法華文句記 6.32

6.32

"Broad and complete in division and strategy" means that having divisions and plans, he has comprehensive, generous, and thoroughly penetrating vision. As for "wealth" (zi), the Shuowen says: "Zi means property." As for why three elders must be posited, the title "elder" originally used worldly ways as an analogy for the supramundane; and because the cause of the supramundane inevitably requires contemplation, one should know that simply speaking of the supramundane and contemplation of mind—without distinguishing provisional teachings and remote origins—still retains brevity. Here, the three interpretations according to conditions, according to the teachings, and according to contemplation of mind are already complete. "Briefly, there are eighteen" and so on explains the wisdom that can be relied upon; though the gates are brief or extensive, they do not go beyond the house that is entered. In speaking of brief and extensive: one object and one emptiness—it can also be that each object possesses eighteen, hence they are called "immeasurable." Just as a single form or a single mind each possesses eighteen, so with form facing the sense faculties: faculties are internal, form is external, and both internal and external together; this emptiness is also empty, hence called "the emptiness of emptiness." If one grasps this meaning, even up to nonexistent phenomena and existent phenomena, by analogy one can understand what is said. Yet following the general explanation, emptying the eighteen is termed the eighteen emptinesses, hence it is called "brief." The greater or lesser extent of brief and extensive among the eighteen is fully explained in the fifth fascicle of the Notes on the Great Calming and Contemplation, as well as extensively clarified in the Gradual Order of the Dharma Realm and the Great Treatise. Below "If one discusses," fortune and wisdom are adduced to explain the fields and houses. "Having many fields and houses": for one house with one gate, its gates are already numerous; how much more so for a wealthy family and extensive houses—for one house to have many gates is, in principle, bound to be immeasurable. "Gate" means the road leading out of the house; the road-gates into the house cannot be just one. "Field" means the means of nourishing life; facing life, the field cannot be narrow. Furthermore, it universally encompasses the provisional and the real, hence it is said "many gates." If one relies on the four contemplations to contemplate identically, the carriage gate and the house gate are not different. "From servants to complete": the names of the servants are fully given in the seventh fascicle of the Notes on the Great Calming and Contemplation. Now, servants support body and life; thus we know that they are all the auxiliary aids of the concentration and wisdom of the One Real. As that which is supported lacks nothing, it says "complete." Functioning alongside provisional adaptations, it says "harmonizing the light" and so forth. "Scattered" (xuexue) means surplus, or loose official posts outside official ranks. Sentient beings reside outside the noble stages, hence they are called "scattered." They do not yet belong even to other teachings and contemplations, how much less could they belong to the ultimate noble stage? "All house" means the house one dwells in. Dwelling for a long time without emerging from the three realms, it is called "house." In the world none is not so, hence it says "all." The Tathāgata guides beings, ruling and making a house of it: "rule" means to master; "house" also means to dwell. Some take the eighth consciousness as the house; since both are based on delusion, why not encompass all eight instead of only speaking of the eighth? The Master of the Daocheng Temple's contemplative meaning holds that principle serves as wisdom's passageway; since principle is one, how could two gates be permitted? Leaving must be through a gate, so there is no different road. Master Guangzhai takes the teaching as the gate. "House" means the three realms. "Ninety" is a textual abbreviation, namely, ninety-six. Ninety-six refers to the multitude of paths. If one wishes to leave the house, there is only one gate; though the ninety-six paths each claim to be the true path, they rush about criss-crossing, so the Sūtra on the Ninety-Six Paths says: "There is only one path that is correct; all the rest are heterodox." Some cite the Abhidharmakośa as saying that the six masters each had fifteen disciples, which together with the six original masters makes ninety-six. Basing oneself on the Sūtra on the Ninety-Six Paths, there is no such explanation. That treatise presents its own approach; how could the six masters each have had strictly fifteen disciples? Among the ninety-six there are heterodox and orthodox, fully explained in the third fascicle of the Notes on the Great Calming and Contemplation.