法華文句記 3.168

3.168

次消文者，初約法用中為五：先法，次舉譬，三明用權意，四引證，五「此義」下結非。初又三：先釋訓。「方者法也」者，《說文》云：「法，術也。」正當今文。《爾雅》云：「則也。」即法家之則。又云：「正也。」今亦如是，其法正故方可逗機，雖未開顯不得不正。次「法有」下釋義。雖俱法用，以偏望圓，偏差圓會；會雖勝差，然會非差，用顯非妙。三「三權」下釋相，又二：初釋法方圓，以對規矩而分偏圓，用顯非妙。「三方一圓」者，雖即四教俱名法用，正以偏法名為方便。次「若智」下釋用差會。所以俱置法用言者，各契機耳。非俱會圓故並云「逗」。又法用者，法名雖通，用既適時未為純一，為以何法逗何等機？故以四法赴機差會不等，權實相待是非俱非。如前釋法意既未融，逗物未暢規矩仍別，且云善用。「詣」謂所趣，正是用也。智詣不同，用法不等。次譬意者，正譬法用不同，有二重法譬，於中置却圓中方法之名，且借祕妙之號，故隔偏之圓亦有體內方便，故名祕妙。祕妙之名似同第三，然其意則別。何者？第三乃以開顯為妙，此中乃以獨圓為妙，故此文中四俱方法，前之三教唯名方法，非祕無妙，後之圓教是祕是妙，故後教中得祕妙名，非關開顯，故用偏法，如以一指偏目一方；若用圓法，如以五指遍示諸方。三明用權意者，爾前未合即以權法名為隨欲。四引證者，應以三權為引出之法，文寄小說故云「三界」，況所離不同三界無別，若於如來方便本一，此意未宣故屬昔教。雖是體外方便，於理無非體內，而眾生未知，準佛意說，故云「稱歎方便」，以未開故非今品意。

Next, in elucidating the text, within the first part concerning the Dharma and its employment, there are five sections: first, the Dharma; second, raising a simile; third, clarifying the intent of employing the provisional; fourth, citing proofs; fifth, from 'this meaning' downward, concluding with what it is not. The first section also has three parts: first, explaining the gloss. Regarding '"fang" (method/direction) means "fa" (dharma/norm)': the Shuowen says, 'Fa means method (shu).' This precisely fits the present text. The Erya says, 'It means standard (ze).' That is the standard of the Dharma master. It also says, 'It means correct (zheng).' Here it is also like this: because the Dharma is correct, it can then match capacities; though not yet opened and revealed, it cannot but be correct. Next, from 'the Dharma has' downward, he explains the meaning: although both are Dharma and its employment, looking at the perfect from the perspective of the one-sided, the one-sided diverges while the perfect converges; although converging surpasses diverging, converging is not diverging, and its employment is revealed as not wonderful. Third, from 'the three provisionals' downward, he explains the characteristics, which also has two parts: first, explaining the square and round of the Dharma, dividing the one-sided and the perfect by analogy to the carpenter's square and compass, its employment being revealed as not wonderful. Regarding 'the three square and the one round': although all four teachings are named Dharma and its employment, it is specifically the one-sided Dharma that is called skillful means. Next, from 'if wisdom' downward, he explains the divergence and convergence of employment. The reason both 'Dharma' and 'employment' are stated is that each accords with capacity. Because they do not all converge on the perfect, both are described as 'matching'. Furthermore, as for Dharma and employment: although the name 'Dharma' is general, since its employment is adapted to the occasion, it is not yet pure and unmixed; with what Dharma does one match what kind of capacity? Therefore, using the four Dharmas to respond to capacities, divergence and convergence are unequal, and provisional and real are mutually relative, so that both are not [the ultimate]. As in the previous explanation of the Dharma, its intent not yet being interfused, its response to beings not yet unimpeded, and the carpenter's square and compass remaining distinct, it is provisionally called 'skillful employment'. 'Reaching' (yi) refers to that which is approached, which is precisely the employment. The reaching of wisdom being different, the employment of the Dharma is not equal. Next, regarding the intent of the simile: it directly illustrates the difference between Dharma and its employment. There are two tiers of Dharma and simile, within which the name 'method and direction' (fangfa) in the perfect is set aside, and the title 'secret and wonderful' is provisionally borrowed; thus the perfect that is separated from the one-sided also has the skillful means internal to the essence, and is therefore called secret and wonderful. The name 'secret and wonderful' resembles that in the third explanation, yet its meaning is distinct. Why? The third takes opening and revealing as wonderful, whereas here it takes the exclusive perfect as wonderful. Therefore, in this text all four are methods and directions; the former three teachings are solely called methods and directions, neither secret nor wonderful, while the latter perfect teaching is both secret and wonderful, so that within the latter teaching it obtains the name 'secret and wonderful', having nothing to do with opening and revealing. Thus, employing the one-sided Dharma is like pointing to one single direction with one finger; while employing the round Dharma is like showing all directions pervasively with five fingers. Third, regarding clarifying the intent of employing the provisional: prior to that, before it was appropriate [to reveal], the provisional Dharma was named 'according with desires'. Fourth, regarding citing proofs: one should take the three provisionals as the method of leading out. The text relies on the lesser teaching, hence it says 'the three realms'; moreover, what they leave behind differs, while the three realms are not different. As for the Tathāgata, skillful means is originally one; since this intent was not yet proclaimed, it belongs to the past teachings. Although it is a skillful means external to the essence, in principle it is none other than internal to the essence; yet living beings did not know it. Spoken according to the Buddha's intent, it therefore says 'praising skillful means'; but because it is not yet opened, it is not the intent of the present chapter.