法華文句記 7.151

7.151

「密雲即三密」者，凡云三密必約應化，自受用報平等法身何所論密？「覆蔭譬佛慈悲」等者，蔭廣則質大、蔭狹則質微，質微則利近、質大則利遠，遠密近疎赴物各異，隨其用智化境不同。「不雨」下「云云」者，因將雲等以譬三密，便引雲色不同、電師名異，有雷之由雨緣不等。今以雲譬應身，雷譬名稱，雷譬放光，雨譬說法。長行無雷電，頌中具有，電必有雷，雷必有雲，雲必霔雨，今不取無電無雷之雨、無雨之雲為譬，須以此意合身雲等，應色非一，且汎舉五以應五乘，佛為教主譬如電師，眾生機緣亦如電師，感應相扣猶電師鬪，隨機有感應之以光，又四大鬪亦譬機應。言「五事無雨」者，總以無五乘機用釋有機，以無機故法雨不降，凡引事譬皆有近遠，此中不須用《華嚴》中六天四域，秖借《阿含》意為譬耳。又《雜含》云：「風雲天作是念：我今欲以神力遊戲。作是念時風雲即起，電天雷天晴寒熱天亦復如是。」

"Dense clouds are the three mysteries": whenever one speaks of the three mysteries, it must be in terms of the nirmāṇakāya. In the self-enjoyment retribution [body] and the equal dharmakāya, how could there be any discussion of mystery?
As for "Covering and shade illustrates the Buddha's loving-kindness and compassion," etc.: if the shade is broad, the substance is large; if the shade is narrow, the substance is minute. When the substance is minute, the benefit is proximate; when the substance is large, the benefit is distant. Distant is dense, proximate is sparse; responding to beings, each is different, and in accord with their use of wisdom, the realms of conversion differ.
As for the "and so forth" under "not raining": because of using the clouds and so forth to illustrate the three mysteries, one consequently cites the differences in cloud colors, the different names of lightning masters, the reasons for thunder, and the inequalities of rainfall conditions. Now, clouds illustrate the nirmāṇakāya, thunder illustrates reputation, thunder illustrates emitting light, and rain illustrates expounding the Dharma. In the prose there is no thunder or lightning, but they are fully present in the verses. Lightning must have thunder, thunder must have clouds, and clouds must pour down rain. Now, we do not take rain without lightning and thunder, or clouds without rain, as parables; one must use this sense to apply to the body-clouds and so forth. The responsive colors are not one; for now, five are broadly cited to correspond to the five vehicles. The Buddha as the master of teaching is like the lightning master, and sentient beings' capacities and conditions are also like the lightning master: stimulus and response striking together is like lightning masters fighting. In accord with the capacities there is a stimulus, and he responds to them with light. Furthermore, the four elements fighting also illustrates capacity and response.
As for "five conditions without rain," it generally takes the absence of the capacities of the five vehicles to explain the presence of capacities: because there are no capacities, the Dharma rain does not descend. Whenever citing worldly parables, there are proximate and distant; here one does not need to use the six heavens and four continents in the *Avataṃsaka*, but merely borrows the meaning of the *Āgamas* for the parable. Furthermore, the *Saṃyuktāgama* says: "The Wind-and-Cloud Deva gave rise to this thought: 'I now wish to play about with spiritual powers.' When he gave rise to this thought, wind and clouds immediately arose. The Lightning Deva, Thunder Deva, and Clear, Cold, and Hot Devas are likewise so."