法華玄論 8.103

8.103

答：上諸義即明惡道竟。貪著三界及深二乘，能害菩薩法身惠命，故言惡道。二者佛及弟子已四處開權顯實呵責二乘，鈍根聞之猶未領悟。〈方便品〉云「小智樂小法，不自信作佛。」是故以方便分別說諸果。次身子章云「我昔於空法得證，而今乃自覺非是實滅度。」〈譬喻品〉云「唯有一大車」，唐捐門外實無三車。〈信解品〉云「佛乘如大豪富長者，小乘之人如眇目痤陋無威德者，乃至貧窮下賤除糞之人」，四處雖種種呵斥二乘、稱歎大道，鈍根聲聞猶故保執。是以今說惡道譬喻，明三界二乘皆是惡道，汝今云何欲樂住耶？又昔於大通佛所已欲度五百由旬，今積行彌劫，云何退住惡道？譬如父母呵子云：乃不長進，何為退縮？又凡夫以三途為地獄，二乘以三界為地獄，菩薩以二乘為地獄。故《大經》云「今我怖畏二乘道果，如惜命者怖畏捨身。汝今云何樂住地獄？」又本畏生老病死，求涅槃樂。三界及二乘地未免生死之苦，故名惡道，云何欲住？又此凡聖二地未免四魔，故名惡道。三界具四魔，二乘具三魔，煩惱未斷故有煩惱魔、方便受身故有陰魔、無常所切即是死魔。明此二地未免四魔，但前進不可住也。又《華嚴．性起品》明即事而言四乘皆苦，為三途苦說人天乘，為三界苦說聲聞乘，為聲聞根鈍少福有徒師之苦，說緣覺乘為緣覺福慧未圓、結習不斷之苦，故說佛乘。以有四苦名為惡道，本欲厭苦，今未脫之，云何欲住耶？

Answer: The various meanings above have already clarified the evil paths. Craving and clinging to the three realms and immersing deeply in the two vehicles can harm the bodhisattva's dharmakāya and wisdom life; hence they are called evil paths. Second, the Buddha and his disciples have already in four places opened the provisional and revealed the real, reproving the two vehicles, yet those of dull faculties who heard it have still not comprehended. The 'Chapter on Skillful Means' states: 'Those of small wisdom delight in small dharmas, not believing that they themselves will become Buddhas'; therefore, through skillful means, various fruits are distinguished and taught. Next, Śāriputra's passage states: 'Formerly I attained realization in the dharma of emptiness, yet only now do I realize that it was not true extinction.' The 'Chapter on Parables' states: 'There is only one great carriage'; outside the gate, all was in vain, and there were truly no three carriages. The 'Chapter on Faith and Understanding' states: 'The Buddha vehicle is like a great, wealthy elder, while people of the Small Vehicle are like one-eyed, ugly, base people devoid of majesty and virtue, even like impoverished, lowly dung-clearers.' Although in four places they reproved the two vehicles in various ways and praised the Great Path, śrāvakas of dull faculties still held fast to their attachments. Therefore, the parable of the evil paths is now spoken, clarifying that the three realms and the two vehicles are all evil paths: 'How could you now wish to abide in them with pleasure?' Furthermore, long ago, in the presence of the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, you already wished to traverse the five hundred yojanas; now, having accumulated practice across vast kalpas, why regress and abide in the evil paths? This is like parents reproving a child, saying: 'You have made no progress; why draw back?' Furthermore, ordinary beings take the three evil destinies as hell, the two vehicles take the three realms as hell, and bodhisattvas take the two vehicles as hell. Hence the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: 'Now I fear the paths and fruits of the two vehicles just as one who cherishes life fears discarding the body. How can you now take pleasure in abiding in hell?' Furthermore, fundamentally one feared birth, old age, sickness, and death, seeking the bliss of nirvāṇa. The three realms and the stage of the two vehicles have not yet escaped the suffering of saṃsāra, and are therefore called evil paths; how could one wish to abide in them? Furthermore, these two stages, ordinary and noble, have not yet escaped the four māras, and are therefore called evil paths. The three realms possess all four māras; the two vehicles possess three māras: because afflictions are not severed, they have the affliction māra; because they take form through skillful means, they have the skandha māra; and being cut short by impermanence is precisely the death māra. This clarifies that these two stages have not escaped the four māras, so one must only advance forward and cannot abide [in them]. Furthermore, the 'Chapter on Nature-Arising' of the Avataṃsaka clarifies that, speaking in terms of concrete facts, all four vehicles are suffering: for the suffering of the three evil destinies, the human and heavenly vehicle was taught; for the suffering of the three realms, the śrāvaka vehicle was taught; for the suffering of śrāvakas whose faculties are dull, who have little merit, and who endure the hardship of disciples and teachers, the pratyekabuddha vehicle was taught; for the suffering of pratyekabuddhas whose merit and wisdom are not complete and whose habit-energies are not severed, the Buddha vehicle was taught. Because there are four sufferings, they are called evil paths; fundamentally wishing to be weary of suffering, yet now not having escaped it, how could you wish to abide in them?