法華文句記 9.141

9.141

「前代」下却存諸釋，諸釋皆不以壽量為無常，光宅乃以壽量為延壽，若約今師三身四句，望諸師意並無可存。「又惑」下引古師難。次「今為」下通難，先略破古人，次正釋，先引事云「鷸蚌相扼」等者，引《春秋》事，具如《止觀》第五記。但用事不同，彼但借相扼之言，此正用乘弊之意。「我乘」下正釋。今如彊秦，使常無常家如燕趙也。「及金光明」者，彼第一卷〈壽量品〉云：「相信菩薩自思惟言：何緣釋迦壽命短促，方八十年？如佛所說二因長壽，一者不殺，二者施食。佛無量劫具足十善，云何短促？思是事時，其室自然廣博嚴事，因見如來希有瑞相，乃感四佛為其說偈。偈云：諸水滴山斤地塵，空界可知其數，無有能知如來壽者。」品文具有此義者，即此品後文具三身義，還攬此三分為四句，是故應知今品題意迹中指本，本具三身故不偏執常與無常。今正應以本地之長用開迹短，曉長本已，方達本理無復長短，故借迹中三身四句對本以釋。當知本迹俱具四句，本四俱本、迹四俱迹。

From 'Previous generations' onward, he sets aside and preserves the various interpretations: none of the various interpretations took the life span as impermanent, whereas Guangzhai took the life span as an extension of life. If judged by our master's three bodies and four phrases, compared with the intent of the various masters, none can be preserved. From 'Again, the confused' onward, he cites the ancient masters' objections. Next, from 'Now for' onward, he resolves the objections: first briefly refuting the ancients, then giving the correct explanation. First, when citing the incident of 'the snipe and clam grasping each other,' and so forth, he cites an event from the Spring and Autumn period, fully detailed in the fifth volume of the Notes on Great Calming and Contemplation. However, the applications of the event differ: that passage merely borrowed the words 'grasping each other,' whereas this directly uses the idea of taking advantage of their impasse. From 'I take advantage of' onward, he gives the correct explanation: our position is now like strong Qin, causing the schools of permanence and impermanence to be like Yan and Zhao. As for 'and the Golden Light [Sūtra],' its first fascicle, the 'Life Span Chapter,' says: 'Bodhisattva Ruciraketu reflected in his mind: For what reason is Śākyamuni's life span so short, merely eighty years? As the Buddha taught, there are two causes for long life: first, not killing; second, giving food. The Buddha for immeasurable kalpas was fully endowed with the ten good deeds; why then is it so short? While he was reflecting on this matter, his chamber naturally became vast, magnificent, and adorned. Due to seeing the Tathāgata's rare and auspicious signs, he moved four Buddhas to speak verses for him. The verse said: All drops of water, the weight of mountains, the dust of the earth, and the realm of space—their numbers may be known, but there is none who can know the Tathāgata's life span.' That the chapter's text possesses this meaning is because the later text of this chapter fully possesses the meaning of the three bodies; again gathering these three, they are divided into four phrases. Therefore, one should know that the intent of the title of the present chapter points to the origin within the traces. Since the origin is endowed with the three bodies, one does not cling one-sidedly to permanence or impermanence. Now we should precisely use the longevity of the ground of origin to open up the brevity of the traces; after understanding the long origin, one will then penetrate that the original principle has no further length or brevity. Therefore, one borrows the four phrases of the three bodies within the traces to interpret by comparison with the origin. One should know that both origin and traces possess the four phrases: the origin's four are entirely of the origin, and the trace's four are entirely of the traces.