法華文句記 10.176

10.176

有云《論》誤，今云不爾。今先出《論》文，次略消釋。《論》云：「受持觀音名，與六十二億恒沙諸佛名，彼福平等者，有二種義：一信力故，二畢竟知故。信力復二：一者求我如觀音，畢竟信故，二生恭敬心，如彼功德我亦得故。二畢竟知者，決定知法界故，法界者名為法性，初地菩薩能證入一切諸佛平等身故。平等身者，謂真如法身，是故受持觀音與六十二億恒沙諸佛功德無差。」今謂以此驗知，須依圓釋。何者？於二義中，信力約事、畢竟約理，事理相資方成所念。如信力二中，既云「求我身如觀音」，即指化身。又言「觀音功德我亦得之」，乃指報身。願齊報應，方乃成念；但念果德者，何必識理？故次義云「知法界」等。次引證位即是初地，且引分證令人識之，故知若念觀音三身，須却以念佛校之。若以念法身論之，縱引十方諸佛其功亦等，何但六十二耶？所以《論》文雖似舉經，乃是增句釋義，亦如〈方便〉初加難解難知，欲說大法乃增三句而為申釋。「三十三身十九說法云云」者，應具指離合，結說少故但十九，如八部四眾但結一說。「結別開總」者，前三十三身是別，故結云「成就如是功德」，即以此句復為開下總句之首，故下總云「種種形」等也。

Some say the Treatise is in error, but now we say it is not so. We now first cite the text of the Treatise, and next briefly explain it. The Treatise says: 'Receiving and upholding the name of Avalokiteśvara and [upholding] the names of buddhas equal to sixty-two koṭīs of Ganges sands—that their blessings are equal has two meanings: first, through the power of faith; second, through ultimate knowledge. The power of faith also has two aspects: first, seeking that my body be like Avalokiteśvara through ultimate faith; second, giving rise to a reverent mind, [knowing that] I too shall attain merit like that. Second, ultimate knowledge means definitively knowing the dharmadhātu; the dharmadhātu is called dharmatā, because a bodhisattva of the first bhūmi is able to realize and enter the equal body of all buddhas. The equal body refers to the dharmakāya of suchness; therefore, the merits of receiving and upholding Avalokiteśvara and of sixty-two koṭīs of Ganges sands of buddhas are without distinction.' We now say: through this we verify and know that one must explain it according to the perfect [teaching]. How so? Among the two meanings, the power of faith concerns phenomena and the ultimate concerns principle; only when phenomena and principle support each other is what is contemplated perfected. As in the two aspects of the power of faith, since it says 'seeking that my body be like Avalokiteśvara', this refers to the transformation body. Further, saying 'I too shall attain the merit of Avalokiteśvara' refers to the reward body. Only when one's vow equals reward and response is the mindfulness perfected; if one merely is mindful of the fruition virtue, how would one necessarily understand the principle? Therefore, the next meaning says 'knowing the dharmadhātu', and so forth. Next, the stage of realization cited is indeed the first bhūmi; provisionally citing partial realization causes people to recognize it. Thus we know that if one is mindful of Avalokiteśvara's three bodies, one must in turn measure it against mindfulness of the Buddha. If discussed in terms of mindfulness of the dharmakāya, even if one cited all buddhas of the ten directions, the merit would still be equal—how could it be limited to sixty-two? Therefore, although the text of the Treatise seems to quote the sūtra, it actually adds phrases to explain the meaning, just as at the beginning of the 'Skillful Means' [chapter] it adds 'difficult to understand and difficult to know', adding three phrases to elucidate and explain when intending to expound the great Dharma. Regarding 'thirty-three bodies, nineteen preachings of the Dharma, and so forth': one should fully point out the separating and combining; because concluding summaries of preaching are few, there are only nineteen, just as the eight classes of beings and the fourfold assembly are concluded with only one preaching. Regarding 'concluding the specific and opening the general': the preceding thirty-three bodies are the specific, so it concludes: 'accomplishing such merit'; using this phrase as the head to open the general phrase below, it therefore states below generally: 'in various forms', and so forth.