法華玄論 2.25

2.25

The seventh is clarifying the two subtleties. The first section clarifies the subtlety of the one; the latter section clarifies the subtlety of the permanent. Clarifying the subtlety of the one in the first section: because the Path has no dual, it is named "one." As the Avataṃsaka says, "All fearless persons emerge from saṃsāra by one path." But the one path has two kinds: first, having no divergence of the ninety-six kinds [of non-Buddhist paths], it is called one; second, having no divergence of the five vehicles, it is called one; lacking these two kinds [of divergence], it is called one path. Because of not being one, it deviates from the Path and is named crude; because the Path has no dual, it is termed subtle. Therefore, the first section directly shows the purity of the one path for all sentient beings. The second section shows that the one path is permanent: although knowing that the one path is pure, one does not yet know whether the one path is permanent or impermanent; hence it next clarifies that the one path is permanent. Because the Path is permanent, it is subtle. The tathāgata is the person who realizes the one path; because the Path is permanent, all buddhas are also permanent; because the Path is subtle, the person who embodies the Path is also subtle; because the Path is one, the person who embodies the Path is also one; therefore, all buddhas of the ten directions share the same dharmakāya. Why is this so? If the non-path is already impermanent, and the Path were also impermanent, what difference would there ultimately be between the Path and the non-path? If it were as traditionally stated, there would only be the subtlety of the one, and no subtlety of the permanent; the meaning of subtlety would be deficient, and hence it could not be called the Subtle Lotus. Furthermore, because the one path is permanent, the one can be termed subtle; since the tradition explained the one as still impermanent, the one would also not be subtle. If so, there would not only be no subtlety of the permanent, but also no subtlety of the one; since there would be neither of the two subtleties, there would only be the two crudes. What is clarified now is that there is solely the one correct Path, spoken according to its meaning: because the ultimate has no dual, it is named "one"; its essence is not arising and ceasing, and so it is permanent.