法華文句記 7.107

7.107

「二正付業」者，前云「付財」，今云「付業」，財從所營，業即造作，皆是菩薩修得三因之作業也，名異義同故得互舉。「靈山八載」者，菩提流支《法界論》云：「佛成道後四十二年說法華經。」「北人」者，諸文所指多是相州北道地論師也。古弘《地論》相州自分南北二道，所計不同，南計法性生一切法，北計黎耶生一切法，宗黨既別釋義不同，豈《地論》令爾耶？「若爾」下雙破二家。言「迹門說法」者，秖是三周。「彼解云」下地論師救。「今謂」下重破。自古不知開近顯遠永異諸經，謂迹說竟無可證也。若云言不疊安，即向〈法師品〉後，方便品前何以不著？若云佛定已起不得說者，經家何事不先著耶？若得迹門竟，何不更待本迹後耶？叡公生起便為無用，一家次第道理冷然。「依薩云」者，如下〈多寶品〉中所引，若三請之時佛未說經，何得經云「佛說無央數偈時」，故知無數之言即〈寶塔〉已前經也。既言無央數偈，豈唯三卷半經？況〈地涌〉讚偈之文其數甚多。古傳《法華》西方猶廣，準此文也。

Regarding "second, properly entrusting the enterprise": earlier it said "entrusting the wealth," while here it says "entrusting the enterprise." Wealth pertains to what is managed, while enterprise means undertaking and activity; both are the actions performed in acquiring the three causes cultivated by the bodhisattva. The names differ, but the meaning is the same; thus they may be cited interchangeably. Regarding "eight years on Vulture Peak": Bodhiruci's Treatise on the Dharmadhātu says: "Forty-two years after the Buddha attained the Way, he expounded the Lotus Sūtra." As for "the northern scholars," most of the passages refer to the Dilun masters of the northern route of Xiangzhou. In ancient times, the propagation of the Dilun in Xiangzhou split of itself into northern and southern routes, and their doctrines differed: the southern [route] held that the nature of phenomena generates all phenomena, while the northern [route] held that the ālayavijñāna generates all phenomena. Since their lineages differed, their interpretations also differed; how could the Dilun have intended it so? Below, "if so..." refutes both houses simultaneously. The statement "the exposition of Dharma in the trace section" refers merely to the three cycles [of preaching]. Below, "their explanation states..." is the Dilun masters' defense. Below, "we now state..." refutes them again. From ancient times, people have failed to understand the opening of the proximate and revealing of the distant as being eternally distinct from other sūtras, claiming that once the exposition of traces was completed, there was nothing left to verify. If they say the words cannot be placed repetitively, why then are they not placed before the Chapter on Skillful Means, toward the Chapter on the Dharma Master? If they say that once the Buddha arose from samādhi it could not be spoken, why did the compiler of the sūtra not place it earlier? If the trace section was already complete, why didn't it wait until after origin and traces? Venerable Rui's arrangement of sequence would then become useless, whereas the coherence of our school's sequential logic is completely clear. Regarding "relying on Sādhūrnāma": as cited below in the Chapter on the Many Treasures [Stūpa], if the Buddha had not expounded the sūtra at the time of the three requests, how could the sūtra say "when the Buddha had spoken countless verses"? Therefore we know that the words "countless" refer to the sūtra prior to the Treasure Stūpa. Since it says "countless verses," could it be only three and a half rolls of the sūtra? Furthermore, the verses of praise in the [Chapter on the] Bodhisattvas Emerging from the Earth are extremely numerous. The ancient tradition that the Lotus Sūtra in the western regions was even more extensive is based on this text.