法華文句記 5.122

5.122

言「廣頌上六義中分為四」者，若於別四，第四分三名為六義，若第四為一、第一為三但名六譬，若言六義不應譬文，但可頌上，故但云六義。若為譬本，則合四五六但為一不虛，此中有敦信，敦信即簡偽，故知上文不得云無，是則別六廣於總六，故今但合六義為四。若更子派開者，若欲更分，如前別中為十二句，為對上諸廣文故開，為對下諸略文故合。舊以最後七行為法說流通，今文不用者，若望譬及宿世文後，雖似流通而非流通，所以人見當來世言，言似流通，故舊例之將為得意。文意不爾，〈譬喻品〉末但為身子為三周請主，自已得悟，復為中根重請譬說，既酬請已故以此法而略付之。究而論之，但是示其信謗罪福。

Regarding “extensively versifying the above six meanings is divided into four”: if within the specific four, the fourth is divided into three, they are called six meanings; if the fourth is one and the first is three, they are merely called six similes; if one speaks of six meanings, they do not correspond to the text of the simile, but can only versify the above; therefore one only speaks of six meanings. If they serve as bases for similes, then the fourth, fifth, and sixth are combined merely as the single “not false”; within this there is urging faith, and urging faith is winnowing out the false; thus we know the text above cannot be said to lack it. Hence the specific six are broader than the general six, and so we now merely combine the six meanings into four. Regarding “if further subdivided into branches”: if one wishes to divide them further, as in the previous specific ones made into twelve lines, they are opened to correspond to the various expanded texts above, and combined to correspond to the various abridged texts below. The ancients took the final seven verses as the transmission of the dharma explanation, which our present text does not adopt. When viewed against the end of the simile and past lives texts, although it resembles transmission, it is not transmission. People see the words “in future ages”, which sound like transmission, so the ancients routinely took this to have grasped the meaning. The meaning of the text is not so: at the end of the “Simile Chapter”, it is merely because Śāriputra was the requester for the three cycles, having attained awakening himself and again requesting the explanation of similes for those of middling faculties, that having answered his request, he therefore briefly entrusts this Dharma to him. If examined thoroughly, it is merely demonstrating to him the transgressions and blessings of faith and slander.