法華玄論 2.3

2.3

具存梵本，應云薩達磨分陀利修多羅，竺法護公翻為「正法蓮華」，羅什改正為「妙」，餘依舊經。遠公雙用二說，加以多名，謂真法好法等也。評曰：什公改正為妙者，必應有深致，今當試論之。正以對邪受稱、妙以形麁得名，以九十六術為邪、五乘之法為正，斯則正名劣也；五乘雖正猶未妙極，唯有一乘最為無上，則妙名為勝，故改前翻用後譯也。頌曰：是乘微妙，清淨第一，勝二乘也；於諸世間，為無有上，出人天乘也，故對彼麁乘以佛乘為妙矣。

In the fully preserved Sanskrit text, it should be called Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. Master Zhu Fahu translated it as 'Correct Dharma Lotus Flower' (Zhengfa lianhua), while Kumārajīva amended it to 'Sublime' (Miao), with the rest following the old scripture. Master [Hui]yuan employed both renderings and added many names, calling it the True Dharma, the Good Dharma, and so forth. Evaluation: When Master [Kumāra]jīva amended it to 'Sublime', there must surely have been a profound reason; we shall now attempt to discuss it. 'Correct' receives its designation by contrast with the 'heterodox', while 'sublime' gets its name by comparison with the 'coarse'. Taking the ninety-six heterodox paths as incorrect and the teaching of the five vehicles as correct, this designation of 'correct' is inferior. Although the five vehicles are correct, they are not yet supremely sublime; only the One Vehicle is supreme and unsurpassable, so the designation 'sublime' is superior. Therefore, the earlier translation was altered and the later rendering was adopted. A verse says: 'This vehicle is subtle and sublime, pure and foremost'—it surpasses the two vehicles; 'in all the worlds, it is unsurpassable'—it transcends the vehicles of humans and gods. Therefore, by contrast with those coarse vehicles, the Buddha-vehicle is deemed 'sublime'.