法華玄論 1.29

1.29

答：《大品》云「是波若從南方轉至北方，是中四眾當行之。」肇公云：「北天之運，數其然也。」震旦之望於天竺，即是北方。但世界遐廣，一方之信未足秤多。又考而言之，終日弘宣，終日不信。何以知之？靈墳踊現、分身普集，盛開二身，而講者但謂證法華人，不知開迹顯本，云何信耶？又分身明其不實、壽量定其非數，逸多不見其始、補處莫測其終，而猶謂無常，遂同灰盡，可謂窮子反走於宅中、獨老掩目於道上，誰肯信哉？又〈法師品〉云「令昇寂滅之床、吐無言之教，雖復破三，心不染一。」而封言之徒隨名存相，雖復捨三，心復滯一，何由能信？

Answer: The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā says, 'This prajñā will turn from the south to the north, and within this the four assemblies will practice it.' Master Sengzhao said, 'The destiny of the northern heavens: its numerological lot is so.' China, looking from India, is precisely the north. However, the world is vast and far-reaching; the faith of a single direction is not enough to count as many. Furthermore, examining it closely, they propagate it all day long, yet all day long they do not believe. How is this known? The numinous mound welled forth and appeared; the emanations gathered universally; the two bodies were grandly opened. Yet the lecturers only regard it as testifying to the person of the Lotus Sūtra, not knowing how to open the trace to reveal the source—how can they have faith? Furthermore, the emanations clarify that they are not real, and the life span determines that it is beyond calculation; Ajita could not see its beginning, and he who is one birth away from buddhahood could not fathom its end. Yet [the lecturers] still call it impermanent, reducing it to mere ash; this can be called the destitute son fleeing back within the mansion, or the lonely old man covering his eyes on the road. Who is willing to believe? Furthermore, the 'Dharma Master' chapter says, 'Causing them to ascend the couch of calm extinction and utter the teaching of non-words; although refuting the three, the mind is untainted by the one.' Yet those who adhere to words follow the names and preserve the marks; though they renounce the three, their minds stagnate again in the one. How could they be able to believe?