法華文句記 7.68

7.68

勿彊之言釋成前句。「私謂」下此中雖無思惟之言，譬文誡勸並有此語，勸門擬宜云「作是思惟我身手有力」，誡門擬宜云「如所思惟具告諸子」，故私引之。須即生善故云不須，即息勸善，彊即誡惡故云勿彊，即息誡惡。「宜以」至「如面也」者，觀其秖宜聞生滅教，取灰斷理說有理之教，故云「理水」。「面」者以向釋之，有背生死向涅槃機，故名為面，非謂灑彼涅槃名面。「莫復與語」語秖是教。「不語他人」至「菩薩也」者，此中一往但云昔小，然法華前諸大乘經不說二乘是菩薩者，將護二乘豈關菩薩。覆實護權故云「覆護」。亦是覆陰將護不彰其實，故法華前一實之外皆名隨他，且隱四味之言，通云小乘教耳。以昔二味猶有小教、定無小乘作佛之語，故乳及二酥並對小機云不說耳，乃由彈斥加說得二味名。「即是息化」至「從地而起」者，此中二釋，兩地不同、二起無別，故息一大化離二種地，讚大墜苦故有前釋，用小取得故有次釋。次釋中云「無明地」者，若云「臥地」則譬二無明，若言「而起」，則且從界內，故知不解大小具二無明並名為「臥」。今逗小法先治界內，故且云「起」。「於四諦中」至「衣食」者，宜趣所對之境故云「往至」，小仍在機故以欲釋求，下句方云「長者將欲」故也。境攝法狹故云「貧里」，欲趣小果還須正助故云「衣食」。「又以他日」下「取意領法身地」者，言中且云「在道樹前」，意則俱指漸頓教前，以云「致難尊特」，故知通至頓前。

The words "do not force" explain and complete the preceding phrase. Below "I privately consider": although there are no words of "deliberating" here, the parables of both admonition and encouragement have this phrasing. The consideration of suitability in the door of encouragement says, "having this thought: 'My body and hands have strength'"; the consideration of suitability in the door of admonition says, "as he had deliberated, he fully told the children." Therefore, I privately cite it. "Needing" means generating good; hence saying "no need" means ceasing the encouragement of good. "Force" means admonishing against evil; hence saying "do not force" means ceasing the admonition against evil. Regarding "it is fitting to... as his face": observing that he was only suited to hear the teaching of arising and perishing, grasping the principle of reduction to ashes and extinction, he preached the teaching that has principle; hence it is called the "water of principle." "Face" is explained as facing toward: having the capacity of turning away from saṃsāra and facing toward nirvāṇa, it is therefore called "face"; it does not mean that sprinkling that nirvāṇa is called "face." "Do not speak with him again": "speech" is simply the teaching. Regarding "do not tell others... bodhisattvas": here, provisionally it only refers to the former small [teaching]; however, in the various Mahāyāna sūtras prior to the Lotus, the reason it was not stated that the two vehicles are bodhisattvas was to protect and shelter the two vehicles—how could it concern bodhisattvas? Concealing the real and protecting the provisional is called "covering and protecting." It also means sheltering and caring for them without revealing their reality; thus, prior to the Lotus, everything outside the One Reality is called "accordance with others." For the time being concealing the language of the four flavors, it is referred to generally as the Small Vehicle teaching. Because in the past two flavors there were still small teachings and definitely no words that the Small Vehicle attains buddhahood, milk and the two curds both, with respect to small capacities, did not speak of it; it is through rebuke and additional preaching that they gained the name of the two flavors. Regarding "this is the cessation of conversion... rising from the ground": here there are two interpretations. The two grounds are different, but the two risings are not distinct; hence ceasing the one great conversion leaves behind two kinds of ground. Praising the great leads to falling into suffering; hence there is the former interpretation. Employing the small leads to gaining acceptance; hence there is the subsequent interpretation. In the subsequent interpretation, regarding the "ground of ignorance": if one says "lying on the ground," it is a parable for the two ignorances; if one says "and rising," it provisionally follows within the realm. Therefore we know that failing to understand both great and small possesses the two ignorances, both being called "lying down." Now, adapting to the small dharma, one first cures within the realm; hence it provisionally says "rising." Regarding "in the Four Truths... clothing and food": fittingly heading toward the objective realm encountered, it therefore says "went to"; the small still resides in the capacity, so desire is explained as seeking, because the next phrase only then says "the elder wished to." The objective realm gathers few dharmas; hence it is called "poor village." Wishing to head toward the small fruit still requires primary and auxiliary [practices]; hence it says "clothing and food." Next, below "furthermore, on another day," regarding "taking the meaning as understanding the ground of the dharmakāya": in the phrasing it provisionally says "before the Bodhi tree," but the meaning refers collectively to before the gradual and sudden teachings; because it says "posing a difficulty to the honorable and extraordinary [body]," we know it extends universally to before the sudden.