法華文句記 7.69

7.69

「問四大弟子」等者，答中意者，既聞譬已，具領二周、入大不虛，故自推云「若始」等也。納法既重必有此知，約化儀說從容進退，故先齊後探耳。豈有自獲小來方五十載，具覩菩薩難思境界，遍聞諸法一切融通，非全不知，然未測本源省己絕分，今蒙法譬分染圓常，推知如來往日先照，故下佛歎甚為希有，故以二味所覩驗先見非真。「脫大小相」者，相為大相海、好為小相海，全隱無量相好海身，故譬云「脫」。相好難量喻之於海。「密遣二人」者，於中先釋二人，次「初擬」下方釋密遣。人是所遣，密是遣意。初文先明但二之意，故對菩薩且通指二人。次「約法」下約法約人以分二也。次釋密遣者，先對旁人以辯異，即之與密顯覆異耳。今明密遣者，覆實名密、用小為遣，覆滿明半準例可知，即是分字解也。亦是從大施小故云遣，小不測大故云密。然半滿字不同古釋，今須在圓，具如《玄》文，約人準知。

Regarding "asking the four great disciples," etc.: the meaning in the answer is that having already heard the parable, fully understanding the two cycles, their entry into the Great is not in vain; hence they deduce for themselves, saying, "If from the beginning..." etc. Having received the profound Dharma, they must have this knowledge; spoken in terms of the ritual of conversion, there is composed advancing and retreating, so they first level and then probe. How could it be that, having obtained the small only fifty years ago, having fully witnessed the bodhisattvas' inconceivable realm and everywhere heard that all dharmas are universally interfused, they were not completely ignorant? Yet, not having measured the original source, examining themselves they felt excluded; now, receiving the Dharma and the parable, they are partially imbued with the perfect and eternal, and deduce that the Tathāgata in past days illuminated them first. Therefore below, the Buddha praises it as extremely rare; thus, using what was witnessed in the two flavors, they verify that the prior seeing was not real. Regarding "stripping off the major and minor marks": the major marks are the ocean of major marks, and the minor characteristics are the ocean of minor characteristics; completely concealing the body of the ocean of immeasurable marks and characteristics, the parable therefore says "stripping off." Marks and characteristics are hard to measure, hence analogized to an ocean. Regarding "secretly dispatching two men": within this, it first explains the two men; next, below "initial consideration," it only then explains "secretly dispatching." The persons are those dispatched; secrecy is the intention behind dispatching. The first text first clarifies the meaning of having only two; hence, in contrast to bodhisattvas, it provisionally points generally to two persons. Next, below "in terms of the teaching," it divides the two in terms of teaching and in terms of persons. Next, explaining "secretly dispatching": it first contrasts them with the bystanders to distinguish the difference; "immediately" and "secretly" differ as explicit and concealed. Now, clarifying secret dispatch: concealing the real is called "secret"; employing the small is "dispatching." Concealing the complete and clarifying the half can be known by parallel example; this is interpreting word by word. It is also that bestowing the small from the great is called "dispatching"; that the small cannot measure the great is called "secret." However, the half and complete words differ from ancient interpretations; here they must reside in the perfect, fully as in the text of the Profound Meaning, and can be known by analogy in terms of persons.