法華文句記 9.15

9.15

Fourth, regarding explaining the essence of the practices, first the explanations of past masters are presented. As for the first master initially speaking of 'provisional and real'—which teaching lacks these? It does not yet bring to light the present practice. Although 'preaching the Dharma' and 'leaving faults behind' seem like one approach, they lack the characteristics of loving-kindness, compassion, and calming and insight. The fourth, 'loving-kindness and compassion', is confusedly conflated with the preceding three practices. The explanation given by Master Ji does not equal that of the former master. Master Long's first practice is somewhat closer to the present meaning. What was explained by Nányuè, when compared to Tiantai, is still not thorough and detailed. Therefore, our master explains by saying 'calming and insight' and so forth: the first three all possess loving-kindness, compassion, and calming and insight. Moreover, the first, bodily karma, also has three [parts]: first, clarifying that because there is something abandoned, one does not fall; next, from 'because there is the practice of calming' below, possessing the three rules; third, from 'calming, practicing, and abandoning' below, fully possessing the three virtues. Therein, first possessing the virtues is clarified, and next their arising from one another is clarified. From 'the remaining, speech' below, which is made parallel, the three karmas all possess loving-kindness and compassion, and the vows also fully possess calming and insight; therefore, the four practices are parallel and identical. Hence we know that he still uses the preceding chapter as the characteristics of the present practices; if it were not so, one would not be skilled in propagating the sūtra.