法華玄論 2.137

2.137

答：《釋論》云「有三種：一人中蓮華，十餘葉也；二天中蓮華，百葉；三菩薩淨土中華，有千葉或無量葉。」取其最勝為喻，即舉菩薩華也。借近以況遠者，取即目華也。晚見《法華論》明此大乘修多羅有十七種名，顯示甚深功德。應知一名無量義經者，成就字義故，以此法門說彼甚深妙境界法故。甚深妙境界者，諸佛如來最勝境界法故。二名最勝修多羅者，三藏中最勝妙藏成就故。三名大方廣者，無量大乘門，隨眾生根住持成就故。四名教菩薩法者，為教化根熟菩薩隨器法成就故。五者名佛所護念者，依佛如來有此法故。六名一切諸佛祕密法者，此法甚深如來知故。七名一切佛藏者，如來功德三昧之藏在此經故。八名一切諸佛密處者，根未熟眾生非法器不與故。九名能生一切諸佛者，聞此法門能成佛菩提故。十名一切諸佛道場者，聞此法門能成阿耨三菩提，非餘修多羅故。十一名一切諸佛所轉法輪者，此法門能破一切諸障故。十二名一切說佛堅固舍利，謂如來真如法身於此修多羅不壞故。十三名一切諸佛大巧方便經者，依此法門成大菩提已，為眾生說天人聲聞辟支佛等法故。十四名說一乘經者，此法門顯示如來阿耨三菩提究竟之體，二乘非究竟故。十五名第一義住者，此法門即是如來法身究竟住處故。十六名妙法蓮華經者，有二種義。何等為二？一者出水義，不可盡出離小乘泥濁水故。復有義蓮華出泥水，喻諸聲聞入如來大眾中坐，如諸菩薩坐蓮華上，聞說無上智慧清淨境界，證如來密藏故。二華開者，眾生於大乘中心怯弱不能生信故，開示如來淨妙法身令生信心故。十七名法門者，攝成就故。攝成就者，攝取無量名句字身、頻婆羅、阿閦婆等偈故也。

Answer: The *Treatise* says: "There are three kinds: first, lotus flowers among humans, which have ten-odd petals; second, lotus flowers among devas, with a hundred petals; third, flowers in the pure lands of bodhisattvas, which have a thousand petals or immeasurable petals." Taking the most superior as a metaphor, it refers to the bodhisattvas' flower. Borrowing what is close to illustrate what is distant, it takes the flower before one's eyes. Later I saw that the *Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa* clarifies that this Mahāyāna sūtra has seventeen names, displaying its profound merit. One should know that the first is called the *Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings*, because it accomplishes words and meanings, and because by means of this Dharma gate it explains the Dharma of that profound and wonderful realm. "Profound and wonderful realm" means the Dharma of the most supreme realm of the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas. Second, it is called the *Foremost Sūtra*, because it accomplishes the most supreme and wonderful piṭaka among the three piṭakas. Third, it is called *Vipula* (Great, Correct, and Vast), because it accomplishes the upholding of the immeasurable Mahāyāna gates in accordance with sentient beings' faculties. Fourth, it is called *Instruction of the Bodhisattva Dharma*, because it accomplishes the teaching of bodhisattvas of ripe faculties in accordance with their capacity as vessels. Fifth, it is called *Protected and Kept in Mind by the Buddhas*, because this Dharma exists by relying on the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas. Sixth, it is called the *Secret Dharma of All Buddhas*, because this Dharma is profound and known to the Tathāgatas. Seventh, it is called the *Treasury of All Buddhas*, because the treasury of the Tathāgatas' merits and samādhis is in this sūtra. Eighth, it is called the *Secret Place of All Buddhas*, because it is not given to sentient beings whose faculties are not yet ripe and who are not vessels of the Dharma. Ninth, it is called *Capable of Giving Birth to All Buddhas*, because hearing this Dharma gate one can accomplish the Buddha's bodhi. Tenth, it is called the *Bodhimanda of All Buddhas*, because hearing this Dharma gate one can accomplish anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and not by other sūtras. Eleventh, it is called the *Wheel of Dharma Turned by All Buddhas*, because this Dharma gate can shatter all obstacles. Twelfth, it is called *Expounding the Firm Śarīra of the Buddhas*, meaning that the Tathāgata's dharmakāya of tathatā is indestructible in this sūtra. Thirteenth, it is called the *Sūtra of the Great Skillful Means of All Buddhas*, because having attained great bodhi relying on this Dharma gate, they expound for sentient beings the dharmas of devas, humans, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and so on. Fourteenth, it is called the *Sūtra Expounding the One Vehicle*, because this Dharma gate displays the ultimate essence of the Tathāgata's anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, whereas the two vehicles are not ultimate. Fifteenth, it is called *Abiding in the Ultimate Truth*, because this Dharma gate is the ultimate abiding place of the Tathāgata's dharmakāya. Sixteenth, it is called the *Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma*, which has two meanings. What are the two? First, the meaning of emerging from water, because it inexhaustibly emerges from the muddy water of the small vehicle. Furthermore, there is the meaning that the lotus flower emerges from muddy water, which illustrates that the śrāvakas enter to sit among the great assembly of the Tathāgata, just as the bodhisattvas sit on lotus flowers, hearing the exposition of the supreme wisdom and pure realm, and realizing the Tathāgata's secret treasury. Second, the blossoming of the flower: because sentient beings are timid and weak in mind regarding the Mahāyāna and unable to generate faith, the pure and wonderful dharmakāya of the Tathāgata is revealed to cause them to generate faith. Seventeenth, it is called the *Dharma Gate*, because of accomplishment by subsumption. "Accomplishment by subsumption" means subsuming immeasurable collections of names, phrases, and syllables, as well as bimbaras, akṣobhyas, and other verses.