法華文句記 5.77

5.77

「地師言童真地」者，地立童真名者，但古人云，住為能住、地為所依，故以住名而名於地，從住為名早已太遠，為尚深故加之以地，故「今謂」下責云「乖文」者，文中但云童子故也。言「竪狹」者，橫收小善、竪成佛因，則橫竪無違，非深非淺而深而淺。若以童真為釋，唯竪無橫，況竪深無當、棄廣乖文，是知竪狹二俱有過。「登地」下且破唯深之失，仍略棄橫之愆。「今以」下正釋，收於童雉以顯橫廣，指微即著以辯竪深，著在於微深即非深，微即是著淺亦非淺，指微即著緣因義成，即著之觀非此可辯，下去例爾。故入地成佛如修羅渡海，此準《瓔珞》故云「入地」。凡夫之人一毫之善徑成佛因，如人渡大海。從「佛分明」下重立理以斥二失。「若如」下重牒失以斥失。又例上下亦名乖文。若恐童子事微不稱佛道，散心一唱如何消融？合掌舉手皆應理釋，故知但尚佛道不識開權。「殆不攝二乘」者，「殆」幾也。幾近也。應云全不攝，何但幾耶？若在童真尚不攝六地，況復小道。「論深」下結其竪狹，「定廣」下結竪狹失。

Regarding "the Treatise masters said the stage of kumāra-bhūmi (youthful innocence)": for establishing the name "youthful innocence" for a stage, it was merely that the ancients said that an abode (dwelling) is that which is able to abide and a stage (bhūmi) is that which is relied upon, so they used the name of an abode to name a stage. Deriving the name from an abode is already too distant; out of an esteem for depth, they added "stage" to it. Therefore, from "now it is said" onward, it censures them, saying it "violates the text," because the text merely speaks of "youths." Speaking of "vertical and narrow": horizontally gathering small goods and vertically bringing about the cause of buddhahood, horizontal and vertical are without contradiction; being neither deep nor shallow, yet deep and shallow. If interpreted in terms of youthful innocence, it is solely vertical without the horizontal; moreover, vertical depth is without warrant, casting aside breadth and violating the text; thus one knows that vertical and narrow both have faults. From "entering the stages" onward, it tentatively refutes the fault of being solely deep, while still omitting the error of casting aside the horizontal. From "now with" onward provides the correct explanation: gathering children to reveal horizontal breadth, pointing to the subtle as precisely the manifest to discern vertical depth. When the manifest lies in the subtle, the deep is precisely not deep; when the subtle is precisely the manifest, the shallow is also not shallow. Pointing to the subtle as precisely the manifest, the meaning of the contributory cause is accomplished; the contemplation of precisely manifest cannot be discerned here, and the same holds below. Therefore, entering the stages to achieve buddhahood is like an asura crossing the ocean; this relies on the *Yingluo jing*, hence it says "entering the stages." An ordinary person's single hair of good straightaway becomes the cause of buddhahood, like a person crossing a great ocean. From "the Buddha clearly" onward, it re-establishes the principle to rebuke the two faults. From "if like" onward, it takes up the faults again to rebuke the faults. Furthermore, compared with above and below, it is also called violating the text. If one fears that a child's affairs are subtle and do not match the Buddha Path, how could reciting with a distracted mind be assimilated? Joining palms and raising hands should all be explained according to principle; hence one knows that they merely esteem the Buddha Path and do not recognize the opening of the provisional. Regarding "hardly including the two vehicles": "hardly" (dai) means almost; it means nearly. One should say "completely not including"—why merely "almost"? If it were in youthful innocence, it would not even include the sixth stage, let alone the small path! From "discussing depth" onward concludes its vertical narrowness; from "determining breadth" onward concludes the faults of vertical narrowness.