法華文句記 4.2

4.2

Next, properly explaining: First, within the explanation of phenomena and principle, there is first the explanation and next the rationale. In the explanation, he first explains principle, from "principle is true suchness" to "constitutes the real": Where does the reality of principle reside? It resides in mind, thought, and consciousness, so principle has no separate abiding place; it pervades phenomena, so phenomena are called provisional. Hence the Kośa says: "Accumulating and arising is called mind (citta), deliberating is called thought (manas), and discerning is called consciousness (vijñāna)." In that [teaching], it is entirely devoid of identity with principle. If in the Great Vehicle the eighth consciousness is called mind, the seventh consciousness is called thought, and the sixth consciousness is called consciousness, yet that teaching, being for the deluded, also lacks identity with principle; hence it is a one-sided, lesser teaching. Its conditioned dharmas completely lack intrinsic purity, and those who know that it is identical with the permanently abiding principle are few; hence we know that although conditioned things may focus on purity and so forth, they equally belong to phenomena, fully as clarified in the Gate of Non-duality of Phenomena and Principle. Therefore the rationale says: "Without principle there is no way to establish phenomena; phenomena have the efficacy of revealing principle." Therefore skillfully praising skillful means, who would be willing to take the conditioned mind and so forth of the three realms as that which is praised by the Tathāgata as the "Skillful Means Chapter"? If not so, for the sake of causing sentient beings [to awaken]—where does its meaning lie? How would the words "worldly characteristics" be explained? In explaining principle and teaching, first he properly explains, and next from "without teaching" below he clarifies the rationale. In the first explanation of principle, he first briefly explains, and next cites an analogy. When he first says "synthesizing the preceding phenomena and principle," this combines the preceding principle and delusion. Hence we know that from ignorance and dharma-nature up to all dharmas beyond the realms, all are what is expressed; because the name and substance of this mind, thought, and consciousness are fully endowed with all dharmas beyond the realms. Who would know that the teaching of the Lotus takes these dharmas as what is expressed? If not so, from what could the false-view King Śubhavyūha and the evil, rebellious Devadatta attain [liberation]? Next, in raising the analogy, this raises understanding to analogize delusion: at the time of understanding principle, both ultimate and conventional are truths, and understanding is attained through delusion; therefore within delusion they are provisionally called phenomena and principle. Because expressing this principle enables the teaching to be formed, looking from principle toward teaching, teaching is called provisional; and since principle resides in delusion, delusion is also called real. Therefore, the appellations of provisional and real are not obtained in only one place; when the teaching of the fruit proclaims this, the expressing [teaching] is also provisional. Hence we know that the teaching merely expresses its principle; therefore the Tathāgata praises this teaching. Were it not for the present sūtra, who would be willing to praise this teaching expressing delusion as the Skillful Means Chapter? If not so, arising from samādhi, what was praised? Next, in teaching and practice, "practices have depth and shallowness" refers to the perfect and the gradual. What are the perfect and the gradual? They refer to the seven skillful means; pointing back to the gradual-gradual, it is just the perfect-gradual. Therefore, the teaching is fixed while practice shifts; practice is provisional while teaching is real. Hence it is said: "Teaching has no advancement," how much more so when the teaching expresses the true character, and the principle of the true character has no more shallowness or depth.