself; at the beginning of each and every sūtra the five elements are placed. Since Āgama is used as the general title, the small sūtras within the collection are called “sections.” “In the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā [Prajñāpāramitā], there are earlier and later entrustments”: this clarifies that within a single sūtra there are multiple transmissions; thus in the second fascicle there is the chapter on “Repeated Instruction,” which is the earlier entrustment, and in the twenty-seventh fascicle there is the chapter on “Entrustment,” which is the later entrustment. According with those three sūtras, what harm is there in having two prefaces? Regarding “the five elements are not placed”: this resolves an implicit objection. The objection says: If so, why does it not resemble those Āgamas, so that the present origin gate would also place “Thus [have I heard],” and so forth? The intention of the resolution is that, although it is explained that the origin gate of the present sūtra is not the head, it is still necessary to resolve the difficulty regarding the Āgamas: the Āgamas have multiple general prefaces, and the origin gate should also be so; however, because the Āgamas combine distinct sūtras and are therefore not subsequent to a head, they may also establish the five matters. The present sūtra is a single, identical sūtra, hence it has only specific [prefaces] and no general [prefaces]; therefore it is exemplified solely by the Avataṃsaka. Thus the causal origins of the Āgamas are distinct in each case, whereas the causal origin of the present sūtra is not different; therefore the origin gate does not establish the five elements. “The trace gate has only a single transmission”: comparing the trace to the origin, and drawing an analogy from the origin to the trace, the origin gate is not the head and therefore only establishes a specific preface; the trace gate is not the end and therefore has only a single transmission, having only encouragement to uphold and no entrustment. Hence from the “Dharma Master” to “Peaceful Practices” chapters, there are five chapters in all that explain that the merit of propagating the sūtra is profound in order to encourage transmission. In the origin gate, first the three and a half chapters starting with the five chapters after extinction serve as the transmission of encouragement to uphold; from “Supernatural Powers” onwards there are eight chapters in all that explain the transmission of entrustment. After the trace gate, since the sūtra has not yet concluded, it is not the time of transmission and entrustment is not yet needed. The phrase “so it is said” refers to the line-by-line interpretation that follows.