法華文句記 1.74

1.74

「次示本迹者」，為二：先法，次譬。初法為五：先、指本因所稟；次、「但佛」下，指本果所說；三、中間行化；四、今日所說；五、未來所說。自從本因所稟莫非真實三段，雖俱真實本不可多，故下三文咸同一本因果真實三段教相。此中正簡久本真實，是故云也。然以本因所稟亦是彼佛迹說恐無窮，故但在今佛因果為本，據理非不稟餘佛化，因緣約教既指今佛，故明本迹。且廢於他，故指今經壽量為釋迦本，不得更指前佛所說。前佛復有前佛，故云無窮，唯指一佛則無斯過，降茲一本餘皆是迹。

"Next, showing origin and traces": this has two parts: first the dharma, then the metaphor. The first part, the dharma, has five: first, pointing to what was received at the original cause; second, from "Only the Buddhas" downward, pointing to what was spoken at the original effect; third, the cultivation and transformation during the intermediate period; fourth, what is spoken at present; fifth, what will be spoken in the future. From what was received at the original cause onward, none is not real. The three sections, though all real, cannot have many origins; therefore, the three passages below all share the same doctrinal forms of the three sections of the reality of original cause and effect. What is properly selected here is the reality of the remote origin; therefore it is stated so. However, because what was received at the original cause is also the trace-teaching of that Buddha, there would be fear of infinite regress; hence [the text] merely takes the cause and effect of the present Buddha as the origin. Based on principle, it is not that he did not receive the transformations of other Buddhas, but since the causes and conditions are defined in terms of the teaching, it points to the present Buddha, and thus clarifies origin and traces. For now, others are set aside; hence it points to the Life Span [chapter] of the present sūtra as Śākyamuni's origin, and one cannot further point to what was spoken by earlier Buddhas. An earlier Buddha would again have an earlier Buddha, hence there would be an infinite regress; if one points solely to one Buddha, there is no such fault. Below this one origin, all the rest are traces.