法華文句記 7.17

7.17

Regarding "the native country is as explained above": above, the Buddha's own realm was taken as the native [country], and all others pertained to "other [lands]." From "lower text" onward, it asks what difference there is between the cities and houses below and the country above. From "all" onward, wishing to distinguish sameness and difference, it explains "country" again: "all buddha-dharmas" differs in words from the "buddha-realm" above, but the meaning is the same; city and house are also like this. The virtue of severance still must be complete with buddha-dharmas, and great compassion is also accomplished from the virtue of severance; both of these encompass all buddha-dharmas. However, in terms of taking beings' capacities, looking toward the city from the country and comparing the house to the city, loose and dense [relationships] are conceptually established, solely because the meaning of all buddha-dharmas is broad. The virtue of severance wards off evil and seems narrow; great compassion faces the son and is closer. Both are that upon which the elder's real wisdom relies; both are that which the provisional wisdom of the nirmāṇakāya depends upon. Before giving rise to the response, the capacity first taps into this; hence it says "arrived at a state and city," "resided in a state and city," and so on. Regarding "dwelling midway in a single city": for now, taking beings of one region and one category as a single son, it next aligns [the metaphor] by saying "not restricted to a single place." The place must reside in persons, which is simply co-dwelling [in the land where commoners and sages co-dwell]. Because the human kind is not yet mature, he temporarily stops in [the land of] expedient means without discarding the ritual of transformation. The sahā [world] points to that [realm] as an "other region." If one accords with the statement "other regions," one should point to the lands of the ten directions and set up transformations in the ten realms, fully as in [the chapter on] Gadgadasvara. Since the sahā world is like this, other regions follow suit. Here, still preserving contemplation of this co-dwelling [land] is because it facilitates gaining the son; hence it temporarily speaks of [the land with] remainder. If it were said that he manifests forms in the six destinies, matters would be inconvenient; yet after transmigrating, how could it not be so? Since the present capacity is close, one must speak from the superior [standpoint].