法華玄論 1.99

1.99

Furthermore, wishing to summarize and integrate [the teaching: in] Śākyamuni's single transformation [of the world], from beginning to end there are seven approaches in all; now, so that those among the people of the three vehicles who have not yet attained awakening may all come to comprehend, he preaches this sūtra. The first is the approach of introducing and praising the middle way dharmakāya, meaning that the Tathāgata's dharmakāya is free of all encumbrances and possesses all virtues. Free of all encumbrances, it cannot be considered existent; possessing all virtues, it cannot be considered non-existent; being neither existent nor non-existent is precisely the middle way dharmakāya. Therefore the sūtra states: "The Tathāgata has forever eliminated without remainder all dreads, declines, afflictions, worries, and the dark veils of ignorance"—this refers to being free of all encumbrances; "and has fully accomplished immeasurable knowledge and vision, powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth"—this is possessing all virtues. The reason these two are clarified is truly that because he has no afflictions, he can rescue living beings from afflictions, and because he possesses all virtues, he can relieve beings who lack virtues. Therefore, being about to clarify the initiation of the transformation, he first praises the source of transformation. The second is the approach of great compassion, meaning that while grounded in the dharmakāya, the Tathāgata sees two kinds of sentient beings and gives rise to a mind of great compassion: first, those who in the past once received the Buddha's teaching but, looking outward first, incurred suffering; second, those who have never passed through the sublime Way and suffer scorching in the three realms. These two kinds of sentient beings possess all afflictions and lack all virtues; thus they possess what the Buddha lacks, and lack what the Buddha possesses; for the sake of these sentient beings he gives rise to the mind of great compassion. The third is the approach of manifesting responses: having given rise to the mind of great compassion, he accordingly enters saṃsāra and, to cross beings over, manifests the eight phases of attaining the Way. Therefore the sūtra states: "And he was born into the decayed, burning house of the three realms"—this is precisely what that refers to. The fourth is the approach where real transformation cannot succeed: having given rise to the mind of great compassion to achieve the Way for the sake of living beings, at the very moment he first achieved the Way, he wished through great compassion to pull out their encumbrances, and through great loving-kindness to relieve their lack of virtue. But although the sage could bestow it, ordinary people could not receive it, and so he suspended real transformation. The fifth is the approach where provisional transformation succeeds: although they did not follow when transformed by the one vehicle, his great compassion did not abandon them; wishing gradually to guide his children, he therefore preached the three within the one, which is called the approach of provisional inducement. The sixth is the approach where real transformation succeeds: the small attachments being on the verge of collapsing and the great capacity on the verge of stirring, he therefore unites the three to return to the one, which is called the approach where real transformation succeeds. The seventh is the approach of non-falsity: promising three and bestowing one may seem contradictory, but because he deeply perceives the capacity of living beings there is no falsehood, which is called the approach of non-falsity. Synthesizing these seven meanings yields six pairs: the first one is the approach for oneself, and the latter six are the approaches for transforming others—the pair of self and other. The first two are the dharmakāya, and the latter five are the responsive traces—the pair of root and trace. Furthermore, among these five, in the first section, not only does Śākyamuni possess these seven matters, but Vairocana's transformation is precisely Śākyamuni's transformation—the pair of the two Buddhas. Furthermore, among the four, in the first sudden transformation cannot succeed, while in the latter three gradual transformation wins the sons—the pair of sudden and gradual. Among the latter three, the first teaches the three, and the latter two clarify the one—the pair of the three and the one. Among the latter two, the first properly clarifies the one, and the next integrates them, showing that the teachings of all Buddhas are uniformly thus, with the three and one being not false—what is called the pair of the teaching and the integration of teachings. This explains the purport of the "Parable Chapter" following upon the end of the "Skillful Means Chapter".